 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: sonofamaster
Date: 2011-09-22 14:28
My father, Aldo G. Bettelli, was a 1959 graduate of Curtis Institute and a clarinet master, who studied under Anthony Gigliotti. He played at JFK Inauguration in 1961 and was a clarinetist for the Baltimore Symphony, Haddonfield Symphony and Cherry Hill Symphony.
He passed away in 1974 from cancer and never had the opportunity to fulfill his dream of playing in the Philadelphia Orchestra. He auditioned with the Philadelphia Orchestra under Eugene Ormandy in the early 1960's, but was wrongfully denied the position of 1st clarinet that, as I understand, was clearly something he earned.
There were about 53 clarinetists world-wide who auditioned. It was narrowed down to my father and one other, clarinetist, Ron Reuben (if I understand correctly and if that is accurate).
My father never saw the music and played it flawlessly on the spot as I understand from two of my uncles, who were an eyewitness to the audition. The other clarinetist (Reuben?) had his musical piece for about 2 weeks and had time to rehearse the part well in advance.
After Ormandy chose the other clarinetist, the other musicians watching on threw chairs, cussed and were utterly disgusted that my father did not win. They told my dad back stage that he lost due to a bribe. My father's whole life fell before his eyes and he sank into a serious depression. He learned that "it's not what you know, but who you know".
I reach out to other clarinetists, who may be aware of this and can help shed the truth for me. It has been almost 38 years since my father's passing and I'm trying to get to the bottom of this, once and for all.
I appreciate anyone coming forward with any information you have.
Many thanks,
Aldo G. Bettelli's son (Aldo)
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Author: clarinetguy ★2017
Date: 2011-09-22 15:01
I'm not familiar with your father's situation, but unfortunately, there are ugly politics everywhere.
Do you know what position your father auditioned for? Anthony Gigliotti was principal clarinet from 1949 to 1996. Ron Reuben played bass clarinet in the orchestra from 1967 to 2005 (following Leon Lester).
http://www.stokowski.org/Philadelphia_Orchestra_Musicians_List.htm
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Author: William
Date: 2011-09-22 18:01
I think that as nearly 40 years have passed, you should just let it go. What do you hope to accomplish? Best to just let bygones be bygones.
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Author: sonofamaster
Date: 2011-09-23 01:28
Just trying to see if others are around from that era that would be able to attest to what my uncles had eyewitnessed and hopefully uncover more answers my father never had the opportunity to pursue. I remember as a young boy how much it tore him up.
He spent his whole life in music. He got scholarships to Temple, Curtis and Catholic University. He lived and breathed music and all who knew him knew how much of a virtuoso he was. I more than understand that life isn't always a bowl of cherries, but never having the opportunity to really get to know my father, I feel it's something that I would like to know. It's the least I can do for him as he never truly had the chance.
After hearing the stories from my uncles, I can picture the scene of so many talented people angered over the underhanded way that happened. So, I feel others should know that whomever took that seat, it was a fraud. Today, something like that would have made headlines. My father was never the same after it. He worked so hard and rightfully deserved that position. He won it fair and square, yet the mighty dollar and as
It may be 40 years, but that doesn't wash away the dirtiness of how it happened. I agree there are politics everywhere, but I feel that people should know the truth.
My father auditioned for 1st clarinet spot and was the rightful winner. Ormandy knew it, Gigiliotti knew it, my father's best friend Larry Wagner knew it too!
Mr. Wagner was so heartbroken over my father's death that he couldn't even attend his funeral, if I recall.
Just trying to see if anyone else from that error knew about this situation and or was present when it happened.
I appreciate everyone's comments and thank you for your response.
Best Regards
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Author: kdk
Date: 2011-09-23 02:43
A couple of points of the story as it has been given to you seem odd.
First, as has already been pointed out, the chair involved was not a 1st clarinet position, it was 4th and bass, and for the sake of accuracy the audition was held in 1965 or 1966 - I was already at Temple ('65-'69) at the time. The main competition would not have been in the contestants' soprano (B-flat) clarinet playing, although all players would have had to be very competent B-flat players. The orchestra wasn't looking for someone to play principal clarinet, so the main focus of the finals would have been the contestants' bass clarinet performance. They also might have been interested in the auditionees' ability to play saxophone.
