> > Perhaps orchestral auditions should include a warning that the > players will be expected to make any adjustments to conventional > techniques required by the composers whose music is played. How > about it, Ray; would professional orchestra players agree to that, or > are they too hidebound conservative? There must be provisions for > conventional unconventional doubles, like banjo, mandolin, and of > course the saxes and occasional tenor tuba. And is there an > equivalent to scordatura tunings for strings in the brass and > woodwind sections? (Percussionists may be more open to challenges > than any other players in the orchestra!!) > >
Well, one of the difficulties that we're clearly encountering is that it's hard to find any common agreement of how far one can adjust instruments, violins specifically, without risking permanent damage. Which surely would have to be the limit of any such requirement?! > > (Actually they do their darndest to maintain constant humidity, both > with those wormy things stuck in the F-holes and with very > scientific-looking gizmos in their cases. Instruments built in and > for European climates react quite badly to the wild extremes found in > various parts of North America.) As I have demonstrated to my and my violin's cost when camping in the Rockies. However, none of it as as scientific as it might look. The hygrometers in cases are just there to look flash, and I wouldn't trust them to give an accurate reading. As for humidifiers in f-holes, while they have a very useful function in preventing things drying out too far (especially in an instrument more familiar with maritime climates), they fall a long way short of maintaining constant humidity. > > But I would definitely draw the line (despite my advocacy of > following the composer's wishes) at anything that would cause the > bridge or soundpost to either fall or get misplaced. It costs MONEY > to get a good luthier to restore the proper setup, and it has to be > done in the dark of the moon with newt's eye and some other weird > stuff. I'd expect the composer to rent me a fiddle and take full > responsibility for it if s/he wanted something that close to being > destructive. > > John > I suppose I am a bit spoilt, with a fallen soundpost only requiring a ten minute walk down the road to get sorted :) And unless a bridge or soundpost actually needs replacing, I don't have much respect for somebody who charges money to set things up again. It's NOT that big or skilled a task. _______________________________________________ Finale mailing list [email protected] http://lists.shsu.edu/mailman/listinfo/finale
