Klarinet Archive - Posting 000275.txt from 2008/11

From: Tony Pay <tony.p@-----.org>
Subj: Re: [kl] After Drucker
Date: Wed, 19 Nov 2008 16:09:52 -0500

On 19 Nov, "Alexander Brash" <brash@-----.edu> wrote:

> > As for the wider issues: do you not know how much any THINKING human being
> > on
> > the planet has HATED the last 8 years?
>
> In before flames!
>
> > Actually, I don't think there's THAT much of an anti-American slant in
> > them.
> > But it's true that I HATE the self-promoting stance, which arises very
> > naturally in much American culture, as I explained. ("How to SELL slow
> > movements" from Howard Klug, for example.)
> >
>
> Well, I for one love it. At the end of the day, we are just entertainers
> who want to give people something meaningful and/or beautiful to latch
> onto in a world that sucks and will utterly wreck you again and again. If
> shameless, ridiculous, self-promotion helps accomplish that, so be it. I
> strongly reject, at this phase in my life, any thought that music has any
> real intellectual "higher" purpose, or that there is any value in what we
> do besides how others will be moved and measure it.
>
>
>
>
>
>
> On Wed, November 19, 2008 12:36 pm, Tony Pay wrote:
> > On 19 Nov, "James Sclater" <Sclater@-----.edu> wrote:
> >
> >> After reading Tony's most recent posts, I have a few questions/comments:
> >>
> >> 1. Are we to assume that orchestral auditions in the UK are not an
> >> "equal opportunity for everyone" situation? If not, how are they usually
> >> handled? If so, how are they different from how things are handled in
> >> the US? (I didn't know there was a "standard.")
> >
> > The way (I think) it's usually done in the UK is to use the audition as a
> > way
> > of finding players that the orchestra may want to trial. Then, the trial
> > period, involving the chosen players, goes on for a long time -- even as
> > much
> > as years.
> >
> > Therefore, everyone has an equal opportunity to be HEARD to start with;
> > and
> > then the PROPER questions have time to be asked.
> >
> > Your questions 2, 3 and 4 have, I think, been answered in my posts.
> >
> >> 5. Why the anti-American slant in these posts?
> >
> > You really have to ask this?
> >
> > Actually, I don't think there's THAT much of an anti-American slant in
> > them.
> > But it's true that I HATE the self-promoting stance, which arises very
> > naturally in much American culture, as I explained. ("How to SELL slow
> > movements" from Howard Klug, for example.)
> >
> > Of course, it's not confined to the US. Recently, under the wonderful
> > Vladimir Jurowski, my orchestra (the OAE) played a programme that included
> > Alexander Rudin playing the Tchaikowsky Rococo Variations for 'cello and
> > orchestra. Intitially wanting to say "But, he's not REALLY a Russian!"
> > the
> > players finally decided on, "He's a REAL Russian!"
> >
> > I think you need to hear that, for us, Americans are in pretty much the
> > same
> > boat; and it amuses me to make that clear to those of you who don't know.
> > (I
> > find that those of you who do know, just smile and shrug.)
> >
> > As for the wider issues: do you not know how much any THINKING human being
> > on
> > the planet has HATED the last 8 years?
> >
> > Tony
> > --
> >
> > _________ Tony Pay
> > |ony:-) 79 Southmoor Rd
> > | |ay Oxford OX2 6RE
> > tel/fax 01865 553339
> > mobile +44(0)7790 532980 tony.p@-----.org
> >
> >
> >
> > ------------------------------------------------------------------
> >
> >
>
>
>
> ------------------------------------------------------------------
>

What extraordinary care you take with what you offer us in your post.

It makes me wonder what your playing is like;-)

Tony
--

_________ Tony Pay
|ony:-) 79 Southmoor Rd
| |ay Oxford OX2 6RE
tel/fax 01865 553339
mobile +44(0)7790 532980 tony.p@-----.org

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