The oboe/English horn exchange in the “Country Scene” was well done, the off stage oboe a nice touch.
I just read the above at a blog. I’m curious — does the blogger think that the off stage oboe was something added? It’s written in the score rather than something they just dreamed up. Curious. Maybe it’s just the way it’s worded and I’m being picky. Like usual.
I’m glad that the conductors I’ve worked with don’t blog! This one does.
I’d be so nervous working with that guy, not knowing if he was going to point out any of my little bloopers.
Not that I make them, mind you.
Funny little story though (and I knew someone who did the same thing during a little chamber music party — I blundered on something so when he repeated the line he gracefully blundered as well):
Then there’s the famous English Horn solo in act II. Our EH player, who has been very reliable, had a slight bobble and added an extra descending note to the passage. Not to be outdone our Principal Flute, who has the same passage a few bars later, promptly added said extra note to his solo. There were a couple of shaky moments when I thought we all were going to fall over giggling.
Every time I sit on stage for a Symphony Silicon Valley concert I puzzle over our music folders. They are vanilla colored card stock … with bright red duct tape running down the center. Ugly. Embarrassing. Definitely not very professional looking. Why not black card stock at least … and red duct tape?!
The men wear tails (something I think is ridiculous, actually; I prefer all black) and the women are to wear nice black. We are supposed be be formal. And then we have these horrible looking folders!
I just checked online, and found a place that sells black folders for $9.75. I’ll bet there are places that sell them at a discount even better than that; I haven’t done a lot of checking around yet. Would it be nice if symphony set up a little “Fund our Folders” thing?
Well, I think so anyway!
San Jose Arts Council will be honoring Irene Dalis come October. Certainly she deserves it!
You can read about it here.
I’ve been with OSJ pretty much since the beginning, although I wasn’t always “first hire”. But I’ve been a tenured member, as principal oboe, since we’ve had a contract, and it’s my favorite job, to be sure.
26 years old. Today. Which means I’m old enough to have a 26 year old, which means I can’t be 29 or, being realistic, even 39. Sigh.
Happy Birthday, Brandon!!
Oh … and it’s also Carl Nielsen’s birthday.
