 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: William Hughes ★2017
Date: 2009-08-31 20:33
Does the person designated as the section principal in an orchestra play the first part as a matter of course or can the conductor assign parts within the section?
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Author: cigleris
Date: 2009-08-31 20:47
The section principal plays all the first parts, unless they are having time off.
Peter Cigleris
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Author: Ed Palanker
Date: 2009-08-31 22:19
Peter is not quite correct. It depends if there is an assistant or an associate principal. In any orchestra that has four in the section, as in the BSO I play in, the principal plays most of the important parts and the ass. plays the concerto or overture, sometimes the whole first half depending on the program. Usually the principal makes the assignments with the conductors approval. Even in orchestra's with three players the bass clarinetists is often also the assistant first player, some times the second but not as common and they may play something in a heavy program, but not always. It's rare that the principal plays everything all the time in the major orchestras, especially if there are four in the section. The schedule is too busy. In our case, the BSO, the assistant usually plays the pops concerts and youth concerts but sometimes we have a split orchestra, one doing a pops concert and the other doing a youth concert or run out concert, so both are playing principal in one or the other. Check my symphony page on my website for information about clarinet requirements in orchestras today. ESP http://eddiesclarinet.com
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Author: cigleris
Date: 2009-08-31 22:51
Thank you Ed for your post. I think I was correct in what I said, the set up you descibe is indicactive of big symphony orchestras in the US. Here in the UK most of the orchestras have a section of three unless it's a chamber orchestra. In this instance the section principal does the majority of the work, unless of course they have the time off or have permission to go and do another date with another group.
Currently the Philharmonia has 4 players and the two principals share the work load. The LSO has the same kind of system but currently doesn't have an co-principal. When there is a section of three the second doubles Eb and the third bass.
It really does depend on the orchestra but generally the section principal playes the first parts.
Peter Cigleris
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Author: Ed Palanker
Date: 2009-09-01 02:34
Sorry Peter, I was writing about the orchestras in the US. I should have realized that you were from England, it says it in the heading. Only a few here have co-principles and the rest do work pretty much as I indicated. We have about 15 + or - full time orchestras that use four players, only a couple of them are co-principles. In none of those with four players does the principal play everything. We have another 20 -30 that have three players and they pretty much do what I said above. Everyone is different so not every orchestra rotates the same, there may be some that don't rotate at all but I don't know any of them myself. Then there are those that only have two players and hire a third as needed. There are many part time orchestra's in the US as well as smaller orchestra's with shorter seasons. I would assume there the principal plays everything all the time. My first job was in Halifax Nova Scotia Canada, we only had two players and I played second and Eb when needed. Some times when we did our weekly radio broadcast I would play the clarinet part if the piece only required one player to give the first player a little break. Our current second player used to be the bass clarinetist and assistant principal of the Vancouver Symphony in Canada. So every place and orchestra is different so I guess it depends of the country and orchestra you are talking about. Take care, ESP
ESP eddiesclarinet.com
Post Edited (2009-09-01 02:45)
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Author: William Hughes ★2017
Date: 2009-09-01 13:25
Thank you both for your comments. They have been very helpful.
Post Edited (2009-09-01 13:25)
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Author: William
Date: 2009-09-01 14:46
In most professional orchestras, the Principal clarinetist usually plays the "first" parts--that is what they are hired and payed more per service to do. However, I was once assigned the first part in Rhapsody in Blue as our orchestra's principal couldn't do the slur. Sometimes, who plays what is also determined by ability.........
(btw, for playing RnB, I got the principals $$'s for those two concerts :>)
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