Klarinet Archive - Posting 000188.txt from 1999/12

From: Larry Paikin <larrypaikin@-----.net>
Subj: [kl] How I spent last Sunday...
Date: Mon, 6 Dec 1999 22:43:17 -0500

"He was a member of the Czech Phil., then princ. clar. of the Czech
Radio Orch and the Prague National Theatre Opera Orch.",
fellow-klarinet follower Janet McNaught told me. '' And he lives right
here in Hamilton (Ontario).''
''Let's visit him''.

OLDRICH PERGL left Czechoslovakia with his wife, Josephine, and their 2
kids in 1968, after the Soviet invasion. He had been for 19 years, a
member of the famous Czech Nonet and at Salzburg, gave the world
premiere of Martinu's last composition (written for the Nonet)
<.http://czech.nonet.cz>
He also played the Czech premiere of Prokofiev's ''Hebrew Melodies''
with the composer at the piano.
>From 1965, until the family's departure, he was Prof. of Clar. at the
Prague State Conservatory.
Why was this 88 year old clarinet legend living quietly, unobtrusively,
in Hamilton?

Janet's friend, Tom Leousis, is the Pergl family lawyer and he
matter-of-factly told her about his famous client. Janet got right to
work.
''Let's call Steve'', she said , referring to Galper-grad Stephen
Pierre, the Princ. Cl. in our New Hamilton (formerly Hamilton
Philharmonic) Orchestra and a faculty member at our McMaster University
as well as the U. of Toronto.
Tom set up the Sunday afternoon visit, and Janet, Steve and I met him at
the Pergl home on the Hamilton mountain.

Mr Pergl was born on the 4th of July, 1911. He and Josephine were
married 63 years ago.Their daughter lives with her family in nearby
Burlington, and their 55 year-old son, also Oldrich, an electronics
specialist, takes care of his parents.
In 1968, Mr Pergl joined the U of Tor. as a part-time clar. instructor,
while his son entered the Music school where he studied with our
(klarinet's own) Abe Galper.
There were, unfortunately, not enough funds to provide a full-time
living for this Czech Master, and Mr Pergl found a job in ''industry ''
to support his family.
And he put down his clarinets. Forever.

Oldrich, Josephine, and son welcomed us yesterday to their charming
home. Father had almost died from a serious heart problem last March,
but one would never know it from his gait and his enthusiasm at having
clarinetists come to talk to him.
Steve poured over old manuscripts with him, asked how passages were
played in Prague between the wars; what did Prokofiev say about this
bar and that note?; How did Martinu want this phrase to go?; they sang
passages and phrases together; What...you want to give me your
handwritten copy of your own 622 cadenza...?
Three hours later we frantically copied some old manuscripts and notes
at my office then rushed back to return the originals.

Mr Pergl has invited Steve to return soon--with his clarinets--to play
for him and to discuss more of the great Czech and other European
repertoire.
For Steve, his emotions hardly contained, this was a remarkable personal
visit into the past, and a new doorway to his future playing and
teaching.

Janet and I are still shaking in disbelief, and joy and excitement.
For Tom, well...it was just another day at the office!
Thanks, Tom.

see photos: http://www.sneezy.org/clarinet/Uploads/O_Pergl.html

larrypaikin@-----.net
mcnaught@-----.com

---------------------------------------------------------------------
Unsubscribe from Klarinet, e-mail: klarinet-unsubscribe@-----.org
Subscribe to the Digest: klarinet-digest-subscribe@-----.org
Additional commands: klarinet-help@-----.org
Other problems: klarinet-owner@-----.org

   
     Copyright © Woodwind.Org, Inc. All Rights Reserved    Privacy Policy    Contact charette@woodwind.org