Doublereed Archive - Posting 000015.txt from 2008/05

From: David Lurie <klingsor@-----.com>
Subj: Re: [DR-L] On-stage warmups
Date: Fri, 02 May 2008 14:14:21 -0400

At 12:18 PM 5/2/2008, you wrote:
>so that's where it started!When I played/worked in Germany and
>played in Spain, and toured Euorpe with Israel Phil we didn't have
>this policy!Progress???
>I'm staging my own boycott--if they want to take me out with an
>armed guard so be it!
>
>Many thanks
>
>Harold

Good for you, Harold. I'm very glad to see the spirit of rebellion
against arbitrary and unreasonable living conditions is alive and well!

David

>----- Original Message ----- From: "mzeztee" <mzeztee@-----.edu>
>To: <doublereed@-----.org>
>Sent: Friday, May 02, 2008 1:01 PM
>Subject: Re: [DR-L] On-stage warmups
>
>
>>Hey Harold,
>>
>>A collegue of mine toured Europe with an American chamber orchestra.
>>They started out coming on the stage as they usually did at home. About
>>half way through the tour, they were told by management that they had to
>>proceed the "European" way i.e. warm up back stage, come on to the stage
>>as a group and no warm-up then until the "official" tuning.
>>
>>It makes NO sense and I think detrimental to the quality of the performance.
>>
>>I didn't have this experience when I played for a year in orchestras in
>>Salzburg.
>>
>>more than 2 cents. . .
>>
>>B
>>
>>On 4/28/2008 1:00 PM, HAROLD wrote:
>>>Hi David
>>>Thanks for that...courage is needed.Spoke yesterday to the
>>>Maestrina(woman conductor ) about this problem and she has now
>>>allowed the oboes and bassoons and maybe even clars to come
>>>onstage prior to the others entering.
>>>Maybe we should stage an around the world protest onstage by
>>>double reed players who will only be removed from warming up by
>>>helmeted police armed with machine guns?
>>>If I could only buy all these idiots who think musicians are
>>>actors an airticket to watch and hear the NYPhil, they would all
>>>change their minds quickly. There are actually audience
>>>goers--like myself--who arrive early at their seat to watch and
>>>enjoy watching musicians warming up!
>>>
>>>Best,
>>>
>>>Harold Emert
>>>----- Original Message ----- From: "David Lurie" <> Hi Harold
>>>>
>>>>This is a subject I am quite familiar with. When I got my current
>>>>job in NJ with the Bergen Philharmonic Orch, they used that same
>>>>practice: the players would warm up in one room, then on command
>>>>would all march single file through a cold corridor in a military
>>>>manner on to the stage then take their places in silence, and not
>>>>play until the concertmaster arrived and gave the signal to tune.
>>>>Naturally, at that point the intonation was horribly screwed up.
>>>>
>>>>The first time I observed this happening was at a concert of the
>>>>Moscow Philharmonic in Rochester, NY, where the musicians marched
>>>>on stage in single file, and in a military manner. At the time,
>>>>I thought, oh well, what can you expect from an authoritarian and
>>>>dictatorial society? So I just forgot about it, until I got into
>>>>the Bergen orchestra.
>>>>
>>>>At first, I objected strenuously to that whole procedure, but was
>>>>told that it was "the professional way" for an orchestra to enter
>>>>the stage and then tune. There was a businessman president of the
>>>>board of directors who had instituted the policy, but obviously
>>>>he knew nothing about what tuning was all about. This guy
>>>>insisted that every professional orchestra does it that way, and
>>>>therefore he was right about it, and wouldn't change the policy.
>>>>When I told him that I had just attended a NY Philharmonic
>>>>concert and they didn't do it that way, he merely grumbled
>>>>something inaudible, then turned away and ended the conversation.
>>>>That was that.
>>>>
>>>>Luckily, this guy's term of office was up that year, after which
>>>>I was able to persuade them to let every one warm up on the stage.
>>>>
>>>>David
>>>
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>>>
>>
>>
>>
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