amtrpt

Hi fnchdrms87,
In my time playing there are only a few reasons that we miss notes. What I try to do now is make sure that if I miss a note I miss it honestly. Getting started can be especially tough. Here are a few things you might want to think about.
First make sure that you are comfortable with the timing of the attack between the tounge, the lips and the air. It's very important that you be able to release everything together without hesitation. (I think Wilmer may have already said something similar to this on another message board.)

Secondly make sure that you really have the pitch in your ear. A lot of missed notes happen simply because we don't hear the starting pitch, or the interval in the middle of a passage. For instance with Mahler 5 I always make sure that I have the C# in my ear during the tuning note so that I can be sure to start in the middle of the pitch without guessing. (This works great until the conductor decides to talk for ten mintues about the piece right after the A has been given.)

Lastly try an make sure that you have a clear musical idea in mind. I like to leave the work in the practice room when I perform. What I mean by that is that if I have done my preparation well then I need to trust it and not sit onstage thinking of a check list on how to start a note. Another example that you gave is Schumann 2. I really like to imagine this as an early morning in a foggy open field with a hill at one end and the fanfare coming from over the hill. Almost ghostly if that makes sense. That helps me get in the right frame of mind to start the pitch not just well and accurately, but also musically.
Good luck!
Andrew