Who likes classical music?

Post by **haas mark** » 2004-01-14 10:01am

IRG CommandoJoe wrote:
verilon wrote:Ah, then I just don't have the experience you do. In most of the pieces that I played with the youth orchestra at least, the trombones played generally along with the basses. -shrugs- Go figure.
It's probably because they picked pieces where everyone had something to play...which really annoys the crap out of me since there are many great works that don't fully implement the whole orchestra. But then again, the students have to be graded, right? Eh...

Well, not always. We also rotated chairs every week at rehearsal. So that may have something to do with it. That, and the trombonists having more skill than the trumpetists, and less arrogance.

Unfortunately, as much as I liked the teacher, I SHOULD HAVE BEEN first stand at our final concert... Grr.

~ver

IRG CommandoJoe · Post by **IRG CommandoJoe** » 2004-01-14 04:21pm

You mean to tell me you would learn all instruments?!

Post by **haas mark** » 2004-01-14 04:37pm

IRG CommandoJoe wrote:You mean to tell me you would learn all instruments?!

Ermm... rotating chairs means rotating position within our section...?

~ver

Baron Scarpia · Post by **Baron Scarpia** » 2004-01-15 09:30pm

jenat-lai wrote:it's all great to listen to trombones for bottom up tuning, but they don't play much, I tend to listen to the strings for alot of stuff, simply because they play alot of stuff. You need more than a millionth of a beat to get in time with something. Trombones only play as much as trumpets do, sometimes less. Hard to get anything out of silence

"Never look directly at the trombones. You'll only encourage them." -- Richard Strauss.

Post by **haas mark** » 2004-01-15 10:04pm

Baron Scarpia wrote:
jenat-lai wrote:it's all great to listen to trombones for bottom up tuning, but they don't play much, I tend to listen to the strings for alot of stuff, simply because they play alot of stuff. You need more than a millionth of a beat to get in time with something. Trombones only play as much as trumpets do, sometimes less. Hard to get anything out of silence
"Never look directly at the trombones. You'll only encourage them." -- Richard Strauss.

Personally, i find that applies more to trumpets and flutes.

~ver

Baron Scarpia · Post by **Baron Scarpia** » 2004-01-15 10:14pm

I think it's spot-on. I love trombones, but I've never encountered any other class of musicians who will take the slightest bit of encouragement to play an eensy-weensy bit louder to blow the damned roof off of a hall.

Whoa there, fellas...

Hethrir · Post by **Hethrir** » 2004-01-15 10:35pm

Why does that remind me of franenstein-hand drummers

EDIT: and metal guitarists

IRG CommandoJoe · Post by **IRG CommandoJoe** » 2004-01-15 10:49pm

verilon wrote:Ermm... rotating chairs means rotating position within our section...?

~ver

Then what would switching positions have to do with playing pieces where the trombones and trumpets played together a lot? I was saying that school orcehstras/bands need to have all students playing something so that there aren't times where someone just sits there and does nothing at all during the whole piece. Like, Adagio for Strings. A wonderful piece, but it's only good for the string section. The rest of the orchestra would sit on their asses and do nothing.

Baron Scarpia · Post by **Baron Scarpia** » 2004-01-15 11:16pm

This is kind of random, but one of my favorite moments in my performing life so far came when I was singing in Brahms' Ein Deutsches Requiem. The first of the seven movements has no violins whatsoever--they are tacet until mvt. 2. Well, this old cahoot of a conductor had a rather irritating habit of conducting with his eyes closed. He also seems to have forgotten which piece he was conducting, as when he ascended the podium, he promptly shut his eyes and turned towards the violins and started waving the baton. The violins sat, unmoving, as practically behind the conductor the basses and cellos started playing the first few bars. The conductor, not opening his eyes, slooooooowly rotated, seamlessly, until he was facing the right sections.

It took all I had to contain my fits of laughter as one of the most sombre, moving pieces of music in Western history began...

IRG CommandoJoe · Post by **IRG CommandoJoe** » 2004-01-15 11:22pm

LOL That's a good one.

Post by **haas mark** » 2004-01-16 02:00am

IRG CommandoJoe wrote:
verilon wrote:Ermm... rotating chairs means rotating position within our section...?

~ver
Then what would switching positions have to do with playing pieces where the trombones and trumpets played together a lot? I was saying that school orcehstras/bands need to have all students playing something so that there aren't times where someone just sits there and does nothing at all during the whole piece. Like, Adagio for Strings. A wonderful piece, but it's only good for the string section. The rest of the orchestra would sit on their asses and do nothing.

