Klarinet Archive - Posting 000125.txt from 2003/04

From: Dan Leeson <leeson0@-----.net>
Subj: Re: [kl] The wrong Rossini -- revisited!
Date: Sat, 26 Apr 2003 00:31:02 -0400

Tony's story about the Rossini, what with the wrong orchestral parts,
reminds me of when I was orchestral librarian with the San Jose
orchestra. The soloist was scheduled for the Pagannini 1st violin
concerto, and I called him to confirm everything about it: the edition,
the publisher, etc.

So he shows up to play and says, You've got the wrong orchestral parts.
I am prepared to play Pagannini 2nd violin concerto. And sure
enought, there is his contract which everybody got wrong, except him.
So he said, "OK. I'll change concertos," took the orchestral score to
his hotel room, and the next night played the rehearsal from memory
perfectly.

Instead of raising the bridge, we lowered the water.

Dan

Tony Pay wrote:
> The day before yesterday afternoon, around half past three, I got a
> phone call. It was from Julian Bliss, the young English clarinet
> player, who is by way of being a pal of mine.
>
> "Tony," he said, "I'm in a bit of a difficulty. I'm at the rehearsal of
> a concert, and I have to play the Rossini 'Introduction Theme and
> Variations'. Only -- the orchestra has the *other* piece! And we can't
> find out where to get the parts of *my* piece. And, they're rehearsing
> other things at the moment, but we have to stop at five."
>
> (Some of you may remember that I found myself in the same situation some
> thirty-two years ago, in the Festival Hall with the RPO, because I
> posted about it a couple of weeks ago.)
>
> So, I said, "It's Sikorski, and I think that's Boosey and Hawkes." But
> apparently Boosey and Hawkes hadn't know anything about it when the
> orchestra management phoned them.
>
> Anyhow, to cut a long story short, we found it in Norwich, via two
> independent routes: the orchestra via Sikorski in Hamburg, and me via
> the BBC music library and then a wonderfully helpful chap at Boosey and
> Hawkes hire library; and they faxed the parts, though not the score, to
> the orchestra at the London Guildhall. Jurij Bashmet had to conduct
> from the piano score, and they managed somehow.
>
> I don't know who was the luckier. I didn't get to play the piece, it
> being in the pre-fax era; but on the other hand they rescheduled it for
> a couple of months later, and I did it properly then.
>
> Julian got to play it, thanks to modern technology, but not under ideal
> circumstances by any means. "It was a bit of a nightmare!" he said.
> But he's a professional, in the best sense, so he didn't let anyone
> down, and did the job, and helped the orchestra stay with him too.
>
> The moral of the story?
>
> Beware the Rossini 'INTRODUCTION, Theme and Variations'!
>
> Tony

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**Dan Leeson **
**leeson0@-----.net **
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