Hello Hans,
I agree that it is always better to have beautiful playing speak for itself.
Thank you for your suggestion. While I don't want to be accused of trying to
"stifle his creativity" or musicianship, something MUST be said. Before
employing the "nasty" approach, I will speak with the clarinet player at the
rehearsal tomorrow [we will do the Nocturne I am sure] and mention to him-- in
the nicest possible way-- that it's difficult enough as it is for me [us!] to
follow one conductor, let alone two, and would it be possible to keep his
movements to a minimum?
I'm hoping it works.
Sincerely,
martin
########################################################
On 2011-04-02, at 12:25 PM, Hans Pizka wrote:
> Hello Martin,
>
> while I was in the orchestra we had a bassoonist, just sitting between my
> place & the conductor, so I had him in my eyes all the time. He was swiveling
> back & forth all the time, nearly standing up at the shortest bassoon solo,
> swinging his wooden tool like a windshield cleaner.
>
> I asked him to reduce his movements a bit but received nasty answers, I tried
> it again several times always polite off course. No result at all.
>
> ################################################################################################################
> So I started the nasty way. Listen carefully about the woodwinditis cure:
>
> When he had a solo & started moving (it was terrible distracting), I just
> flustered: "That´s the nerves only ! Just the nerves !" - "What ? What ?" he
> replied angrily. "Yes, just the nerves !" - He was cured instantly. And I
> could read the music on my music stand much better, as the music stand did not
> move around.
>
> Try it with your clarinet player also.
>
> ################################################################################################################
>
> The "woodwinditis" is a result of playing down nervosity mixed with an
> extreme egocentrism ("I must show the audience, it is ME, playing that solo
> !"). What a poor guy, if he needs that to catch attention. It is much better
> , - so I feel -, if the beautiful playing catches the attention. But I have
> to say, that this bassoon fellow was a very good player, even egocentric.
>
> ################################################################
> Am 02.04.2011 um 16:08 schrieb M Bender:
>
>> Help!
>>
>> There is a member of the woodwind section [clarinet] in our orchestra who
>> suffers from a very severe case of 'woodwind-itis', to the point where his
>> spasmodic movements are throwing off the entire wind section.
>>
>> During a rehearsal for an upcoming performance of Mendelssohn's Midsummer
>> Night's Dream, he actually took his left hand from his instrument and began
>> conducting from his seat, as he was swaying back and forth. This occurred
>> during the Nocturne, and unfortunately, I sit right behind the clarinet
>> section. I'd rather not have two conductors to look at; one is quite enough!
>>
>> In the Overture, at the moment of the donkey calls, he partially rises in
>> his seat, in time with the 'braying donkey'... which was admittedly sort of
>> funny at the first rehearsal, but, frankly has become annoying as hell.
>>
>> Other members of the orchestra have commented about this, but no one seems
>> to be able to offer a workable solution to curtail these contortions. He's a
>> good player and all, but, alas, it's getting ridiculous. I can only imagine
>> what this must look like from the audience's perspective-- this twitching,
>> bobbing up-and-down, buffoon-like clarinetist. All he needs is the red nose
>> and the Bozo the Clown hair...
>>
>> Short of firing the guy, I'd appreciate any hints on how this affliction
>> might be remedied.
>>
>> Cheers,
>> martin bender
>>
>> "All great things are decided not by machines or gadgets, but by willpower;
>> whoever has it will finally prevail." Winston Churchill
>>
>>
>>
>>
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whoever has it will finally prevail." Winston Churchill
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