 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: awm34
Date: 2011-09-26 12:09
"It was extremely fitting that both the brand-new CSO principal clarinet, Stephen Williamson, and his oboe counterpart, Eugene Izotov, are alumni of the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra, where they overlapped for three seasons. In all three performances of the ballet music this week, Williamson has sounded like a marvel, with an alluring tone and entrancing soft passage abilities. The long wait for the right successor to the retired Chicago mainstay Larry Combs appears to have been worth it."
http://www.suntimes.com/entertainment/music/7870116-421/cso-gala-all-business.html
Alan Messer
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Author: rtmyth
Date: 2011-09-26 21:27
Auditioned and selected by Muti I expect bsed on the opera connection all around.
richard smith
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Author: rtmyth
Date: 2011-09-26 21:46
Thanks for the site. The Verdi Seasons ballet, Spring section has beautiful solo music for clarinet. Would loved to have heard it.
richard smith
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Author: brycon
Date: 2011-09-27 02:00
"Selected by Muti based on the opera connection." Care to elaborate?
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Author: SteveG_CT
Date: 2011-09-27 03:52
brycon wrote:
> "Selected by Muti based on the opera connection." Care to
> elaborate?
I had similar thoughts when I first heard that Williamson was selected. Muti conducted operas with the Met Opera Orchestra in February and March of 2010 when Stephen Williamson was still principal there. I would surmise that Ricardo must must have been impressed by him at that time.
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Author: rtmyth
Date: 2011-09-27 13:44
Just a supposition, but that is my take too, Steve.
richard smith
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Author: William
Date: 2011-09-28 14:32
Hmmmm.......another case of "who you know", or perhaps, "who knows YOU". So much for extensive auditions.
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Author: brycon
Date: 2011-09-28 14:49
"another case of 'who you know,' or perhaps, 'who knows you."
What a load of crap.
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Author: JamesOrlandoGarcia
Date: 2011-09-28 15:01
I was under the impression that all the talk about Williamson's audition process not being proper or fair was inaccurate. Lets not imply that he somehow didn't earn the position or deserve it.
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Author: Dileep Gangolli
Date: 2011-09-28 18:49
In my way of thinking, these very elite top jobs should be reserved for these top elite players who have proven themselves out in the field.
Several open auditions were held and we all know what happened.
No one pulled Excalibur from the stone.
After several fruitless open auditions, the next step should be to invite people who are qualified.
To be honest, you can count the number of qualified players for this type of job on one hand. I would say that playing principal clarinet in the MET is certainly such a qualification for an audition outside of the cattle call.
So you all who may imply that the process was fixed should go run home to your Mommas and snivel there. Buy your own Kleenex.
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Author: SamKaestner
Date: 2011-09-28 21:58
I have no clue how the audition was run. I don know, that in the several dozen performances I heard Steve play principal with the Met, I have never hear finer clarinet playing. I heard him play everything from Mozart to Berg, and it was all beautiful. Steve is the real deal. I feel like he was not a big name before he won the CSO job, which is odd, since he was principal in the Met. Name recognition aside, he deserves the chair because he sounds amazing. If you have not heard him live, you really owe it to yourself to make a pilgramage.
Sam Kaestner
West Point Band Clarinetist
www.samkaestner.com
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Author: bradfordlloyd
Date: 2011-09-29 00:59
I will look forward to hearing Williamson this season. I hope that John Bruce Yeh won't be leaving...he's a wonderful guy and an asset to the community here in Chicago.
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Author: vin
Date: 2011-09-29 03:22
From my understanding from talking to CSO players, to get hired at the CSO, you need a majority of the orchestra committee plus the conductor. It's not Muti's choice alone. You are not even qualified if you don't get a majority of the audition panel. It is clearly not "who you know" in this case. No way.
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Author: Chetclarinet
Date: 2011-09-29 13:23
I heard Steve Williams give a master class at Rice University Shepard School of music a few years ago. He then picked up his clarinet and played an absolutely fabulous recital program! The Chicago Symphony is quite frankly lucky to have him.
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