Klarinet Archive - Posting 000054.txt from 2007/09

From: "Daniel Leeson" <dnleeson@-----.net>
Subj: [kl] A fascinating story about Robert McGinnis
Date: Thu, 20 Sep 2007 14:49:13 -0400

I recently received a charming note from Sara McGinnis Thomson, daughter of
the late Robert McGinnis, among other things formerly first clarinet in the
New York Philharmonic, immediately preceding the extended and remarkable
tenure of the current principle player Stanley Drucker.

She wrote to me because of a posting I made on the Klarinet some time ago
and in which I spoke of seeing McGinnis playing with Paul LaValle's Band of
America at the World's Fair in New York City in 1964. My comments at that
time were that I was shocked that a player of McGinnis' competence was
reduced to playing a couple of shows a day under Paul LaValle, and she said,
"To my knowledge, dad had to play those gigs to bring money in. He could not
hold an orchestral position anymore because he was debilitated by arthritis
and was in constant and severe pain. He passed away in 1976 of a heart
attack."

She then sent me this brief biography of her father as done by his colleague
and friend, Stephen Petkoff.

"Robert E. McGinnis was born on February 1, 1910 and died on January 1,
1976. He studied at the Curtis Institute of Music with Daniel Bonade; his
Curtis diploma is dated May 1935 and is signed by both Bonade and Lucien
Cailliet. He played with the Philadelphia Orchestra from 1930 to 1940 and
was principal from 1931 to 1940.

"From 1940 to 1941, Mr. McGinnis was the principal clarinetist of the
Cleveland Orchestra. During the WWII years of 1942 to 1945, he played in
the U.S. Navy Band. He then returned to the Cleveland Orchestra as
principal from 1945 to 1946.

"From 1947 to 1948, Mr. McGinnis was the principal clarinetist of the NBC
Orchestra under Toscanini. From 1948 to 1960, he was the principal of the
New York Philharmonic, during which time he also taught at the Julliard
School of Music.

"From 1960 to 1963, Mr. McGinnis was a full professor at Indiana
University. His final symphonic position was as principal with the San
Francisco Symphony from 1964 to 1969. During that time, he played a couple
of summers with New York's Metropolitan Opera Orchestra and in the summer of
1964 he played in Paul LaValle's Band of America at the New York World's
Fair.

"Mr. McGinnis' symphonic career ended prematurely because of health
concerns. Throughout his later career years, he suffered from arthritis of
the hips and legs as well as a debilitating neck spur that caused tremendous
pain and numbness in his fingers." [end of biography]

McGinnis was married twice. From his first marriage to a harpist with the
Philadelphia orchestra he had one child, daughter Barabara, now 60-ish. His
second marriage to a student who he taught in New York City resulted in two
additional children, a son Carl, and the daughter Sara.

But the real reason why she contacted me had to do with her father's
clarinets. Sara informed me that she studied clarinet with Petkoff but had
stopped playing (on her father's instruments) in 1980 and they have sat
undisturbed since then. She wanted to know what she might do with them. She
had also asked Ricardo Morales about the instrument and both of us gave her
essentially the same suggestion; i.e., before she does anything else, she
must have a competent craftsman examine the instruments to see if, after
almost 30 years, they can be salvaged. Sometimes the cost of bringing such
instruments back to playing shape is far more than what might be obtained
for them by sale.

But she quickly abused me of my comments about sale. She wants to do
something with the instruments that will honor her father. And I suggested
that, if the instrument can be repaired and brought to fully servicable
condition, she allow the clarinet society to present them to a student who
wins the annual award, perhaps not permanently but on a rotating basis.

Well, the instruments are now on their way to the capable hands of Morrie
Backun so we shall see. But if any of you have a good idea about what should
happen to the instruments, put it on the list and I'll get the message to
Sara.

The instruments are:

Buffet clarinet # 87839 with George Jenney Mouthpiece
Buffet clarinet # V87
Buffet clarinet # E3S8 (or E3SB?)
Buffet clarinet # 85995.

Comments??

Dan Leeson
dnleeson@-----.net
SKYPE: dnleeson

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