Klarinet Archive - Posting 000051.txt from 1996/11

From: "David B. Niethamer" <niethamer@-----.EDU>
Subj: Re: Watch the Conductor! Was Re: Berlin Phil clarinetists?
Date: Sun, 3 Nov 1996 22:43:45 -0500

Jacqueline, you wrote:

>My spousal equivalent and I argue all the time about whether or not to watch
>the conductor (he's a timpanist, so has a larger ego than most). I say
>that since the conductor is coordinating the singers on stage with the
>pit orchestra, and since we can't see them, and can't hear them properly
>(we get all the nice reverb from the big halls!) that we should watch the
>conductor, especially in rubato or recit. passages. Russell disagrees --
>that if you watch the conductor, you will be late, so it's better to play
>with what you hear.

Sorry, your husband's physics don't hold up. The speed of light is *much*
faster than the speed of sound, so the eye is more reliable than ear in
this case. From practical experience I can tell you that if you wait to
hear it from the other side of the stage, you will be late.

David

David Niethamer
Principal Clarinet, Richmond Symphony
niethamer@-----.edu
dbnclar1@-----.com
http://users.aol.com/dbnclar1/