Klarinet Archive - Posting 000250.txt from 2000/09

From: alevin@-----. Levin)
Subj: Re: [kl] Schoenberg
Date: Thu, 7 Sep 2000 17:31:59 -0400

Walter:

Don't blow a gasket. I have just as much respect for Schoenberg as you,
or Dan, or Tony or Dr. Austin. The point is that like marriage jokes or
Gore jokes (which used to be Quayle jokes and probably started as Millard
Filmore jokes) these stories circulate and acquire the unfortunate patina
of ancient truths. (Sadly, it wouldn't surprise me that a batch of
antebellum Berlin musicians would have difficulty with "Pierrot" -
especially if they were expecting the worst to begin with.)

As recently as last year a Philadelphia Orchestra cellist was telling me
similar stories about some of the pieces on the orchestra's incredible
season of 20th century programs. He really thought that much of it was a
waste!

Allen

At 11:54 AM 9/7/00 EDT, you wrote:
>In a message dated 9/7/00 9:22:14 AM Central Daylight Time,
>alevin@-----.net writes:
>
><< he conductor Alois Melichar reported that the first clarinettist in the
> Berlin Opera Orchestra had played twenty rehearsals of 'Pierrot' before
> anyone noticed that he was supposed to shift from a Bb to an A clarinet
> from time to time. All this testimony encourages a skeptical view of most
> glib references to 'Pierrot' and its significance." >>
>
>Enough of this!
>
>Just because a jaded/bored/sloppy clarinetitist was allowed to mis-play a
>part in Twenty (who gets time for twenty rehearsals of anything?) says
>NOTHING about the quality of the composer or the music.
>
>Schoenberg was one of the seminal musical minds of the late 19th, early 20th
>century. His ideas influenced several generations of composers and many of
>his compositions have stood the test of time.
>
>If you don't like 12 tone music, or don't understand it, listen to a good
>recording of "Transfigured Night". Ok, now let's make inane jokes........
>
>What is the point of repeating these anecdotes? Does it make us feel BIGGER,
>because we can ridicule a "great" person?
>
>Just remember:
>
>The "critics" panned Tschaikovsky's Violin Concerto.....
>Audienced booed "The Rite of Spring".....
>People couldn't understand the opening to Mozart's "Dissonant" Quartet....
>The most profound musicians of the time grappled with Beethovens Late String
>Quartets.........
>
>and so on, and so on......
>
>To me the anecdote says worlds about the attitude of a particular
>player...and nothing about Schoenberg........
>
>Stepping off my soapbox now........
>Walter Grabner
>
>Hey, anybody play on some good reeds lately???????
>
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