Klarinet Archive - Posting 001314.txt from 2000/05

From: Daniel Leeson <leeson0@-----.net>
Subj: Re: [kl] Who is the clarinettist?
Date: Tue, 30 May 2000 21:40:45 -0400

You probably do owe me a pizza, but instead I will tell you a most
delicious story about Alex Williams who is hale and hearty as I write.
I think he must be close to 90 now.

When I lived in NJ, Alex did too and since he and I were the only people
in that area who played basset horn (the others were in NY, Queens, and
Long Island), I often said that I was the second best basset hornist in
Bergen county which is where Alex also lived.

Well, Alex retired and moved away, but I did not know where. When I
moved to California, to the rather small town of Los Altos, I used the
same joke only this time I said that I was the best basset hornist in
all of Los Altos. Well, one day I played a concert with Gomberg the
oboeist as a soloist. He was retired from the NY Phil at that time but
he and Williams were old friends and so Williams showed up after the
concert to congratulate his old chum.

I saw Alex and ask what he was doing and where was he living. Well it
turned out that he lived in Los Altos, too and not more than 5 or 6
blocks from me. So I said, "It was bad enough that I had to be the
second best basset hornists in Bergen County, but now it seems that I
had been relegate to being the second best basset hornist in Los Altos."

He was very generous saying that he no longer played so that, by default
I was the only one and therefore the best. That was kind of him but he
knew and I knew. Sigh.

gdubac wrote:
>
> Dear List:
>
> Dan Leeson is correct. It is the videotape I saw, but the clarinettist
> is Alexander Williams. Sidney Forrest had told me it was his teacher,
> so I assumed it was Bellison. Well, he had more than one teacher.
> Alexander Williams was his teacher too.
>
> (Do I owe anyone any pizzas?)
>
> Judy
>
> Aaron Hayden wrote:
> >
> > I know David Weber did with the NBC orchestra at that time. I'm not sure
> > if he became the principal,. in the early 50's. I know he played eeffer &
> > ass't prin in the 30's.
> >
> > Aaron Hayden Band Instrument Repair
> > http://www.haydenmusical.com
> > ----- Original Message -----
> > From: <fsheim@-----.com>
> > To: <klarinet@-----.org>
> > Sent: Tuesday, May 30, 2000 7:21 PM
> > Subject: [kl] Who is the clarinettist?
> >
> > > Last night on an ARTS broadcast I saw a 1952 tape of Toscanini conducting
> > > the NBC symphony orchestra playing a portion of the Pines of Rome. It
> > > began with an extended clarinet solo. I was wondering if anyone knows who
> > > the clarinettist might have been. He had a dang good sound! The camera
> > > did not get a shot of him though. It did catch the oboist. Does anyone
> > > know the oboists name? He seemed to be in his 60's.
> > >
> > > Fred (fsheim@-----.com)
> > >
> > >
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--
***************************
** Dan Leeson **
** leeson0@-----.net **
***************************

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