March 30, 2009 by Bruce Hembd
Archived under: Conductors, Random, The Business
Random Monday: Horn Player on Trial and Conductor Advice
Things read over the weekend.
- A story from 1919 – French horn player put on trial. As the poster Ms. Mussel notes, this is a “comedy goldmine.” This lead me to another hilarious NY Times story from 1894 of a belligerent French horn player and a smashed violin.
When Herr Gotterdamn was at his best on the first violin, coaxing from its musical bosom the sweetest and most tuneful airs, Herr Loesch is said to have often caused his French horn to screech in such an insulting and overbearing strain that the dulcet tones of the gentle violin were drowned out entirely or made to appear most ridiculous.
- Robert Levine at Abu Bratsche gives some pointed advice in Notes to Young Conductors.
Us old farts sitting in front of you really do want you to succeed. And our definitions of success are not so different from yours. The major difference is that, while we want the orchestra to sound good every bit as you want it to, we also value efficiency…
- An interesting dialogue has played out at the Phoenix New Times article on conductor Michael Christie.
- Roger Kaza has been appointed Principal Horn in St. Louis.
- A cute story of a little kid who abandoned his sax for a PVC pipe.
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