 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: diz
Date: 2003-10-22 22:40
Went to hear a production of Annie last night (amateur). Apart from the orchestra being, at times, way too noisy. It was a good production with a lot of fine attention paid to detail (props, sets and costumes). Singing was mediocre to not bad (cast felt "flat")- but considering it was community theatre and a Wednesday night pretty good.
The thing that struck me was the poor folk playing clarinet or should I say everything else. Each of them having 3 instruments and the Principal Flute having 4 (sop sax, alto sax and clarinet). How in the heck can you maintain a nice sense of pitch when you only put an instrument up to your lips for a few bars and then put it down again? The overall effect was nice, although I don't think it was the orignal professional orchestration (as there was no viola book provided-for example).
Anyway Geoff, Pat, Jan and the others I knew in the pit did a geat job considering they all have so much equipment surrounding them it look like a section from an oil-refinery. It's a musical I'd never have attended, for no other reason that it didn't appeal. I must say it was pretty amusing and the recalcitrant Golden Retriever stole the show.
Without music, the world would be grey, very grey.
Post Edited (2003-10-22 22:42)
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Author: bennytittle
Date: 2003-10-23 00:22
Seems like I have played in the pit for that same musical and I once too had a flute, clarinet, sop sax and bari sax piled up around me. I think it's the WW1 book that does the damage or if that was the same production all the woodwind books are written like that. I suggest ripping out the pages and passing them around...just kidding.....did you notice though at the performance that the same thing doesn't happen to the brass?
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Author: diz
Date: 2003-10-23 00:51
I try not to listen to brass in a pit (except horns which I adore) because most trumpet players do not understand soft. I always insist (much to the vexation of my trumpet players) on them using cornet-a-piston ... mellower sound, not quite so deafening and a sweeter tone ... this is my personal choice as the music director, of course. It annoys most trumpet players because most of them don't own them ... they always acquire them, however.
The other problem I have with brass is ensemble, except for professional gigs - most semi-professional pit trumpeters just don't listen to the leader or follow the leader ... whether you like violinists or not it's their job to hold things together, especially when the M.D. has his/her mind on singers and stage antics.
Without music, the world would be grey, very grey.
Post Edited (2003-10-23 00:55)
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Author: Don Berger
Date: 2003-10-23 00:51
I have played it twice, once had the alto sax [jazzy] solo, once a lower part, not my favorite show, but, theyre all fun. Always applaud! Don
Thanx, Mark, Don
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Author: GBK
Date: 2003-10-23 02:48
I've done it more times than I care to remember. It's probably in the Top 5 of the musicals I am not fond of (before you ask - "Bye Bye Birdie" is my least favorite).
As long as the temperature in the pit is not frigid, keeping the cap on the mouthpiece and trying to get the instrument warm with air before you play is your best precaution for keeping the pitch on target.
When the pit is freezing, all bets are off, and probably is the best time to use your back-up clarinet to thus avoid the chance of doing harm to your primary one.
The only problem with "Annie" is that it takes you a full week to get "Tomorrow" out of your brain...GBK
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Author: diz
Date: 2003-10-23 06:21
We love you GBK, oh yes we dooooo, we love you GBK, oh yes we dooo.
there - hope that gets stuck!!
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Author: GBK
Date: 2003-10-23 07:14
Diz.. It will. Thanks for ruining my weekend ...GBK
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Author: Mark Pinner
Date: 2003-10-23 13:21
Theatre scoring is an exercise in mediocrity. I agree with the cornet a piston theory. The only problem is the cornettist whose "piston broke". Pun completely intended.
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Author: diz
Date: 2003-10-23 23:46
Mark - totally agree about the scoring, not much thought went into it. Example: spoken dialogue happening and soft background music to accompany it provided by the baritone sax and keyboard (!?!) - I'd have used cellos or violas probably.
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