Stuffy. Again.

22. July 2007 · 2 comments · Categories: Ramble, sfsymphonybloggers07

The stuffiness of the setting put me off, a stuffiness you could feel even over the TV and radio, when concerts were broadcast. I really do believe something has to be done about this. The snobs and the squares are keeping the rest of us away.

Read here.

Okay. Whatever. I’m a snob. I’m a square. And I’m old, too. 🙂

Should we change our demeanor for those non-snobs and non-squares? How do I become a non-snob and non-square? Or is it too late?

I am uncomfortable at the non-classical concerts. So there you go. I am uncomfortable at jazz events because you are supposed to clap when someone solos and I find it disruptive but if I don’t do it I look uptight (which I probably am; I’m an oboe player, after all). I’ve played rock shows, and I’m uncomfortable with all the “show stuff” that goes on.

Or maybe I’m just totally defensive. I dunno.

But the writer of the above quote isn’t dissing classical music. The writer is actually getting into it. So how to deal with that? Change how we do everything? I wonder. (And since I’m uncomfortable with the clapping during jazz, would they change that for me? Oh. Wait. I’m 50. They won’t change for me. 😉

I’m just kind of being silly here, I know. But really … what do we dump? (Someone please dump the tails! That I’ll go for!) What do we keep? Should we add colored lights to the performance, as San Francisco Symphony did at last week’s concert? (I was very distracted by it, actually! Why “blue” for R&J, red for Don Juan, and a yellowish orange for Rachmaninoff. What did the colors mean? I kept trying to figure it out!)

Ramble, ramble … time to get back to HP since Jameson is releasing into my care for a while!

The Blogs Continue

22. July 2007 · 2 comments · Categories: Ramble, sfsymphonybloggers07

I was surprised to find this new post about the San Francisco Symphony blogger event. I guess I was wrong when I said I thought the last of the blogs had appeared. I don’t believe the people we sat next to ever blogged (I believe it was just the man who had a blog, and the woman came along for the ride.), so maybe there will even be more. Who knows?

If I don’t blog within two days about an event, you can pretty much bet I’m not going to. I’m just that way.

So far I think only one other blogger is a musician; I’m finding it interesting to read all the bloggers’ opinions about the concert. They are all quite positive about the experience. I’m absolutely fine with that. The symphony I was in for 27 years folded (San Jose Symphony RIP). Yes, I’m in a new one now, but there isn’t nearly as much work. If we can get more people in the hall, I’m all for it! Now what I’d like to see is if these bloggers ever buy a ticket and attend another symphony concert. Guess I’ll have to bookmark all of them and see, yes?

What to do? What to do?

22. July 2007 · Comments Off on What to do? What to do? · Categories: Ramble

… and why am I never asked to pull out the oboe reed and toot a tune, huh?

DEAR MISS MANNERS: Can you give some advice to a professional opera singer who is frequently asked to give impromptu performances at social gatherings?

For the answer you’ll have to go here. (I’m not sure about the legality of posting the entire question and answer.)

Napa, We Have A Problem

22. July 2007 · 2 comments · Categories: Ramble, You Gotta Be Kidding

Maybe it was just too much wine.

“As if that wasn’t enough, the pianist returned following intermission to perform Beethoven’s final piano concerto, “No 32 in C Minor (Op. 111).””

Read here.

… now, I’m guessing a good number of you will see what I’m laughing about, yes? I saw this first at the well tempered blog. (Hmmm. Are you still well tempered after reading that article?)

I also laughed when I read “As beads of sweat bounced off his forehead…”. Um. Right. Beads of sweat bouncing, visible from the audience, and worth mentioning.

Or not.

Anyway, reviews. They can be very odd.

But really … concerto … sonata … big diff, right? They’re all just “songs” if you ask most folks. 😉

My List

22. July 2007 · 2 comments · Categories: Ramble

Cooper has a list: Things I’m looking for. He’s got a somewhat costly list.

Me?

Well, what comes to mind immediately is TheFabulousReedEverlasting™.

I think my list of one item is so much more humble than Cooper’s. Don’t you?

Just kidding, Cooper! Really. Go ahead and make your lists. But if you also create a reed that will never die I’ll be the first to sign on to pay megabucks for one. 😉

HP

22. July 2007 · Comments Off on HP · Categories: Ramble

Well, I’ve already gotten one “hint” from my RSS feeds. Sigh. Why do people blog so early about this book and ruin it for the rest of us? Double sigh.

Yes, I’m talking Harry Potter. Yes, I’m reading the book. I’m just not a tremendously fast reader. I’m on page 137 (out of 759).

So I’m ignoring all other blogs. I’m not reading the news either. Call me silly, but I like to read from start to finish (I could abide reading the last page first!), and if it means isolating myself for a time, so be it.

Hmmm. What has this to do with music? Oboe? Not a heck of a lot! But there is this:

Ah, music. A magic beyond all we do here! – Albus Dumbledore

Don Giovanni Download

22. July 2007 · 2 comments · Categories: Ramble

So I guess you can download Don Giovanni for free. I’ve not tried it, so I can’t say anything about this. If anyone else takes them up on their offer, do let me know how it works … and who you are hearing! (I don’t see any information about the recording.) I’m assuming this free download is to encourage people to subscribe to the service, but any links I click on from the link I posted above comes up with a “you are not a subscriber” message.

Say What?!

22. July 2007 · Comments Off on Say What?! · Categories: Ramble

The U.S. now has 125 professional opera companies, 60 percent of them launched since 1970, according to the trade group OPERA America. The U.S. has more opera companies than Germany and nearly twice as many as Italy. In the most comprehensive recent study, the National Endowment for the Arts found that between 1982 and 2002, total attendance at live opera performances grew 46 percent.

Woah. Who’da thunk it? (RTWT)

MQOD

22. July 2007 · Comments Off on MQOD · Categories: Quotes

I have to say they were rather disappointed [his family] when I brought home the oboe because they had never heard of it. They were disappointed I didn’t play the trumpet or clarinet. My grandmother to this day still thinks I play the clarinet because it looks like a clarinet.

-Thomas Gallant (read here)