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Author: Ralph G
Date: 2005-06-28 17:55
I just got back from a rehearsal with members of the former 4th Army Band. They're in town for a reunion, and they put out a call for volunteers to join them for a concert tonight. During a break, one of the old-timers with the Army band told this one:
Years ago this gentleman moved to Chicago, so he went to the local AFM office to transfer his membership. After filling out his papers, the secretary there asked if he'd like to meet the local president (whose name escapes me -- someone here might remember it). So he went in and had a 30-40 minute chat with the president. Then the secretary steps in to tell the president that Fritz Reiner is there and would like to speak with him. The president tells her to show him in, then tells our friend to stick around and "watch this."
Mr. Reiner comes in, and he and the president make some smalltalk. Finally, the president asks Mr. Reiner to pick up the baton on his desk and conduct 8 bars or so of some piece. So Reiner does so, waving silently for a bit. The president says to him, "Do you hear that sound your baton is making?" Reiner says, of course, he hears nothing but silence. So the president says, "That's exactly what you'll be hearing from now on if you don't treat my people better."
/well, it was funny when HE told it
________________
Artistic talent is a gift from God and whoever discovers it in himself has a certain obligation: to know that he cannot waste this talent, but must develop it.
- Pope John Paul II
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Author: diz
Date: 2005-06-28 22:16
Fritz Reiner had a bit of a reputation for being autocratic. That era of conductors is blissfully over on the whole.
Without music, the world would be grey, very grey.
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Author: ken
Date: 2005-06-28 23:45
In a military band I was once in we had a major suck-up for a Principal clarinetist and a Concertmaster. One morning prior to rehearsal, Major Suck-up decided he wanted to use the band as brownie points to impress the Commander when arriving for rehearsal. He grabbed a baton, sprung onto the podium and had everyone pull up a Bach Chorale. The band was 8 or so bars into #12 when the Commander entered the room. As he approached the podium stage left Major Suck-up caught him from the corner of his eye. He became more animated the closer Commander got and began waving his arms with larger-than-life beat patterns and joyous abandon.
As the Commander rested his baton case and scores on the podium Major Suck-up gloriously cut the band off with one-fell swoop. The band instantly obeyed with the exception of the Principal trumpet player who hung over blowing at a full forte 4 more measures. He finally released and Major Suck-up snapped at him saying, "Les! Didn’t you see me cut you off?" Les shot back, "Sorry Leopold! It’s hard to hear sometimes when you’ve got something stuck in your mouth!" Mark of Zorro. v/r Ken
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Author: RosewoodClarinet
Date: 2005-06-29 18:31
In my opinion, conductors have rights to do odd things if these things make sense from musical aspects, they are not only waving their hands. I can understand conductors can be treated as being autocratic. From my opinion as a performer, this is a very natural tendency on being conductor.
RosewoodClarinet
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Author: Kevin
Date: 2005-06-29 18:41
Autocratic or not, those couple of generations certainly put out some fantastic results.
Post Edited (2005-06-29 20:33)
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Author: David Spiegelthal ★2017
Date: 2005-06-29 19:51
And at least back then conductors generally had the decency to stick with one orchestra for most or all of the season, and for many years --- as opposed to today's jet-setting glamor boys who have no loyalty to any particular orchestra or city and jump from one group to another, following the money and media attention.
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Author: Ralph G
Date: 2005-06-29 20:42
Petrillo sounds correct. I remember the name sounded like one of Italian descent.
I never was able to ask him how Mr. Reiner responded.
Playing with these old Army guys is a real life lesson. They sat me next to a guy who had a very shrill, reedy sound, and I couldn't help think to myself I could play rings around him. Then last night, during the jazz combo portion of the concert, guess who's up there playing piano like Duke Ellington? Wow, I wouldn't give two flips about a "dark focused" clarinet sound if I could play piano like that.
Even the guy who told the Reiner story was old and stooped and used a walker to get around and just sat in the audience while we in the concert group rehearsed... but he played the hell out of the drums with the jazz guys!
Kids, these old military musicians know their stuff!
________________
Artistic talent is a gift from God and whoever discovers it in himself has a certain obligation: to know that he cannot waste this talent, but must develop it.
- Pope John Paul II
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Author: diz
Date: 2005-06-29 21:58
David - I think you'll find the jet set were not so easily convinced to fly in "those days" - especially if you're thinking the 30s to 50s when flight was tediously long and very expensive.
Without music, the world would be grey, very grey.
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