Klarinet Archive - Posting 000913.txt from 1998/04

From: Jonathan Cohler <cohler@-----.net>
Subj: Re: klarinet-digest V2 #78
Date: Fri, 17 Apr 1998 06:05:34 -0400

HatNYC 62 wrote:

>>>While the argument that principal clarinet positions should be more
>exclusionary might seem more reasonable on the surface, but that would
>exclude people like Ricardo Morales, for example, who won the Met position
>at age 21. <<
>
>Sorry, that argument doesn't wash in this instance. Ricardo paid his dues with
>several seasons as principal clarinetist of a smaller orchestra before he went
>to the Metropolitan Opera.
>

Oh, I see. So your philosophy is that only people who have "paid [their]
dues" should be allowed to audition? Hmmm... Sounds like a private club
doesn't it?

Whatever happened to playing ability being the measure?

How do you know that the student in question hasn't "paid dues" equal to or
greater than whatever Ricardo had done at the time he applied to the Met at
age 21?

>Basically, the NSO (and most other big orchestras) are doing inexperienced
>students a favor by not inviting them.

That's preposterous. And every student with whom I've ever spoken, along
with most of the famous principal players in the world (who virtually all
got jobs at young ages when they had no resumes) would disagree with you.

> IF your student made it to the final
>round, the screen would come down and her resume would then be examined by the
>committee and the Music Director. Unless she outplayed every other candidate
>by a lot, the fact that she is not in a position right now and probably has
>little experience would count against her.

All else being equal, that would be a reasonable judgement to make. **All
else being equal.**** The problem is they don't know if all else is equal
unless they listen to the student first.

>In any case, the fact that she has won solo competitions means little to an
>orchestra. Many winners of ICS and other competitions do nothing in the
>professional world.

I seriously doubt both of these statements. In fact, I would be willing to
wager that most people who win orchestra jobs have won some other major
audition such as a solo competition or Tanglewood Music Center audition or
the like. On what facts do you base these statements? I'm sure that an
official of the ICA might have more information on what has happened to
past winners of the ICA competition, but I would also be willing to wager
that a good number of them have continued in music professionally.

-----------------------
Jonathan Cohler
cohler@-----.net