Klarinet Archive - Posting 000582.txt from 1998/10

From: "Dee Hays" <deerich@-----.net>
Subj: Re: [kl] The rich get richer
Date: Tue, 13 Oct 1998 23:50:35 -0400

-----Original Message-----
From: Edwin V. Lacy <el2@-----.edu>
Date: Tuesday, October 13, 1998 10:34 PM
Subject: Re: [kl] The rich get richer

>... I also play in
>a metropolitan class orchestra, with a season of around 85 - 90 services,
>where I am principal bassoonist. I have been in that orchestra for 31
>years, and can assure you that my salary there would do essentially
>nothing to solve the fiduciary problems of a musician looking for a way to
>make a living by playing.
>
>Ed Lacy

It is probably a problem as old as time that musicians are seldom able to
make a living wage from performing music (aside from a few superstars so to
speak). I was reading a book of trivia of some type or another. It related
a story about Rossini (I believe). He was in town to conduct a performance
of one of his operas. Rehearsals were to begin that evening. Well in the
daytime, he went to the barber for a shave and the barber remarked that he
would see the maestro again that evening. When asked how that could be, the
barber replied that he was principal clarinet (? not sure of the instrument
here) in the opera's orchestra. The point of the story was that in the
evening the orchestra members could not figure out why the maestro was so
patient with this player as the maestro was reputed to have a fierce temper.
Little did they know that the maestro was not about to upset someone who
would have the opportunity to have a razor at his throat.

My purpose in relating this story is to illustrate the perennially low value
placed on a typical working musician. He had to make his living as a
barber!

I wish I could remember the details of the story better but it was years ago
that I came across this book in a library somewhere. Oh well perhaps one of
the list members has seen this tale and correct the details if I have them
wrong.

Dee Hays
Canton, SD

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