was surprised that neither the soloist or his conductor acknowledged the great oboe soloist in the Brahms. But you didn’t either… maybe it was just me. Sarasate said, “Would I stand there,” he said, “violin in hand, while the oboe plays the only melody in the whole work?”
The above was found in the comments section of a reviewer’s blog.
Sometimes in a concerto a player in the orchestra has a incredibly large solo. The Brahms Violin Concerto has that wonderful second movement oboe solo. The Ravel G Major Piano Concerto as a most amazing English horn solo in the second movement. (Something about those second movements!) In those instances it’s pretty darn rare not to get a mention. When this happens to me I assume the reviewer wasn’t thrilled with my playing. I know I could be wrong, but I sort of doubt it.
Update
Duh … he was saying the conductor and soloist didn’t acknowledge the oboist, not the reviewer. Okay … in that case I get very paranoid and assume they weren’t happy with me at all! Sigh. I’m that sort of optimist.
Or maybe I’m just paranoid.
Is this in reference to the performance we did out in Modesto a couple weeks ago? Denis Harper rocked that solo, I’m tellin’ ya! He played just gorgeously every time through in rehearsals and performance. But no, it couldn’t be, because David did give him a bow. Never mind. I mean, not never mind about Denis playing beautifully… you know what I mean…
I think it was particularly kind of both Ravel and Brahms to have the strings resting during those particular moments, so I get to just close my eyes and bask in the wonderfulness of it all. And though I haven’t had the pleasure of hearing you do the Brahms, I have thoroughly enjoyed my way through your Ravel every time.
Nope … it was back east where this took place. And of course after reading your comment I realized I turned this into what reviewers leave out so I had to add my little update. Just because.
Only once have I played the Brahms. It was a LONG time ago (at least 20 years, I think), with one of the Monterey groups. After that I was never asked back so, even while that conductor did acknowledge me, I’m assuming he didn’t care for my playing. Ah well. Such is life!