Second, even in those days, audition repertoire lists were made available before the audition (today some orchestras even supply the parts themselves as PDF downloads, but then you had to find your own copies). Most of the repertoire that's asked for is standard orchestra literature - albeit the more difficult excerpts - and, in general, not unfamiliar music to anyone with orchestral experience (or to any Curtis graduate). No one who auditions for an orchestra of that calibre, including, I'm certain, your father, is sight-reading the audition. (And, BTW, at the time most players auditioning for the Philadelphia Orchestra, and *nearly* all the winners, were either Curtis students or Curtis graduates, so your father's main competition, including Ron Reuben, were most likely also Curtis grads and Gigliotti's students, all of whom had worked hard and had proven their high levels of talent and commitment.)
I was a student at Temple when Leon Lester retired and the audition for his position was held. An incident involving chair throwing at an audition by players protesting a decision almost certainly would have become at least fodder for the rumor mill, even if no one outside the audition committee witnessed it. I really don't remember it's ever having been a conversation topic at the time for us students.
In the end, it's true now and I think it was even more true then that the conductor has the main say in deciding an audition winner, which is why things like screens to hide the auditionees have become union requirements. The possibility - no, the probability - has always existed that the winner of an audition will not be a unanimous choice among the members of the committee, much less the other orchestra players and the audience. Musicians are different and they perform differently. If only one needs to be chosen. all the others have to be rejected no matter how well they play. A great many very excellent, gifted musicians (on all instruments) have been rejected over the century or so the Philadelphia Orchestra has existed and you can multiply that by the number of orchestras throughout the world. That Ron Reuben was hired and your father and the others who auditioned unsuccessfully for that chair, all of whom you can be sure were gifted players, was not doesn't necessarily mean the audition was dishonest, underhanded or "dirty." It may well mean that Ormandy simply heard something in Reuben's playing that he preferred.
Obviously, by way of disclaimer, I wasn't present at the audition and can't tell you how anyone played or how people reacted to the selection - or even when and how the selection was announced.
Larry Wagner is still living (I think he'd only be in his 70s) and, from what I hear, in good health, still playing in the area (I haven't seen him in maybe 20 years but I hear about him every once in awhile). If you feel he was aware of what happened, maybe, if you look him up, he'd be a good source of information (no, I don't know how currently to contact him, but who knows, maybe he reads this BB).
Karl
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Author: Ed Palanker
Date: 2011-09-23 03:41
I came to the Baltimore Symphony in 63 as their bass clarinetist. Your father must have played here before then because he wasn't here when I came. In 64 I studied with Tony G and after a while he mentioned that there will be a bass clarinet opening and asked if I was interested. Soon I received a post card announcing that there will be an opening but Tony told me shortly after that they were not going to have the audition. He told me that Ruben had been subbing with them on clarinet and sax and Ormandy liked his playing and just wanted to hire him. In those days that was not so uncommon, not like today. If there were 53 bass clarinetists auditioning I would have heard about it being that I was told by Tony that there would not be an opened audition. That would have been every bass clarinetists in the country at that time, plus many from Europe as well because only 25-30 showed up to any audition I ever heard of in the 60s.
There was a second clarinet audition in 61, which would have made more sense having 53, because the winner was Raoul Querze at that time, he's still there. He was finishing his masters at Manhattan after graduating from Curtis and going into the Navy. I was there and remember him getting the job because we were doing Til at school and he was playing bass and I was playing Eb and he left to go on a spring tour with Philly so I had to double and play both parts at the concert because we only had one rehearsal left when we found out he wouldn't be able to play the final concert. So I remember that very well, something one doesn't forget.
By the way, back in the early 60s orchestra's were still not always sending out lists of the music expected, we just had to have everything ready. I auditioned for the NY Phil that next year, made the finales, and was told I was the runner up, and never received a list. I didn't get a list for Baltimore either when I auditioned here.
ESP eddiesclarinet.com
Post Edited (2011-09-23 03:57)
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Author: sonofamaster
Date: 2011-09-23 10:36
All, I appreciate your comments and info. Sorry for my spelling errors. I've worked 90 hours this week and haven't had much sleep. I do know my father played Bb clarinet and not bass clarinet. I can find out from my more details on the exact dates from my Uncle as he was there. Regarding Baltimore Symphony, dad was there in 1961 if I recall correctly.
