 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: mnorswor
Date: 2004-08-31 02:17
Anyone else here taking the Minnesota audition? I just got the list yesterday and almost fell off of my chair because it's got 30 different pieces on it, 18 for 1st parts and 12 for Eb parts plus the concerto. Does this seem a bit heavy to anyone?
Michael
P.S. And WHY are they holding it over Thanksgiving weekend???
Post Edited (2004-08-31 02:18)
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Author: tomkinsonl
Date: 2004-08-31 02:29
Hey Michael,
Hope all's well with you. It does seem a lot, but a teacher once told me that back when he was auditioning for orchestras (when there were dinosaurs) it was normal to go to an audition with no rep. list and simply have the conductor ask for anything they felt like hearing....so it could be worse! Maybe they'll cover the rest of the clarinet repertoire in the sight reading!
Take care,
Luke
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Author: donald
Date: 2004-08-31 05:46
kia ora Michael
i've got the Melbourne symphony assoc principal list (from a 2002 audition) here in front of me- 41 excerpts from 18 works (sop and eflat combined)... of course some of these are short excerpts from pieces we know well, other longer and more challenging. The eefer part from Miraculous Mandarin, and something called "Sequenzas concertantes" by Richard Mills are the two real killers....
i'd love to do the Minnesota audition, but (apart from the $2,000 airfare) probably wouldn't be allowed to audition as i don't have permission to work in the US. Any rate, i couldn't live that far from the sea without getting really grumpy.
good luck
donald
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Author: msloss
Date: 2004-08-31 12:18
Michael, Minnesota is one of the premier orchestras in the country, and will without question attract the commensurate level of talent for the audition. The list is therefore challenging as it should be, and the number of works is not out of line with expectations for who should fill that post. The time to find out a player has a technical or repertoire weakness is before a contract is inked.
As for why Txgiving, why not? The selection committee has a rehearsal and concert schedule that can't be put aside, and Maestro Vanska has a very tight calendar as well. Add to that many of the qualified candidates already hold symphony seats and are busy themselves, and it starts to make sense. I imagine they don't have too many options if they want to get this done before the season is over.
Good luck with the audition. Great gig and one of the biggest jobs we are going to see open for the next couple years.
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Author: William
Date: 2004-08-31 15:08
Don't exasperate over the extensive repritoire list, nor the weekend of the audition--worry about winning the audition and having to live in Minnisota during the winter where cold begins with a capitol C. Remember that Paul Bunyon (famous lumberjack of yore) reported that the men in his logging camp had to wait until summer for their words to finally thaw out so they could hear the punch lines to their jokes. And for the winning clarinetist who persists in soaking reeds in water............well, you can just imagine reaching down and retrieving a V12 popsicle. Anyway, good luck to those who do audition--but I stongly suggest learning to play with heavy gloves on and patiently waiting unitl spring to hear how your thawed-out audition sounded.
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Author: Jerry McD.
Date: 2004-08-31 15:52
William, William, William...
Sounds like you have been drinking too much paint thinner...
(a friendly jab from a Minnesotan and possible auditionee, to a cheese-head)
msloss is exactly right that Minnesota is one of the premier jobs in the U.S. I haven't seen the list yet, but I was anticipating something nasty. They will be doing bass auditions at another time and I would assume the list will be just as daunting.
By the way, my words thawed out in March this year. ![[wink]](http://test.woodwind.org/clarinet/BBoard/smileys/smilie3.gif)
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Author: Katrina
Date: 2004-08-31 16:05
Yeah, it ain't that bad up here...
There IS a reason I use Legeres though...I can't handle the dry January climate at all...
Katrina in MN
who is thinking about auditioning but probably won't...
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Author: donald
Date: 2004-08-31 20:08
by the way, which job is going? i thought assoc principal as Michael N said there were Eeffer excerpts.... Burt Hara is still principal, right?
donald
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Author: DavidBlumberg
Date: 2004-08-31 23:47
I know Mike (was his teacher during Summer hiatus from Michigan State w/ Elsa) and he is a very, very good player.
I think that he meant why would they hold the audition during a holiday weekend as that is kinda RUDE for them to do that! (the family thing)
GOOD LUCK MAN!!!!
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Author: DavidBlumberg
Date: 2004-08-31 23:49
ps - I like it cold, but wouldn't take that job for any money. Too brutal a winter for me!!!
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Author: mnorswor
Date: 2004-08-31 23:55
Correct Dave, and thanks for the nice compliment. I realize that it's difficult to get people together, but the same goes for families!
Dave, we should catch up sometime. My family is still in Philly and it would be great to see you. Email sometime and we'll arrange
Michael
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Author: Ben
Date: 2004-09-01 00:11
Yes, Burt Hara is still principal and should remain so for as long as he wishes.
Is the MN orchestra's Bass clarinetist retiring, too?
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Author: DavidBlumberg
Date: 2004-09-01 00:36
Personally I care more about the families - those guys should have to arrange their precious schedules for the auditions not around a Holiday.
Mike - write me at david@ mytempo.com (I put a space before mytempo so no spam bot can record it - you need to delete the space to mail me)
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Author: diz
Date: 2004-09-01 01:21
Don's see the problem ... as a professional in one of the US's top orchestras you should be able to play just about anything flawlessly, which is what they need, at the drop of a hat. They are a terrific orchestra, one of my favourites (US that is).
Remember ... if you take one step towards your dream your dream will take 100 steps towards you ...
Without music, the world would be grey, very grey.
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Author: diz
Date: 2004-09-01 01:24
Michael ... out of curiosity, what's the concerto you're playing?
Without music, the world would be grey, very grey.
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Author: msloss
Date: 2004-09-01 12:30
Seems like, despite the impact on family, doing a Txgiving weekend audition is actually a good thing. Can't tell you the number of times I've seen colleagues wrestling with the decision to take an audition or not based on economics. When you give up a week of work to take the audition, there is the very real possibility you wind up down a week's salary plus travel, and go home with nothing but memories. This is even more painful for the freelancers, since turning down a gig to take an audition isn't just lost money, it might mean you don't get called for the next gig. At least over the holiday the likelihood is you don't have to sub out your chair, cancel lessons, etc.
But hey, it's worth it, eh? Lutefisk and ice fishing, dont'cha know.
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Author: msloss
Date: 2004-09-02 12:50
Jack, wasn't Diana assistant/Eb to Todd Levy in Milwaukee before she won the SLS post?
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Author: Jack Kissinger
Date: 2004-09-02 14:21
Oops. Yes, Mark, you are absolutely right. I should have looked it up before I posted.
Best regards,
jnk
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Author: D Dow
Date: 2004-09-03 01:36
The interesting part is usually after a few minutes the judges know what they want...they also know what kind of sound and blend they are looking for.
I have been on audition committes and can say honestly it is not an easy process for the judges as well...time consuming and rather like a jury in a court..
ie..."I like this player's articulation but his tuning in the 3rd register was questionable...
response...Oh , I thought his tuning there was good but disliked the tone of the middle register...
This can go on for a long time...after awhile I have backed away from doing these committeess...they really are a contest to see who is the last one standing...
I also tend to do auditions bearing in mind they are alot about endurance and patience...
David Dow
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Author: Brad
Date: 2004-09-03 17:16
The Bass Clarinet job was posted on the Union website this month. The audition is in February.
Brad Cohen
Clarinetplayer@gmail.com
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