I was playing in an amateur orchestra where everyone was getting lost in a contemporary piece that was free-flowing with no definite rythm. The conductor waved the stick in a free-flowing style trying to "emote." I respectfully asked him--I even played the senior citizen card--to give a definite downbeat at the beginning of each measure so I could count rests. He looked at me very startled and asked, "EVERY measure?" Would you believe that on the day of the concert, in the pre-concert rehearsal, he was still trying to get everyone to come in together? I spent many hours listening to a recording and writing in cues. I did make every entrance.
Herb Foster ________________________________ From: "lewho...@yahoo.com" <lewho...@yahoo.com> To: The Horn List <horn@music.memphis.edu> Sent: Monday, August 17, 2009 4:44:51 PM Subject: Re: [Hornlist]. Conductor's. Was Confusing transposition Ah yes, Scott. To be young and still think that most conductors are infallable and that they are god... Sorry to burst your bubble, but I can tell stories and I don't play at the level that Hans and others on this forum have worked. I personally have worked under conductors that in some cases were totally clueless. Some of our colleagues on this list in the Metropolitan area where I reside (the name of the community shall remain nameless to protect the innocent, lol) know of a certain conductor that if you watched him, you were sure to get lost when he conducted a piece in three that really was in four. I am not joking! He also liked to play John Williams' music at a VERY slow tempo. I have said he couldn't conduct his way out of a paper bag. Now that my colleagues from my area are hopefully chuckling, I withdraw probably to be flamed. Walt Lewis ------Original Message------ From: scott...@msn.com Sender: horn-bounces+lewhorn9=yahoo....@music.memphis.edu To: horn@music.memphis.edu ReplyTo: The Horn List Subject: FW: [Hornlist] Confusing transposition (double post) Sent: Aug 17, 2009 4:15 PM Walt Lewis wrote: Won't that infuriate most conductors, even those that are so bad they can't conduct electricity let alone Wagner, Mendelssohn, Brahms et al? My question is how do you know they cannot conduct electricity unless you try... hard. Respectfully Submitted, Scott Young _______________________________________________ post: horn@music.memphis.edu unsubscribe or set options at http://music2.memphis.edu/mailman/options/horn/lewhorn9%40yahoo.com Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry _______________________________________________ post: horn@music.memphis.edu unsubscribe or set options at http://music2.memphis.edu/mailman/options/horn/archive%40jab.org
