For your knowledge (and ours), ask him what motivates him; maybe he
doesn't know that he is moving. Recommend keep it simple and tell him
he needs to stop, not to "keep his movements to a minimum". The minimum
movement is stop. If you let him move at all, then in a week or two you
will have to start all over with him again. Keep us posted, eh? And
where's the conductor in all this? It really shouldn't be your
responsibility.
David G
On 4/2/2011 6:37 PM, M Bender wrote:
> 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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> "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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