Just Too Darn Funny

18. September 2009 · Comments Off on Just Too Darn Funny · Categories: Oboe, Videos

I was looking up videos on YouTube, thinking I should post something oboe-y. One of the first to appear included THIS comment:

its not that hard it just takes practice im in 8th grade and i can play this? song

Know what the young (foolish) writer is writing about? Mozart’s Oboe Concerto. Sorry, but the kiddo hasn’t a clue. In so many ways. Not. A. Clue.

Oh well.

I don’t make comments about the videos I find. I only post them. Sometimes I’m in love with them. Sometimes not. You can probably guess what I’m thinking about some — and why I might post some for odd reasons or goofy reasons or spectacular reasons — but I’m sure you can’t guess about all. But no matter what I think about a performance, I doubt I’d ever call a “song” easy … and certainly not the Mozart concerto.

Here’s the video that included the above quote (a different interpretation than I’ve ever heard, to be sure):

Sarasota Orchestra

18. September 2009 · 3 comments · Categories: Links, Symphony

Our base salary is $30,000 for a full-time musician. Our management is insisting that we must take an 8 percent cut. Yet, a staff member making up to $50,000 is only taking a 2.5 percent cut. The final offer of the management would also eliminate our pension.

We find this to be unfair and punitive. But in light of economic uncertainty, and in the interest of labor peace, the musicians are willing to take cuts, as long as recovery can be built into the term of the contract. This offer has been rejected.

However, there are even more complicated issues than money remaining.

Management has “attached” to its final offer more than 80 other “work-related” items. These include:

The option not to use musicians for particular concerts that are required by the composer, if management determines that they aren’t “important.”

This last sentence is especially disturbing to me.

RTWT

TQOD

18. September 2009 · Comments Off on TQOD · Categories: TQOD

Although I like the oboe more, I think Mozart’s clarinet concerto is much more lovely than his oboe concerto, particularly the 2nd movement.

(I agree.)

Pigoletto

18. September 2009 · 1 comment · Categories: Videos

Thanks to San Francisco Classical Voice for bringing this to my attention!