All I know is that my father was well known in the 1960's. He accompanied Susan Starr at Curtis in 1959 when she was a young rising talent and he studied with Gigliotti, whom he became very good friends with. Larry Wagner only trusted my father to shave his reeds down. Dad had the perfect technique in doing this.
Thanks everyone for your comments and info. I will try to obtain more details and perhaps there will be others who log onto this post that will remember my father and possibly witnessed his audition with Ormandy. I do believe it was in the early 1960's. I was born in 1965 and I highly doubt the audition was then. I believe 62 sounds more accurate. I'll get more details from my Uncle.
Best Regards
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Author: Ed Palanker
Date: 2011-09-23 12:21
"I do know my father played Bb clarinet and not bass clarinet." Then it had to have been the second clarinet audition in 1961. The player that won that job is still there if you want to get in touch with him, I explained that above. Maybe he can shed more light on the audition if you really have a need to know. He may be unaware of anything that didn't involve himself though. ESP
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Author: salzo
Date: 2011-09-23 19:09
Ed wrote:
"I was there and remember him getting the job because we were doing Til at school and he was playing bass and I was playing Eb and he left to go on a spring tour with Philly so I had to double and play both parts at the concert because we only had one rehearsal left when we found out he wouldn't be able to play the final concert."
Now that must have been a lot of fun.
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Author: Ed Palanker
Date: 2011-09-23 20:08
Salzo, I was young and stupid back then but it came off very well. I thought I could do anything, and as it turned out, I was able too in this case at least. I think I would say no thanks today but they didn't have much of a choice. I was always practicing all those excerpts anyway so I knew them well. It was just a matter of editing so I could get all the exposed solos in that I could. I met Raoul a few years ago in Philly and told him what had happened when he skipped out on the concert without telling anyone. I didn't blame him for accepting the Philly job and going on tour with them. They still him graduate. Raoul and I were the co principals of the Manhattan School 1st orchestra and both of us played bass and Eb so we did those when needed and the Assistant principal would play 1st when there was Eb and Bass in the same piece. It was fun in those days. :-) Eddie
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Author: John J. Moses
Date: 2011-09-24 16:23
Hi Aldo & All:
I emailed my old friend, Ron Rueben, about your questions regarding your father, Aldo Bettelli. I've known Ron for many years and he was the great Bass Clarinetist in Philly during the Gigliotti years.
The answers to your "mystery question" were emailed to me by Ron, enjoy!
"Bettelli's son has been suffering a delusion about that audition for many years and for that I am sorry and I don't want to hurt his feelings about his father. I think I had heard that his dad was a good player but I can only wonder how such a story ever developed.
So, please make sure that he and everyone else understands that I am only kidding and wanted to make you laugh."
"Yeah, I still have a couple of the chairs they threw in protest of my getting the job. Fortunately they were made of a light- weight aluminum and it was east getting the dents out.
After winning the 1st clarinet position it took quite a while before Gigliotti would speak to me again and so I figured the only decent thing to do was to give him back his first chair position even though it made Ormandy mad as hell.
But, as you know life has a way of making these things work out and we all became friends in the end.
And Gigliotti I must say, was particularly gracious in insisting that Ormandy continue to pay my already established first chair salary until my retirement many years later.
I'm glad I could finally clear up the details behind this unfortunate and admittedly unfair conclusion to the audition.
My only remaining guilt is that I never returned the chairs."
Ron Reuben
Now some real answers from Ron Rueben:
"Hi John:
I don't have Bettelli's email address to answer him but perhaps you can tell him that no first clarinet auditions for Philly occurred for the 47 years that
Gigliotti occupied that position beginning in 1949.
I did not enter the orchestra until 1967 and that was for the bass clarinet
position.
I'd never heard of chairs being thrown in protest over any audition and the
whole story is a perfect example of a "bubba mynseh" (an old wives tale).
Ron Rueben"
So there it is Aldo, the mystery answered from the real source! I hope that offers you solice and peace after all these years of wondering what really went down in Philly.
