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 Contrabass Clarinet
Author: MusikFind1 
Date:   2023-11-15 21:20

Stokowski Orchestra setup

Leopold Stokowski (1882-1977) - One of the four Stokowski's seating plans for The Philadelphia Orchestra 1912-1941.
https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=6722541384458889&set=gm.24481426971456079&idorvanity=1418016324890470
Picture taken after 1930.
Some interesting observations: the Winds are at the front and the Strings in the back.
A Contrabass Clarinet is next to the Contrabassoon. Stokowski had the Contrabass Clarinet play that part or play from String Bass parts. The player read Bass Clef !
The String Basses all have the extension.
The podium in later years was in the garden of Ormandy's associate conductor, William Smith. The podium has now been returned to the Academy of Music archives.
On harp is Edna Phillips, Principal Harp, 1930-1946. "The first woman to be appointed principal to a major orchestra." The second Harp was not present for this picture.
There is also a woman in the back of the cello section. There may be a woman pictured in the back left of the violin section.
The 8 basses and 6 horns were standard in The Philadelphia Orchestra for many years.



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 Re: Contrabass Clarinet
Author: kdk 2017
Date:   2023-11-16 07:50

MusikFind1 wrote:

> There is also a woman in the back of the cello section.

I wonder if that was Elsa Hilger. According to Wikipedia Stokowski hired her in 1935 as fourth chair cellist (which would date the picture more closely). In this picture, the woman seems farther back than that in the section, but the Wiki writer could have been confused between 4th chair and 4th stand. I wonder if Stoki hired another female cellist?

Elsa Hilger moved up to assistant principal under Ormandy and was playing when I began to attend Philadelphia Orchestra concerts in the early 1960s. She was something of a character.

> The 8 basses and 6 horns were standard in The Philadelphia
> Orchestra for many years.

FWIW, they still list 7 basses and 6 horns in their permanent complement of players. They now use 5 horns routinely for standard repertoire - 4 plus an assistant 1st.

Does anyone recognize the first clarinetist?

Karl

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 Re: Contrabass Clarinet
Author: kilo 
Date:   2023-11-16 15:10

Any chance of posting this photo on an image hosting site accessible to people without facebook accounts?

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 Re: Contrabass Clarinet
Author: Mojo 
Date:   2023-11-16 18:10

Looks more like a Contra Alto Clarinet in the photo to me.

MojoMP.com
Mojo Mouthpiece Work LLC
MojoMouthpieceWork@yahoo.com

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 Re: Contrabass Clarinet
Author: oliver sudden 
Date:   2023-11-17 07:40

I’ve seen the same picture on Reddit captioned “Leopold Stokowski conducting Fantasia with The Philadelphia Orchestra”, fwiw.

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