Klarinet Archive - Posting 000294.txt from 1996/04

From: niethamer@-----.BITNET
Subj: Re: Dan and Michelangelo-WARNING:DIATRIBE!
Date: Wed, 10 Apr 1996 23:02:31 -0400

Scott - you wrote:

> Possible naivete here, but here goes: I think it is a plus for a
> performer to have some knowledge of a piece and its period, etc., but
> ISN'T THAT REALLY THE CONDUCTOR'S JOB? I have long been under the
> impression that the interpretation of an orchestral piece was up to the
> conductor, just as the interpretation of a theatrical piece was up to
> the director! Yes, the performers may bring their own experiences and
> interpretations to a project, but it is the director's show!

In practical orchestral reality, many (most?) conductors don't know
(expletive bowdlerized here) excrement from shoe polish! When I played
the K.622 in 1991, I had to insist that the Kalmus parts be replaced with
Barenreiter (Neue Mozart Ausgabe). This year, I raised cane until our
Firebird parts were at least corrected to match the McAllister score
which is the corrected version (see Jonathan Cohler's post on this
subject some months ago). In neither case did our conductor have a clue.
Maybe in the theater it's different.

David Niethamer