Klarinet Archive - Posting 000912.txt from 1998/06

From: Jacqueline Eastwood <eastwooj@-----.EDU>
Subj: [kl] Notes from the Ring Part II
Date: Tue, 30 Jun 1998 18:39:41 -0400

Today's subjects: Wagner's orchestration and conductors

I figured that when I was given the 3rd clarinet part, I would be playing
a traditional 3rd clarinet role. Oh, how wrong I was! The 1st & 2nd
parts were nearly always together in some fashion; in fact, the parts
were together in the same book for Walkure, Siegfried and Gotterdammerung.
I, however, got the renegade part! It involved LOTS & LOTS of rest
counting (which is an art form in itself) and then bizarre, freaky
entrances with whatever instrument seemed to need support! Most often,
that would be the bassoons (in my previous posting, I mentioned that we
could not hear them at all but for the sound monitor), but sometimes, I
had solos with the bass clarinet, English horn, viola section and even the
French horns. Once I had a solo *all by myself* which Maestro said to
play out 'cause the singer needed to hear it. Wow! There were many
passages with the other clarinets, but it seemed that my part got the
leftovers and Wagner decided to make a mixed grill of it. (N.B. This
insightful analysis was made without benefit of score. Perhaps I am
stupid or deaf.)

We did have an interesting time with Maestro, however. During rehearsals,
we noticed a tendency towards temper tantrums in German, which shocked
everyone but we weren't quite sure what exactly he was saying. (It had
something to do with measure numbers and how our parts were different,
etc.) Then at a sitzprobe, we had already gone over time (10:00 pm) but
hadn't finished the opera and he insisted on finishing it. The French
horns (why is it ALWAYS them?) went on strike, put their horns in the
cases and just sat there, not playing. He was very angry and upset when
the steward told him management said we must stop the rehearsal. I think
we only kept going to settle him down (and we did get $50 overage for the
45 minutes extra).

Anyway, once we got into production it was clear that Maestro wasn't
feeling well and was having some difficulty in conducting. My boyfriend,
the master carpenter, was also in charge of "walking the conductor", i.e.,
to and from the pit, cue to start, etc., and he was taking care of Maestro
while he was ill. Turned out he had had a heart attack two months prior
and hadn't know it. So now we were all on eggshells thinking we must be
good and protect Maestro's well-bring. There was lots of speculation, but
Maestro did conduct the entire first cycle. Unfortunately, by the time we
got to Gotterdammerung, he was failing, and the entire orchestra got lost
at least once in every act. The second act was particularly grim; there
was an ominous silence before people attempted to start back up again.
Whether such a thing would have happened in any case, it's hard to say,
but it was very rattling for everyone.

The following night was Rheingold again, and Management made the arbitrary
decision that Maestro needed another day off, and Dean Ryan, Music
Director for the Company, would conduct. This was OK because we
discovered that Dean had conducted this show before. There were a few
tentative minutes at the opening, but once everyone settled down, it was
fine, and probably the best performance we had in the entire run. For
Walkure, Maestro was back, but Dean was sitting in the pit with the score
in case he was needed. It seems ghoulish, but Maestro insisted that it
was OK if he died while conducting and they could just carry on without
him. Very late that night, Maestro did indeed have a heart attack, at his
hotel, and was eventually taken to Phoenix for bypass surgery. Poor Dean
had to conduct Siegfried and Gotterdammerung both, and I don't know how
well he knew them to conduct; he had been doing the piano rehearsals with
the singers, but that's different. Everything went fine in the end,
though. I think it was really rather stressful for the orchestra to be
playing under a sick Maestro, not to sound disloyal, or to put down
Maestro's conducting, which was still outstanding regardless of the
circumstances. It's just a monumental task to conduct the Ring!

Finally, I decided that I really like working every other day, even if
it means playing a five-hour opera! I am absolutely buried in work now
that I have returned to my alter ego, mild-mannered accountant. Too bad I
can't make a full-time living at opera. Oh well, the Ring truly was the
opportunity of a lifetime! If anyone is looking for more info, there
shold be a couple of items at www.azopera.com. Bye for now -- gotta get
back to work!

Jacqueline Eastwood
University of Arizona/Arizona Opera Orchestra
*and now* Double Ring Cycle Survivor
eastwooj@-----.edu

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