At 9:00 AM -0500 7/20/05, Fisher, Allen wrote:
When I was in school, opera arias, showtunes and art songs were memorized, oratorio was not (but you should only use music as a reference). I was told it was performance practice. My dad commented "Gee, you didn't use music for all them foreign songs, but you needed music for the ones in English."
OK, I guess it's time for my Primrose story. William Primrose, with whom I had the privilege of studying viola at Indiana, routinely played concertos from memory, but liked to stand where he could glance at the conductor's score just for reassurance, especially when doing a new piece.
He was premiering a new concerto (it may have been the Bartók), and walked on stage to take his place, glancing over at the conductor's stand. The conductor was conducting from memory!! Very brief moment of panic, followed by a stunning and perfect performance.
Mr. Primrose also joined the resident string quartet at Indiana for a string quintet on a scholarship concert. It was the first, and likely the last time I will ever see a chamber ensemble led authoritatively from the Second Viola chair!!
John -- John & Susie Howell Virginia Tech Department of Music Blacksburg, Virginia, U.S.A 24061-0240 Vox (540) 231-8411 Fax (540) 231-5034 (mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]) http://www.music.vt.edu/faculty/howell/howell.html _______________________________________________ Finale mailing list [email protected] http://lists.shsu.edu/mailman/listinfo/finale
