Klarinet Archive - Posting 000486.txt from 1998/03

From: avrahm galper <agalper@-----.com>
Subj: LAUGHING DURING A CONCERT
Date: Sat, 7 Mar 1998 22:28:34 -0500

Laughing during playing a concert

Massey Hall, where the Toronto Symphony performed, had a new musician's
lobby refurbished by the TSO women's committee. There were couches and
chairs to sit on. The orchestra members supplied reading , old
magazines and books that no one wanted.
One day, the room was flooded with nudie book magazines. So what's new?

At one concert the orchestra played the overture to Tannhauser. The
first three lines are for two Clarinets, two Bassoons and Horns. We
started playing when suddenly the first flutist, who wasn't playing at
the time, whipped out one of the nudie magazines and started flipping
the pages.

The flutist turned the pages in such a way as to make us, the clarinet
players behind, laugh at the antics.
So imagine playing: TA TAA (snicker) TA TAA( snicker). We couldn't stop
laughing at the turning antics.
Fortunately for us, the conductor didn't look at us but into the
audience. If there wouldn't have been horns playing and carrying the
tune, the snickering and laughter would have been noticed.
Those were three excruciating lines to play. I decided to get even with
the flute player.

In Massey Hall, the upper balcony extends over the stage, so anyone up
there could see what was going on on the stage.
I got a pupil of mine to write the conductor a letter.
He read it to the orchestra a week later.

"Dear Sir, I sit in the top balcony and love watching the members of the
orchestra. Imagine when at the opening of the Tannhauser overture, I saw
an unoccupied member of the orchestra, perusing a magazine with
pictures of ladies in various modes of attire! I love the concerts."
Mrs. C. Wilson

The flute player swiveled around saying, "You did that!".
"Did what"? I asked
Later, the flute player went up to the upper balcony to satisfy his
curiosity, came down and said "Yes, it is possible to see what is going
on the stage."

So if you have to laugh, hope and pray that the conductor isn't looking!
(Life wasn't that funny all the time!)
Avrahm Galper

http://www.sneezy.org/avrahm_galper/index.html