Well, that's how it was with the Unfinished Symphony, at times. -shrugs-

What I meant was that it depended on what I could hear. The viola section, because of the shape of the rehearsal room, would be partially in front of the cellos, partially in front of the low brass, and partially in front of the oboes (which were in front of the bassoons, in front of the trumpets). So it sounded distinctly different, depending on position and seating arrangements on any given day.

~ver

Rogue 9 · Post by **Rogue 9** » 2004-01-16 02:04am

verilon wrote:
Baron Scarpia wrote:
jenat-lai wrote:it's all great to listen to trombones for bottom up tuning, but they don't play much, I tend to listen to the strings for alot of stuff, simply because they play alot of stuff. You need more than a millionth of a beat to get in time with something. Trombones only play as much as trumpets do, sometimes less. Hard to get anything out of silence
"Never look directly at the trombones. You'll only encourage them." -- Richard Strauss.
Personally, i find that applies more to trumpets and flutes.

~ver

I resent that! (Says the guy who plays many instruments, trumpet being the first.) And oh, unlike those other trumpeters, I really am as good as I think I am.

Post by **haas mark** » 2004-01-16 02:09am

Rogue 9 wrote:I resent that! (Says the guy who plays many instruments, trumpet being the first.) And oh, unlike those other trumpeters, I really am as good as I think I am.

Those 'other trumpetists' being the majority of trumpetists.

And I am better than I think I am at the viola, to be honest. I just forget about it.. I play with passion and realize how beautiful it really is.. I get lost in the music.. it's very easy.. and then I am told by people that have been playing since 2nd grade that they envy me for learning the cello suites without a tutor. >_>

~ver

Rogue 9 · Post by **Rogue 9** » 2004-01-16 02:23am

Heh. I know where this'll lead if we keep trading stories about playing, so I'll leave off.

General Zod · Post by **General Zod** » 2004-01-16 02:26am

in other words someone that plays the flute will admit to having gone to bandcamp and put it in a rather odd area for a flute to be in?

Rogue 9 · Post by **Rogue 9** » 2004-01-16 02:42am

No, that's not quite what I had in mind.

General Zod · Post by **General Zod** » 2004-01-16 02:44am

someone was bound to make an american pie reference sooner or later. figured it may as well be me.

Post by **haas mark** » 2004-01-16 04:42am

Maybe if this thread had ANYTHING to do with marching band... but it doesn't... so...

~ver

charben · Post by **charben** » 2004-01-16 11:28am

I love classical as much as I love film scores. Favorites include Holst's The Planets, Carl Orff's Carmina Burana, Respighi's The Pines and Fountains of Rome, and anything by Beethoven. I love anything with a full orchestra and lots of brass. You can never have too much brass. Especially french horns.

I was also in high school band, but I inherited my older sister's alto saxophone, so my options for orchestra after graduation were vanishingly small. Oh well, when I signed up in junior high the director tested everyone on different instruments and I couldn't get the damn trumpet mouthpiece to buzz. Loved being in the band though. Made many friends there, some of which I still hang out with today. I totally understand the previous comments about losing yourself in the music, especially when everything is clicking and you hit "the zone" while performing. It's pure magic. I really wish I could have been a better musician and able to play either a french horn or trumpet. I would have loved to have made a career out of it in an orchestra.

Post by **haas mark** » 2004-01-16 09:13pm

charben wrote:I love classical as much as I love film scores. Favorites include Holst's The Planets, Carl Orff's Carmina Burana, Respighi's The Pines and Fountains of Rome, and anything by Beethoven. I love anything with a full orchestra and lots of brass. You can never have too much brass. Especially french horns.

Yes you can. Just as much as you can have too much violin or flute or oboe.

I totally understand the previous comments about losing yourself in the music, especially when everything is clicking and you hit "the zone" while performing. It's pure magic.

IMO, it is one of the singlemost joyous feelings .. EVER.

~ver

charben · Post by **charben** » 2004-01-16 11:00pm

Verilon, I was exaggerating about the "too much brass" part. I agree with your statement. And yes, the musical performance "zone" is almost magical. Like I said, I wish I was a better musician so I could play in an orchestra for a living. Sigh.

Post by **haas mark** » 2004-01-16 11:17pm

charben wrote:Verilon, I was exaggerating about the "too much brass" part. I agree with your statement.

I should have realized. >< I'm usually good about picking up on sarcasm, hehe.

And yes, the musical performance "zone" is almost magical. Like I said, I wish I was a better musician so I could play in an orchestra for a living. Sigh.

I myself am going for a music ed major (eventually) and I plan on eventually auditioning for the New Mexico SO in a couple of years.

~ver