Klarinet Archive - Posting 000549.txt from 1998/06

From: "John Gates" <cadenza@-----.com>
Subj: Re: [kl] "Chestnuts" (Was Clarinet Candy)
Date: Tue, 16 Jun 1998 12:25:36 -0400

I've always been really impressed with most of the music of Leroy Anderson.
I'm surprised that there is so much negativity on this klarinet BBS. Yes
his melodies are sort of trite but they are nevertheless very endearing.
What gets me, and I speak only of relatively recent (lets say 30 yrs. old or
so) pops orchestral music, is the crappy orchestrations that you find today.
Whether it is Andrew Lloyd Weber, ("Cats", "Phantom"), Theme from "Forest
Gump", or even some of the classic Lerner/Loewe or Rodgers/Hammerstein; I
don't think any of these composers can compare to Leroy Anderson's craft.

I don't mean the obvious stuff which you might consider trite like using a
typewriter, sand paper, a clock or having the violins do a downward smear to
imitate a cat meow (Waltzing Cat). I mean the well crafted voicings within
the orchestra. How he uses the strings or wwinds or brass. I think of the
sound of the flutes in the "Penny Whistle Song" or the trumpets in "Bugler's
Holiday". The way he handles all the orchestra sections in "Serenata" or
the thrilling opening of "Belle of the Ball".

Frankly I am delighted when I perform a POP's concert and some of his music
is on the concert. I love his melodies, I don't know why, maybe its because
his music was played by my family when I was growing up. On the other hand
I can certainly understand why musicians put it down, it is obviously corny.
But so is Mahler, Mozart and Beethoven. Look beyond the obvious.

IMHO, Cadenza
-----Original Message-----
From: Bill Hausmann <bhausman@-----.com>
Date: Monday, June 15, 1998 3:59 PM
Subject: Re: [kl] "Chestnuts" (Was Clarinet Candy)

>At 08:54 AM 6/15/98 -0700, Kevin Fay wrote:
>>With Leroy--I never liked them. Pure corn. Right up there w/ Strauss
>>waltzes for pure playing enjoyment in my book. The alternative, however,
is
>>an empty hall--and then I'd never get to play Hindemith or Grainger!
>>
>>So I shut up and play this stuff. Much of the time, I'm getting paid--and
>>no one getting paid to play ever has cause to complain, in my book. Even
>>when it's free, though, playing to the audience is the price of admission.
>>
>(Except that I admire the cleverness of Leroy Anderson) Amen, brother!
>
>
>
_
>Bill Hausmann bhausman@-----.com
>451 Old Orchard Drive http://www.concentric.net/~bhausman
>Essexville, MI 48732 http://members.wbs.net/homepages/z/o/o/zoot14.html
> ICQ UIN 4862265
>
>If you have to mic a saxophone, the rest of the band is too loud.
>
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