Klarinet Archive - Posting 000084.txt from 1997/10

From: "Lorne G. Buick" <lgbuick@-----.net>
Subj: Re: difference?
Date: Fri, 3 Oct 1997 09:37:34 -0400

Gary Ginstling wrote:

> I must disagree with several things Mr. Buick states above. First, and
> foremost, is the notion that "individual interpretive talent is a
> relatively small part of orchestral playing." I think it is no accident
> that the principal players in the major orchestras (in America as well as
> Europe) are, by and large, fantastic musicians in their own rights. They
> are not simply conduits of a particular conductor's style or phrasing. Any
> orchestral musician who played a big solo without much individual
> interpretation would not get very far. More important, I would not have
> much interest in listening to him or her.

OK I take it all back. Well not all of it - I agree that they (principal
clarinetists) are "by and large, fantastic musicians". But I still think
there's a big difference between being aable to distinguish oneself as a
part of a much larger whole (even in big solos like Sibelius 1 (or is it
2?), Beethoven 4 etc.) and being responsible for the whole interpretation
of a sonata and a whole program. No matter how great musicians these
players are, they don't get to exercise that ability much in an orchestral
career and often when they come out of the orchestra to do a concerto or a
solo recital they're quite boring.

I was also thinking partly in terms of _getting_ an orchestral job -
certainly getting through the first round requires more attention to
perfect execution than individual interpretation.
>
> As for the idea that a conductor could spend ten minutes with the principal
> clarinetists of the big five orchestras and get them to play a solo
> identically, I think you probably mean get them to "phrase" a solo
> identically. This would actually take quite a bit less than ten minutes
> since, as you seem to recognize, these musicians are incredibly skilled at
> ascertaining what a conductor is after and are flexible enough to achieve
> this in a very short time. However, you seem to be omitting one thing:
> There is no way, in ten minutes or two hours, that a conductor would be
> able to get rid of these clarinetists' distinctive sounds. I really don't
> think you can make Stanley Drucker sound like Larry Combs or Larry Combs
> sound like Frank Cohen in ten minutes, no matter how identically they shape
> a phrase. Nor, I might add, would you want to...Each of these great
> artists, regardless of whether you prefer one player's tone or style to
> another, brings an extraordinary amount of his own unique character, style
> and musicianship to their playing which is precisely what has landed them
> in the positions they are in.

I agree with what you're saying, but I don't think it contradicts the basic
point of my post. I didn't mean to run down orchestral players and say that
they're a bunch of interchangeable drones. What I was trying to say is that
I think preparing for an orchestral career requires a different focus and
attitude than preparing to be a soloist. If you want to get an orchestral
job, don't waste your time studying the complete symphonic works of
Beethoven, Brahms, shostakovich et al and developing your own unique
interpretation. Learn the excerpts thoroughly - yes this does involve
studying the score and learning the context of the part, but this is not
the same as what a soloist should do when studying scores and interpreting
the whole work.
>
> Finally, if you know of any principal players in any major orchestra who do
> not understand sonata form, please let me know...

How would I know whether they do or not? Why would I care unless I were
going to study solo adn chamber repertoire with them?

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
LGB Lorne G Buick St. John's
lgbuick@-----.net Newfoundland
Canada