Klarinet Archive - Posting 000013.txt from 1995/09

From: niethamer@-----.BITNET
Subj: Re: The Gig from Hell
Date: Fri, 1 Sep 1995 22:04:46 -0400

At the end of my first season here in Richmond we did our traditional
outdoor concert at an amphitheater called "Dogwood Dell", with
Polovetsian Dances on the program.

I had been on my good behavior all year, had been renewed and gotten
tenure. The big solo went well, but at the end of the following 3/4, I
needed to 1.)turn and secure the page, 2.)count all the bars, and 3.) change
to Bb
clarinet for the 6/8. Since the 3/4 *and* the 6/8 are one-to-the-bar,
I've always been a bit wary. Something irrational about it tends to be
confusing unless I focus on the count. Well I got the count, and I got
the page turned and secured against the wind. In my excitement, I missed
the clarinet change! It only took one note to realize what was wrong.
>From the look on the conductor's face, I thought he would fall backward
into the pit!

Tres embarrasing!

My principal bassoonist friend saw the whole thing unfold as he played
his dum-da-dums in the 6/8, and could barely keep playing when I hit the
first note on the wrong clarinet. Nice guy!

It wasn't funny then, but it's a great story now.

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David Niethamer
niethamer@-----.edu
dbnclar1@-----.com
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