Klarinet Archive - Posting 000713.txt from 2003/07

From: "CLARK FOBES " <reedman@-----.com>
Subj: [kl] Iggy Genussa
Date: Thu, 24 Jul 2003 19:58:35 -0400

Tom,

Those were some wonderful memories of Iggy. I did not meet him until the
summer of 1991 at the Clar Fest in Flagstaff. I never heard Iggy play, but
many people have told me about his wonderful sound. He was appointed
principal clarinet of the Chicago Symphony under Reiner? shortly after he
graduated from Curtis (I believe). He loved playing in that orchestra, but
they would not offer his wife (a violinist) a job , so he moved to
Baltimore to play with that orchestra.

When I first met him he came right up to me (I had a booth in Flagstaff and
was just starting to make mouthpieces) and he said in his animated way "Hi,
I'm Iggy Genuusa. How old do you think I am?". I would have said "Old as
dirt?", but I was polite and suggested 60. He replied "I'm 70 years old "
and seemed really tickled by that.

He recognized that I had a great spot and the next day his table was set up
right next to mine and he had no qualms about working everyone that came to
his booth AND mine! In those days he was selling mouthpieces faster than
the Good Humor man on a hot day. We spent a lot of time talking during
those three days and I recognized that he had a lot of good ideas about
mouthpieces. He encouraged me to have Babbitt make me a mold and the day
after the conference I was on the phone with Jim Green. During the next 10
years we would see each other at conferences and he would always ask me how
my business was going - He never got my name right and always called me
"Scott".

Iggy was on of the great characters of the "old school" and will be missed
by many of his students and friends.

CLARK FOBES
reedman@-----.com
Why Wait? Move to EarthLink.

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