Klarinet Archive - Posting 000183.txt from 2001/05

From: "Lacy, Edwin" <el2@-----.edu>
Subj: RE: [kl] Doubling Orchestral Clarinet Parts
Date: Sun, 6 May 2001 12:38:20 -0400

> Until the mid 1980's, it was standard practice in the Philadelphia
Orchestra
> to double the wind parts in all tutti passages and even occasionally more
> exposed places where the conductor wanted a denser tone quality.

I have experienced that on occasion, having played the Mozart "Jupiter"
Symphony in a 100-member orchestra, with all wind parts doubled. (This was
about 35 years ago, and therefore pretty much before the advent of the
"authentic performance practice" movement.) But I think it was mostly a
Philadelphia phenomenon. According to reports I heard, when Ormandy wanted
more sound, he would hold up two fingers, meaning that the assistant players
should double the parts. That meant that something of a crescendo could be
attained without the necessity of the principal players playing louder.
People who were critical of Ormandy (and there were quite a few of them)
used to disdainfully call this the "hydraulic orchestra" effect.

Ed Lacy
EL2@-----.edu

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