One night probably a dozen or so years ago, the Tucson Symphony preformed Ravel's Bolero. I have played every bass clarinet part and saxophone part on "Bolero", and once when the TSO was short on funds, I played them all concurrently! (picking up a soprano sax 1 measure after the tenor sax solo and also right after the bass clarinet part!!!) Anyway, this one night, William aka Bill McGlaughlin was the conductor of the TSO (you may know him from St. Paul Sunday Morning show on NPR radio). The 1st piece on the program was a rather soft ending French thing by Delius. At the time I was working on my doctoral degree at the University of Arizona, and had a music theory class with Dr. Ed Murphy. The class was analyzing pieces with German 6th augmented chords. A classmate of mine was asking for explanations on the spelling of German, Italain, and French 6th augmented chords back stage behind a closed door. The 1st piece on the program ended very softly with very quiet applause. I was not aware that "Bolero" was starting until I heard the beginning bass line ostinati (repated through the whole piece) pattern through the door! Oh My Gosh! What to do??? I'm supposed to be on stage, but I'm WAY backstage!!! The bass clarinet doesn't play right at the start, so I quietly open the rear stage door on the sound shell, and look around. I see a chair behind the risers in a space between the back of the sound shell and the place where the horns are sitting. I quietly find a music stand, and with my bass clarinet and music, tiptoe in and sit in back of the french horns on the risers with my music, bass clarinet, and music stand. I can see the condutor through the legs of the horn section sitting in front and above me! I come in on time and play my part on the bass clarinet!!! Later, I find out that the saxophones sitting above me with the horns are nealy in histerics hearing me play below and in back of them!!!
I appologized to William McGlaughlin after the concert, but since the concert before he was asleep in the hotel room when they called him at 8:05 (concert time) and asked where he was, he said "I understand!!!!"
-John Dr. Prong Thing!!!
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25 comments:
Well once again...in the nick of time...you saved the day! You really should write a book of all your "near miss" adventures!
(i would like to see you
tip-toeing in)
What color were your socks and did your shoes match? One last question: In what part of the symphony do you play your Dr. Prong Horn thing? hehehe
i agree with vel! you could write a wonderful book, a children's book of the music professor! wow, i'm still laughing about that one!
I actually think my shoes and socks matched that night! I play in the clarinet section, kind of towards the back and to the left from audience point of view...mostly I play bass clarinet, sometimes Bb soprano (your usual band clarinet), clarinet in A (a little lower and a prettier sound), clarinet in Eb (high and a little squeaky, and then sometimes saxophones too (soprano, alto, tenor, usually bari sax though...)
You are just a Music Man aren't you!
My Dr. Wonderful!
they don't use Eb clarinets much anymore, do they? aren't they usually sharp or just the cheap ones i've seen? lol i've never heard of an A clarinet and what about the alto clarinet???
If you don't blow your own horn, who will?
I agree with the book idea! I think it would be a big hit! lol!
WoW I did not know there were so many different clarinets! I learned something new today!!
The Eb clarinet really comes in two varieties, the little sopranino used famously as "the witch" screaming in Berlioz' Symphony Fantastique, and also as one of the solo instruments in Ravel's Bolero. It is fairly common to have the Eb clarinet in orchestra and band music. The alto clarinet is kind of the ugly stepsister of the Eb sopranino. Usually not played well and out of tune, it is actually realted to the basset horn in F used in Mozart's Requiem. The World Basset Horn trio (members of the clarinet section of the Chicago Symphony) get just to die for sounds out of their basset horns. The "A" clarinet is one half step lower than the Bb used commonly in bands and orchestras. The "A" clarinet is also used frequently in orchestral music becuase it has a sweeter tone than the Bb and also is in one of the natural keys of string orchestras (The key of A major, open strings on violin, viola, cello and bass). Motzart's Clarinet Concerto in A Major was written for...well you guessed it, the "A" clarinet as well as a another version for the basset horn and basset clarinet (goes down to low C!) There, probably more info than you ever wanted or needed on clarinet types, however didn't mention clarinets in C, D, or Ab!!!
-PB
Well we knew that you palyed teh one with the "sweetest tone"
Thanks for the Music History (theory) class/Lesson Dr. J!
WOW! thank you for the lesson!
Where oh where has my PB gone?
well, i didn't know all of that and i'm really glad i do....love learning from you dr. john! i like the alto clarinet! but nothing beats the bass clarinet!
found him!
MB has different cars outside her house at night...hmmm.....! Where's the street sign when she needs it? (H-R---)
OMG!!!
just because the last 3 times you were there...you had different cars!
don't start anymore rumors about me!
You know I think I believe PB! I was thinking about the sign too! lol! hahaha!! mb isnt a hoe no moe!!
My Papa Bear...my Dr. Wonderful is too bizzy to post a new blog hog thing...he eill when he gets
time time time
He is a dr. @ everything I think! he knows a lot about a lot of stuff!
wen aw u goin tu rite a nu bwog? if u didn pend so much pwayin plummow wiff ant woobee u kud wite a nu bwog. hehehehe
dr. wonderful....please don't delete your bog!
don't let negative hateful people ruin your life.
i love you.
i wanna make your life better.
dr. John,
please do not leave us! keep your blog! we will miss your funny stories!! btw...loved the dvd of the other Dr.(the MD) and his wife and you all playing! loved your elvis song tooo!!!
we love everything about you papa bear!
TIME TIME TIME!
BEYOND Thyme Thyme Thyme
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