Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Rehearsal Horror Stories


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Posted by js on July 08, 2002 at 11:42:55:

In Reply to: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Rehearsal Horror Stories posted by Hmmmm..... on July 08, 2002 at 10:21:30:

You know, I wrote here about the pit musician(s) in my town being good 1st-show performers. Of course sight-reading occurs in the rehearsal, but (apparently) in some cities, there are first-perforance problems with beginning/transitional tempi of numbers, ensemble, intonation, rubati, etc., etc.

Woodwind and high-brass books are another matter, but one doesn't have to be a particularly good "sight-reader" nor fabulous technician to play a tuba book in a pit well...as long as the player has good musical sense, professional-level performance capabilities, the cuts and circled areas are marked well, and one stays alert. The actual technical demands are usually quite modest.

You and your friend seem to think that the conductor and the touring pianist (who was taking over the job as conductor, was the show's librarian, and indeed took over the conductor job on the last day of our run) actually DIDN'T KNOW the "book" was simply two xeroxed stacks of music. How could they not know this?

When I walked up on reheasal morning, the pianist watched me sit down and as soon as I was situated the first thing he did was to come over and say, "We don't have a book for the tuba yet. This is all we have. ' sorry." I responded, "OK"

The two stacks of music were CLEARLY MARKED (by the tuba player from the first "tuba" town". The other tuba player had clearly marked tacets and had clearly marked "TO BASS BOOK" or "TO B.T. BOOK" and marked "ossia" or "8va". One can only assume that these directions were put in by someone who made concious and informed decisions, as all of the other players in the ensemble rely on similar previously placed markings - unless overruled by the conductor during the rehearsal. (You know this.)

You and your associate seem to think that I wasn't doing a good job of working with the two stacks of music. To the contrary, I was doing fine, though it was a nuisance. Again, it was mostly typical bass line stuff. The PROBLEM was the CONTINUED INCONSISTENCY between the marks and the "creative new ideas" (whatever) of the conductor, who was passing off his new decisions as my errors. (NEVER: "too loud", "too soft", "sounds like crap"...JUST: "PLAY!!!!!" or "DON'T PLAY!!!!!!"...contrary either to the markings or to his own previous instructions.

It may have sounded to you like I was bragging about my sight-reading prowess. The point wasn't sight-reading. I was that we (locally) have a reputation for getting nearly all of the details/nuances just right for opening night. If I was going to brag about sight-reading (and why?), why brag about reading bass lines? More clearly, I was speaking about us collectively doing a very good job (again) on first shows.

Do both of you really think that the whisper-shouting the conductor was doing DURING PERFORMANCES was more "professional" than me ONLY briefly sniping back at the fellow DURING INTERMISSION after his unjustified and rudely-put comments to me?

OF COURSE THEY KNEW THE BOOK WAS A NUISANCE. I WAS DEALING WITH THAT. I WAS PLAYING EVERTHING AS MARKED, AND CONTINUED TO RE-MARK STUFF EVERYTIME HE WOULD "CORRECT" DURING PERFORMANCES, and NO, I'm not going to devote hours creating someone's book, particularly when they're being a total _____-ty-blank and name-calling. During a later visit by this same conductor (I wasn't on that show.) action was taken against him by our local, due to a petition signed by all of the pit players.

Your brave words below. I think I've said enough, the same stuff reworded about three times, now.




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