Jazz for aficionados

Learsfool:

Excellent Posts. Very educational. After all this, I think I will play my Paganini CDs today. I only the '24 Caprices'. One CD by Fischer, and one by Midori. I appreciate the time you took to respond in such detail. I am beginning to have a much better understanding of the workings of an orchestra. I assume you realize, that you and The Frogman have the best jobs in the world.

I don't know why I was so determined to get to the bottom of the 'cuts' thingy, after all, I always get the 'highlights' versions of Operas. But I did learn something.

If you ever have the time you might go a little more in depth concerning the 'bowing' of the string parts. The Frogman mentioned this some time ago, but did not get into it. If it's somethinmg that can be explained to a non-musician.

Thanks.

Cheers

I found this last night while looking for Christmas DVDs. Turns out, it's by the LSO. I wonder if the Trumpet player is the one I read about in the Obit.

Colin Davis' comments in the interview after the concert, concerning women in the orchestra, were very interesting. The exact same thing can be said of Women in the U.S. Military. They made/make it, a much better place.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZuGSOkYWfDQ

Cheers

Hi Rok - the bowing question is very simple. I'm sure you have noticed that each section of the string family is always moving their bows together, in the same way. It is the markings that tell them what to do when that we call "the bowings." There is a symbol for a downbow, and a symbol for an upbow, and some other very standard markings for different types of bowstrokes. Sometimes the composers will call for a passage to be bowed a certain way. Basically, a downbow is stronger, meaning it has more weight than an upbow. Bowings are chosen for both musical and technical reasons, and often much time in rehearsal is spent in discussing possible changes of them, while us wind players twiddle our thumbs.... :) Seriously, a conductor will often request a change in the bowings for some musical reason, or if he/she is not that familiar with bowings (in other words, they didn't/don't play a string instrument), they will ask the concertmaster if a change would help create the effect they want in a certain passage, etc.

It is the job of the concertmaster to do the bowings for any piece the orchestra is going to play, and as I said before, these are then passed on to the other string principals, who may make minor changes for their own sections. The librarians then are the ones who actually mark the bowings in all the other string player's parts. All of this is done far in advance of the first rehearsal of the program, so the music is ready for the players personal use in preparing for the program. Each orchestra's CBA will mandate how far in advance the music has to be ready and available - in most it is two or three weeks ahead of time. String parts take much longer to prepare than wind parts, precisely because of the bowings.

Learsfool:

Thanks for the usual in-depth reply. Seems as if nothing is as simple as it appears to the layman.

This seems like Minnesota all over again. Ran across it while checking up on CBA's. The article does not mention the conductor. You have any idea where he stands in all this?

http://www.peachpundit.com/2014/09/07/atlanta-symphony-management-fail-to-meet-cba-deadline/

Underneath all the beautiful art created or performed, lies the vulgar realities of life. The need to earn a living. Part Musical Wizards, part UAW. :)

Cheers

Hi Rok - actually, for once the music director of the ASO has come out firmly in support of the musicians. And yes, it is almost worse than the Minnesota situation, if you have read some of the unbelievable comments made by the guy that runs that arts center that owns the ASO. We are unfortunately in a period of spectacularly bad arts management right now. I hasten to add, however, that there are a great many success stories happening in the orchestral scene right now, too, though those almost never get reported. Do you know of any other business that actually trashes itself? No, I didn't think so....