 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Ken Shaw ★2017
Date: 2003-10-03 14:12
Remember the electronic orchestra fiasco a couple of months ago? Here's the next step. The San Diego Ballet plans to give its SEASON OPENER, Appalachian Spring, with a recorded orchestra. http://www.bayarea.com/mld/mercurynews/news/6909550.htm .
As usual, the excuse is $$$$$$$$$$$. There's a grievance filed, so we have to wait and see.
Ballet tempos are set by how long it takes the dancers to perform particular movements. Several years ago, I was at a NYC Ballet performance set to the Bartok Contrasts, where the playing seemed very mechanical. I spoke to the clarinetist afterward (I don't remember who he was -- John Moses, do you know?), who told me that the dancers couldn't deal with any nuances, so he had to be strictly metronomic. While it's perhaps not as stiff as, say, figure skating, ballet can probably get along with recorded music better than opera or Broadway shows.
The condition of live music used to be fatal but not serious. Now, it looks to be both.
Ken Shaw
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Author: saxlite
Date: 2003-10-03 14:45
Minor correction to the above post--it's the SAN JOSE Ballet Company. (Sadly, we Silicon Valley folks think electronics is the solution to everything....) hopefully, this may get straightened out......
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Author: Don Berger
Date: 2003-10-03 15:08
TKS, Ken and SL, we need to excersize what influence we have in the PROMOTION of LIVE [not dead!] music. Our operatic daughter-in-law sings for San Jose et al, and their excellent paper is good re: the arts. I'll ask them to clip and send articles about this struggle! Don
Thanx, Mark, Don
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Author: Katrina
Date: 2003-10-03 23:17
Wow...I'm still Pi$$ed about all of this...
On a happy note, I'm doing a Nutcracker production this December which was almost done to recorded music. Of course, it's also not your normal Nutcracker. We're only using parts of Tchaik and subbing in Folk Music (international stuff) and Dance for the character bits.
And of course I'm the one who gets to "distill" the Tchaik bits for Clarinet, Accordion, 2 Violins, and assorted folk instruments...LOL! It's a HUGE project, but very worthwhile!
Katrina
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Author: Don Berger
Date: 2003-10-04 01:16
Sounds great, K, truly LIVE music. I haven't played any of the Nut since last Chr, but then on bass cl I had a goodie or two and set some tempo's, but not for dancing!! Luck, Don
Thanx, Mark, Don
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