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Doublereed Archive - Posting 000071.txt from 2007/10

From: herb fawcett <herbgosia@-----.net>
Subj: Re: [DR-L] Play loud ...and louder!
Date: Thu, 04 Oct 2007 13:34:33 -0400

Wonderful story about Bruno Labate and the NY Phil A.
Herb

On 10/4/07 10:10 AM, "Miriam Williams" <mwquacker@-----.net> wrote:

> Why not just use an electronic sound generator of some kind at rehearsals?
> This could easily be turned up loudly enough so everyone could hear it.
>
> Also, don't violinists use electronic tuners as a matter of course. It seems
> to me to be a sort of outdated practice to rely on the oboe, although to
> keep the tradition of making sure everyone is tuned properly just prior to
> the downbeat would be reasonable.
>
> I agree, it can be tiring to hold out 3 A's - how long *should* it be held?
> A gripe I have is that others (especially choristers) who are not silent
> when the A is called for. Apologies if this has been addressed already. I
> have not read the previous posts & decided to just jump in here.
>
> My $0.02,
> Miriam
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Philip McKenzie" <philclimb1@-----.com>
> To: <doublereed@-----.org>
> Sent: Thursday, October 04, 2007 11:56 AM
> Subject: Re: [DR-L] Play loud ...and louder!
>
>
> When we start the concert, the concertmaster asks for 3 A's; winds,
> violas/cello/bass, violins. After intermission, 2 A's: winds, strings. If
> we tune in the middle of a longer piece, it's one A. Rehearsals and
> concerts are done the same way.
>
> I'm playing those three As for a very long time each time. Too long. And
> the tuning needs to be fairly loud. It's a self-perpetuating issue. If one
> person plays loud to hear himself, the next person has to play louder also.
> And on and on.
>
> In the land of amaters in which I happily reside, what would be ideal? 2
> A's briefly played?
>
> And how to ratchet it back? Do I e-mail the conductor and concertmaster to
> get their takes on whether it's actually a problem and what to do about it?
> If there is an agreed upon problem, do we say something at the next
> rehearsal. Should I do the whining? Should the concertmaster suggest?
> Should the conductor require?
>
> Recently it's been mentioned on this list that an A called the Philadelphia
> Orchestra back after breaks back in the day. Would a backstage A be a
> reasonable addition to our protocol? Or a strikable A bar so any individual
> could tune in advance of coming on the stage so the orchestra tuning is a
> confirmation rather than an adjustment exercise?
>
> Phil
>
>
> ----- Original Message ----
> From: herb fawcett <herbgosia@-----.net>
> To: "doublereed@-----.org>
> Sent: Thursday, October 4, 2007 11:26:10 AM
> Subject: Re: [DR-L] Play loud ...and louder!
>
>
> One very important aspect of tuning is to play only the A. The varied
> harmonics of other notes interfere with hearing any beat, which after all
> the ultimate criterion of being "in tune" with the reference pitch.
> The moving intonation as notes change function in the harmony etc. is best
> attended to by the attitude among players of "be here NOW" so the needed
> small adjustments are always in their awareness. Democracy is important even
> in orchestral pitch. Leave the dictator on the podium where he cannot mess
> up the pitch too much.
> Herb
>
>
> On 10/4/07 8:52 AM, "David Lurie" <klingsor@-----.com> wrote:
>
>> 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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>
>
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