Klarinet Archive - Posting 000902.txt from 1997/09

From: "Andrew Scholberg" <ascholbe@-----.com>
Subj: Re: Tabuteau's pianissimo
Date: Fri, 19 Sep 1997 10:47:10 -0400

A few years ago when I was playing under Revelli, he told a story about
Tabuteau. (Revelli was a huge fan of Ormandy and the Philadelphia
Orchestra). The story went like this.

Ormandy was dissatisfied with Tabuteau's pianissimo in a certain passage
and kept asking Tabuteau to play softer, softer, softer. Tabuteau was
playing as softly as he possibly could. Ormandy demanded that he find a way
to reduce the volume even further.

Instead of telling Ormandy what he could do with his demand, Tabuteau put
on his thinking cap. The next day Tabuteau showed up for rehearsal with a
felt bag tied around the end of his oboe. Ormandy had the pianissimo he was
looking for.

Andy Scholberg
ascholbe@-----.com