Cheers,
JJM
Légère Artist
Clark W. Fobes Artist
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Author: clarinetguy ★2017
Date: 2011-09-25 00:00
I was curious and looked it up . . .
Ed Palanker must be right. If there was an audition, it must have been for second clarinet in 1961, the position that Raoul Querze won.
We've already discussed Anthony Gigliotti and Leon Lester, members of the section in the early 60s. There was also Donald Montanaro, assistant principal (and later associate principal), who played with the orchestra from 1957 to 2005.
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Author: Arnoldstang
Date: 2011-09-25 15:43
I'm sure Aldo was a fine musician because of what he did achieve. I would look more at his depression as something worth discussing. Most musicians or people for that matter don't succeed at everything they try. There are thousands of people who thnk they should have placed better than they did at auditions. It is part of a subjective process and if you factor in politics back in the 60's , Aldo situation might not be that uncommon.
How long did Aldo suffer from depression? Back in the 60's it probably wouldn't have been treated. Aldo no doubt communicated his story with frustration.
In summary....Aldo was very good.....he became depressed.......
How do we deal with our failures?
Freelance woodwind performer
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Author: FDF
Date: 2011-09-25 20:52
To add to Arnoldstang’s wise advice, the sonofamaster’s devotion to his father is admirable. His uncle’s memory and his own childhood recollection of his father’s frustration should not be completely dismissed.
This story is also compelling because many artists in every field have and will experience similar frustrations.
Post Edited (2011-09-25 21:06)
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Author: Bob Bernardo
Date: 2011-09-26 04:26
Just after WW2 Iggie Gennusa said there was some sort of "Musical Chairs,) going on. At Curtis they were all friends after the war and when some of them nailed a symphony position they would call each other and the players would head out to places like Chicago, Cleveland, wherever. From my understanding, which could be totally wrong, there weren't any major auditions. Gennusa played with the NBC orchestra, then the Chicage sym. and finally at Baltimore. I'm sure Eddie Palanker may know the exact stories, or perhaps most of them. By the way, Mitchell played for Chicago and hated the cold, so he went to Los Angeles, and "I think," this is when Gennusa made a move From the NBC Sym to Chicage. Anyway they were good buddies at that time just after the war, trying to help each other get into symphonies.
By the way, after the war, not only did the orchestras need clarinet players they needed everything to fill an orchestra.
Anyway this very well could have happened to your father. Caught late, just slightly too late after the war.
As others have written, put the past away, but remember he was most likely, with amazing talent, to have had a major symphony job as well as others caught outside of ths ring of "musical chairs", after about 1955 or so, just after the war add after most of the symphonies were pretty well filled up. It sounds like he wasn't part of those crazy "Musicial chairs," years. A bit too late by just a few years. Below is a reason about the new style of auditions. Althought rules can be broken hidden screens are used a lot. Sometimes the orchestras still invite special hand picked players to try out and sit with the orchestra, sometimes for a very long time or for good. Sadly sometimes not.
My last audition, while still at Rico Reeds, I was accepted to audition for the San Diego Sym. It was a hidden screen, meaning the judges had no idea who you were, I was number 38. At the actual hall, the auditions took place in the hall, not a practice room or something. After about 8 to 10 people auditioned you sat around waiting for the results in a back stage area, when someone would come out and usually say none of the 10 made the finals. Oh they used numbers so everyone was sort of the same. Then they'd ask for the next 10, and so forth. Well somehow I made it into the final 4, out of 200 plus - mainly very gifted people, but I lost to a lady from San Francisco, and she deserved it. It was a very fair audition. We were asked to come back the next 2 days for the finals. The top 4 players played with the symphony the next 2 days, I was there and I played very well, no sight reading with the orchestra, but this lady dutifully won NO questions about her being favored or pre selected. Amazing fast fingers and articulation. I heard she has left, but no idea where she went. She was a Stanely Hasty grad I think.
Again, if your father was alive he probably would have won using this hidden screen system, or even better won a position in an orchestra and also taught in some major music schools, such as the great Eddie Palanker does teaching at Peabody Conservatory for many years.
Also there are some young guns coming up that can play the heck out of the clarinet. When I first heard Ricardo and Dave Shifron play at Rico I pretty much did a double take. I knew Dave from Interlochen and the Cleveland Orchestra. He still feaked me out. No one should be able to do what he does!I think he was only 22 when nailing Cleveland.
