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Doublereed Archive - Posting 000044.txt from 2007/10
From: David Lurie <klingsor@-----.com>
Subj: RE: [DR-L] Play loud ...and louder!
Date: Thu, 04 Oct 2007 11:52:26 -0400
At 11:02 AM 10/4/2007, you wrote:
> Read about the loudest tuning note in oboe history on my blog:
> http://oneflute1oboe.livejournal.com/
>
>~Angela
I read what you wrote there, which I will quote as follows:
For the Orange County Symphony, I refuse to give A while people are
practicing/warming up/talking/wandering around/etc. The concertmaster
stands up, things settle down, and *then* I play.
At tonight's random gig, however, I was expected to give A while
people were practicing. I waited... and waited... and the
concertmaster grew impatient. With ME. So I proceeded to give the
loudest freaking A that you have ever heard.
That seems to me to be silly as well as amateurish in the extreme.
This concertmaster obviously does not know how to perform the tuning
job. In a professional orchestra, the concertmaster stands up if
everyone does not quiet down immediately, taps his bow on the stand
until everyone stops playing. then you play the tuning A. Also you
should play the A softly, not loud, so that everyone will have to
exert themselves just a little to hear it, and then not play too loud.
Yes, I realize that tuning is pointless. Everyone is just going to
play sharp no matter what. But if we're going to pretend to do it,
then we should pretend to have a go at doing it right, with everyone
pretending to listen to the reference pitch.
I can perhaps be called a snob, like you, but tuning is not pointless
if the group is serious. Obviously, the group you play in is NOT
serious about it, so I can understand your attitude. But a serious
group, will take tuning seriously. That the pitch rises is
inevitable, no matter what group it is. But then there is no problem
as long as it is held under control and the orchestra re-tunes often
enough. That is a job for the conductor and/or the concertmaster. If
they goof folks don't; know enough about how to do it, then perhaps
you should start to educate them by initiating discussions concerning
these matters.
David
/oboe snob
<http://oneflute1oboe.livejournal.com/187465.html>Link
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