Showing posts with label conductor. Show all posts
Showing posts with label conductor. Show all posts

Saturday, May 07, 2011

Wrong setup – George Enescu

Famous Romanian violinist, composer, pianist, conductor and teacher George Enescu (1881-1955) was once asked by a distinguished fellow compatriot to take care of musical career of his son, who had ambitions to become a violinist.

Unfortunately, that boy was not musically gifted but since Enescu owed a big favor to his friend, he agreed to do it.

He tried really hard to teach the boy how to play, but his efforts were without much success. Through his contacts he even managed to arrange him a debut concert in the Gavo Concert Hall in Paris.

Since he didn’t have the courage to ask of some pianist to accompany the unskilled violinist on the stage, Enesku took on himself that ungrateful task.

Before the concert, he asked the audience if there is anyone willing to assist him by turning pages for him while he is following the violinist. Alfred Cortot, at that time the most famous pianist in France, volunteered immediately.

As might have been assumed, the concert was a disaster.

Two days later, daily newspaper Le Figaro published a review of the concert. The article was brief, but eloquent:

Last night, at the Gavo Concert Hall, a curious event took place. It was a violin and piano recital at which the man who played the piano should have been playing the violin and the man turning the pages should have been playing the piano, while the man playing the violin should have been turning the pages!
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Saturday, April 30, 2011

When, not how - Sir Malcolm Sargent

An acquaintance of Sir Malcolm Sargent (1895-1967), famous British conductor, asked him once what does a musician has to know in order to play cymbals in the orchestra.

"Practically nothing,” Sargent replied, "He just has to know when".
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Bagpipes or a pig? – Thomas Beecham and Alfred Hitchcock

A fan of the famous English conductor Thomas Beecham (1879-1961) asked him once what music instrument would he recommend to her baby boy.

"The bagpipes," Beecham suggested, “because they sound exactly the same when you have finished learning them as when you start learning them”.

 
 
 
Famous English film director Alfred Hitchcock (1899 - 1980) also made a funny joke about bagpipes. He said:

"I understand that the inventor of the bagpipes was inspired when he saw a man carrying an indignant, asthmatic pig under his arm. Unfortunately, the man-made sound never equalled the purity of sound achieved by the pig."
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Thursday, February 17, 2011

No one like me – Artur Rodzinski

While he rested on summer vacation, the conductor of New York Philharmonic Orchestra, Artur Rodzinski (1892-1958), listened to the radio. Classical music was on the program, and his favorite work, Shostakovich's “Symphony No. 5 in D minor ".

Rodzinski carefully listened to the performance...

"Well, well, this guy really knows how to lead the melody, " Rodzinski noted.

"But in any case, he is not very creative nor original as an artist, since he is trying to emulate some of my best interpretations of Shostakovich", angrily concluded the musician.

When the performance ended, he relaxed.  

The announcer said that the audience had the opportunity to hear the New York Philharmonic Orchestra under the direction of Maestro Rodzinski.
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Sunday, October 10, 2010

Much Better!

When a friend of Gioacchino Rossini (1792-1868) came to visit this famous opera composer, he found him, as usual - playing the piano.

Rossini's friend, who was  a conductor, was surprised when he saw that on the piano was the score of Wagner's opera "Tannhauser", but turned upside down.

"Maestro, how is it that you play with the notes turned upside down," asked the conductor.

"I tried it in another way, but it sounded terrible. Now I have turned them upside down. This way it is much bearable! ", cheerfully replied Rossini.
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Thursday, October 07, 2010

Now I Know!

When the Italian composer Luigi Arditi (1822-1903), who was famous  opera conductor, once visited England, the kind hosts wanted to show him the sights.

One of Arditi’s friends suggested that they visit the birthplace of William Shakespeare.

       - It would be a shame for you to leave England, and not go to Stratford-upon-Avon where Shakespeare was born - said to him the musician.
       - But, who was this Shakespeare of yours? - Arditi asked the stunned hosts.
       - Have you not heard of "Othello," "Romeo and Juliet" ...
       - Ah, yes! - the musician hit himself on the forehead. - Now I remember! Of course I know him! He is that libretto writer!
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