Ricardo hadn't auditioned for any symphonies yet, he was about 20 yrs old or so, when he and the School of the West, came to visit Rico, but I knew his time was coming fast.
The other auditions I took were for the military bands. Sometimes there were 100 plus musicians there, for the Washington bands. Well I made the Air Force band, but I didn't have to audition against 100 or so people. I sent a letter to the band director asking if I could take an audition and when an opening occured I could step in. I told him I played under him at Interlochen! Nice trick... I auditioned for Colonel Arnold Gabriel and the first chair player. Col. Gabriel guest conducted at my final year at Interlochen and somehow remembered me. Hard to believe. He was known to have an amazing memory. Played the Copland, and he asked for the 3rd movement of the Mozart Concerto, last page. Both went OK, played the Copland very well and he asked me to play the 3rd movement of the Mozart again. The second time wasn't much better! Then came the sight reading. UGGG! I hate sight reading I'd rather put a gun to my head!!!... I was scared. Then OMG I got so lucky. Premiere Rhapsody. Something I always practice about once a month or so to keep my fingers fresh. Long story short I got in right away, as there was an opening. Last chair, but who cares! I moved up the ranks while in. They were getting ready to post an opening, which 100 people would have auditioned for.
The point here is luck, Lot's of luck. Your father did his homework, but unfortunately politics took over and I'm sort of someone that saw the fair parts as well as the lucky auditions.
Remember your father as a wonderfully gifted musician that didn't have the luck or a break that we all deserve. Anyone going to Curtis should have had a free ride anywhere and I'm so sorry for that. I would have loved to hear him play.
Designer of - Vintage 1940 Cicero Mouthpieces and the La Vecchia mouthpieces
Yamaha Artist 2015
Post Edited (2011-09-27 18:59)
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Author: Ed Palanker
Date: 2011-09-26 17:08
It's unfortunate that in such a great field like playing in a symphony so few players actually get to make a living doing it. It is even much worse today then it ever was in the past because every university and major college has a performance major degree and each of those schools have teachers that need to recruit to fill their teaching loads. The result, far to many students go into the music profession that have almost no chance at all of ever making a living playing in an orchestra. Yes, there are a few other ways of making a living in classical music but not many as a performer in an orchestra. We are doing students a great injustice these days. I have a few articles of that on my website, what they need to know and to do for a clarinet major. It's a tough field and I think it is more difficult for a clarinet player to get a good orchestra job today then it is for a college student to enter the NFL or NBL. At least they have a chance of making a lot of money if they can make it. ESP
eddiesclarinet.com
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Author: Bob Bernardo
Date: 2011-09-27 01:15
As Eddie said very few make it. At Peabody I heard something about the 100 percent of the performance majors at the school less then .1 percent would have a chance of symphony work. Wish there were a ton more orchestras around that paid enough to make a living. For example, the last I heard London had 5 top symphonies, but that was many years ago so I'm not sure if this is still corrent.
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Author: loudaless
Date: 2017-04-13 22:43
I went to Bartram High School from 1950 to 1953 with Aldo where we played in the concert band and orchestra. We also played in the All City High School Philadelphia Orchestra under the direction of Louis Gersen. I studied at the Settlement Music School, playing French Horn then and I am still playing the French Horn at age 82 and also the Trumpet with the Fairfax Wind Symphony.
Aldo is the most exceptional among the best clarinet players that I have ever known. I knew he would rise to be among the best and was also disappointed with the results of the audition at the Philadelphia Orchestra. I was delighted to know that he did play with the BSO, also a great orchestra.
It was many years before I learned of his early death feeling great sadness for the loss of such a talented man. I will never forget him.
I would welcome a communication from his son @ loudaless@gmail.com.
Sincerely,
Lou
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Author: kdk
Date: 2017-04-14 02:15
DavidBlumberg wrote:
> Ron was a great Sax player also. Played in the Stan Kenton
> Band
>
David, just to be clear, I assume your past tense "was" refers to his sax playing. I don't know if he has stayed in touch with his sax chops since he left the orchestra, but Ron himself is still very much with us, in case anyone misinterprets your comment.
Karl
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