To Simon, Martin, Lawrence & others: playing Mendelssohn-Bartholdy´s wonderful Nocturne one cannot play as one wants; the player must execute the music as it is. Avoid getting faster, avoid getting slower, - which happen both, if the player gets tired. Play the Nocturno as it is: "ben tenuto" - well held. Play it as if you were a string player, say playing the cello perhaps. So you find the best places to breath, "up beat wise". Try the piece without the horn, sing it, but use the right hand as bow hand. You will find the best phrasing. Do not forget breathing on the right places.
The wood-winditis-fellows create big problems for every orchestra. Polite approach does not work. Orchestra board approach will not work. Why ? They have a severe psychic problem, which can be cured by a psychiatrist (who will tell this to the players ?) but it would take years. Once in the hands of a psychiatrist, in the hands of a psychiatrist forever. That´s their business. But these candidates do not see themselves any problem. I once tried to cure another fellow sitting in front of me. When he started to move, I did it too, but harder, so hard, that his chair started moving against his movement. Guess why. And I did it until the conductor noticed that. "Why do you move that much, when you have a solo ?" - I looked around, very astonished, if I did not understand, that the conductor meant me. "Ooops, you meant me, Sir ? But doesn´t the bassoon move all the time ?" - Conductor: "I did not see that !" - Well, conductors see only things they want to see: wrong necktie, newspaper on the music stand, ladies, - not the score, they cannot read many times .... But the problem was over, but the bassoonist, who never was friend with me anyway, would never have become my friend. Never mind. Nasty people just understand nasty paroles, that´s the truth, the working truth. Fluster: "Psychiatrist can cure that .......", repeat it, repeat it again, until the candidate explodes & blames himself in front of the orchestra. You just play the INNOCENT. Unfair, but effective. Even nice fellows as you & me, we have to use nasty measures for those who deserve it. Being nice always & to everybody is a dream or myth, as some feel that you are nice & others might feel being offended. Please, you few fellows here on the list, fellows with Christian missionary intentions, please keep your religious orientation out of our discussions & keep them as part of your privacy, because not all list members are of Christian believe. And ALL religions or life philosophies deserve our deep respect. #################################################################################################### Am 03.04.2011 um 04:04 schrieb Simon Varnam: >>> 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! > > > Martin, I hope it's not just that (because of the way you are playing it) he > thinks you are not watching the conductor and is trying to help! I must admit > to having tried to signal to tunnel-vision-afflicted players who were so > engrossed in following the notes on the page that they became oblivious to > the sounds around them and to the efforts of the conductor to control them. > :-) > > Simon > _______________________________________________ > post: [email protected] > unsubscribe or set options at > https://pegasus.memphis.edu/cgi-bin/mailman/options/horn/hpizka%40me.com _______________________________________________ post: [email protected] unsubscribe or set options at https://pegasus.memphis.edu/cgi-bin/mailman/options/horn/archive%40jab.org
