The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Greg
Date: 1999-07-31 05:01
Ken Shaw wrote:
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Mark Charette wrote:
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Kathy Handyside wrote:
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Hi Mark -
Tell me the anecdotes! I love that kind of stuff!
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Search the Klarinet Archives for a few. Some were sent to me personally and I can't share those (they were sent to me by a couple of his students and a couple of teachers who worked alongside him at different times).
Greg - anything you can share with us?
Kathy -
Marcellus was strongly influenced by George Szell's overwhelming musical personality and by his early training. He reached the pinnacle of his profession and would permit no contradiction of what he said, particularly if it went against something Szell had said. According to a series of postings on the Klarinet board, he was viciously contemptuous of even slight ornamentation in Mozart and would leave a student who tried it in tears.
You went to him for his marvelous playing and for the very important things he could teach, but you dared not contradict him, or even hint at alternatives to what he said.
Players at that level know so much, and hear so accurately, that they know exactly what to say to a student. The down side is that the necessary big personality can push aside everyone else in the room. When you're the 3,000 pound gorilla, you start to expect the lower forms of life to stay out of your way and crush them if they don't.
Such is life.
Ken Shaw
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I would have to partly disagree with some of Ken's assessment of a truly complex personality such as that of Robert Marcellus. True, Marcellus said once that Szell was a terrifying authoritarian of the old school but that musicians also knew Szell was a supreme artist of terrific ability. I never viewed Marcellus as having taken on those terrifying qualities. Somewhat authoritarian ones, well maybe yes, especially if you didn't catch on how to work with the man.
The one thing that I have never understood about those that have complained about his resistance to contradiction is: what on earth were you doing there in the first place, to learn or to instruct Robert Marcellus? When I asked him once about onamentation in Mozart or why he thought the Mozart Concerto sounded best on clarinet as opposed to basset clarinet, I wasn't foolish enough to argue with the man after hearing his thoughtful answer. I just assumed that from his personal time and space, this was simply his point of view, not an answer from God. He was always firm and disagreed when he thought so, but as a whole was not essentially disagreeable. One can be one without being the other. Besides, that's not what I was there for. I just figured that I'd ask Tony Pay or Colin Lawson some time about ornamentation instead. Or Mitchell Lurie about tongue position or Clark Brody about legato, about Fritz Reiner, whatever! Gather what you came for (if you had any idea what it was) and move on!
As far as complaints about his down side....about reducing people to tears....I saw him in many situations over a 20 year period and can honestly say that I never witnessed this happening...in his famous summer masterclasses, in lessons, rehearsals. But we all knew he was frustrated in the extreme when he had put down the clarinet in 1973 at age 46 when at the pinnacle of his career - and when newly appointed music director Lorin Maazel in 1972 started to ruin everything that Szell had built in over 20 years - and that he was loosing his sight and would be blind in about 10 years - and would probably die early because of Diabetes - and was in constant pain - and on and on.
This is not to justify anyones behavior out of frustration but in the face of the supreme artistry that was taken from him and all of the health problems (during and after his tenure with Cleveland), it seems to me a colossal wonder that he was able to apply himself at all let alone become a greater, more dedicated teacher than ever, a masterful conductor, etc, etc. I would think one would be awe - struck in the face of such a human being - not argumentative.
The people that have spoken badly of him in a mean spirited way I have concluded were simply jealous that they never had his attention or commitment...hence it must have been THEIR problem.
One went to Marcellus to learn what he had to say, not to argue with him. Those of us that had some moments with him that were less than pleasant always refer back to those moments in a manner befitting that of a supremely talented and truly complex man...never couched in mean spirited terms....but in an ironic, witty, awe inspiring, and yes -even irreverant way. Just read the tributes in the Clarinet magazine shortly after his death from those that knew him best. All reflect rememberances in this fashion.
I believe that there will be a renaissance, a new appriciation by a new generation of young clarinetists for his work as player, teacher and conductor (already facilitated by the new Sony essential classics CDs with Szell or Lane conducting and 2 large CD sets issued by the Cleveland Orchestra with live recordings).
Robert Marcellus was known as the clarinetist's clarinetist. I hope others will contibute rememberances fairly to this bulletin board...ones not based in hearsay but in personal experience with such a wonderful artist and charismatic man.
Gregory Smith
Clarinetist
Chicago Symphony Orchestra
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Kathy Handyside |
1999-07-30 15:45 |
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steve |
1999-07-30 16:24 |
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Kathy Handyside |
1999-07-30 17:09 |
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Mark Charette |
1999-07-30 17:13 |
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Kathy Handyside |
1999-07-30 17:16 |
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paul |
1999-07-30 17:24 |
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Daniel |
1999-07-30 18:18 |
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Kathy Handyside |
1999-07-30 18:24 |
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Kathy Handyside |
1999-07-30 18:28 |
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Mark Charette |
1999-07-30 18:32 |
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Ken Shaw |
1999-07-30 21:57 |
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Daniel |
1999-07-30 21:58 |
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Greg |
1999-07-31 05:01 |
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Mark Charette |
1999-07-31 14:56 |
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Greg |
1999-07-31 18:25 |
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Tim2 |
1999-08-01 00:50 |
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www.mytempo.com |
1999-08-02 00:40 |
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Kathy Handyside |
1999-08-02 12:55 |
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Ken Shaw |
1999-08-02 18:23 |
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www.mytempo.com |
1999-08-03 01:26 |
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Greg |
1999-08-03 04:03 |
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Kathy Handyside |
1999-08-03 12:16 |
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