Klarinet Archive - Posting 001033.txt from 1999/03

From: "Edwin V. Lacy" <el2@-----.edu>
Subj: Re: [kl] orchestra opening
Date: Fri, 19 Mar 1999 00:19:28 -0500

On Thu, 18 Mar 1999, Neil Leupold wrote:

> On Thu, 18 Mar 1999, Roger Garrett wrote:
>
> > It isn't unusual at all to ask the 3rd Clarinet/Bass Clarinet to
> > double on saxophone. I used to do it when I played bass clarinet in
> > the symphony positions.
>
> Ditto for me. And speaking for some of the West-coasters, Don Carroll
> of the S.F. Symphony is very competent on sax, as is Greg Dufford, who
> used to be the sax profressor at S.F. State University while playing
> bass clarinet with the S.F. Opera.

In our orchestra, the Evansville Philharmonic, the principal bassoonist
usually gets the saxophone solos. (That's me!) It sometimes means that
there has to be a lot of re-arranging things. For example, in "Pictures
at an Exhibition," I play bassoon until the Promenade just before the "Old
Castle" movement. Then, I hand my part to the 2nd bassoonist, who hands
his to the contra-bassoonist, who has to have the bassoon on stage in
addition to the contra. Then, those two play the opening of the movement,
while I wet the reed, etc. It's really surprising how many times it is
just as convenient, or moreso, for the bassoonist as one of the clarinets
to cover the saxophone parts. The orchestra would rather pay me doubling
fees than hire an additional player who would play saxophone alone. And,
I get to do something that I really enjoy. I have had the opportunity to
play all the major saxophone solos in the orchestral repertiore. The only
thing that I regret just a little is that there are lots of great
saxophonists out there who have never had an opportunity to play these
same solos. Maybe they should take up bassoon as a double!

Ed Lacy
*****************************************************************
Dr. Edwin Lacy University of Evansville
Professor of Music 1800 Lincoln Avenue
Evansville, IN 47722
el2@-----.edu (812)479-2754
*****************************************************************

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