Significa #11

ANSWERS

Horn Interest

1. For what horn player did Peter Schickele write "Pentangle - Five Songs for Horn and Orchestra"?

   Tom Bacon

2. In 1963 this now well known hornist applied for an audition with the Boston Symphony Orchestra for the first horn position. They wouldn't even listen to him because they already had "enough (30) applicants." Later, after many unsuccessful auditions he won the first-chair position with another major orchestra for the 1966 season. Who is he?

   Dale Clevenger

3. For those of you that have heard the original recording of Villanelle which Dennis Brain played along with his standard encore piece, La Basque, done at the same performance at the Edinburgh Festival shortly before his death, you may remember a remark that was made by DB regarding the "fluffed" final High C in the Villanelle. What was his remark to the (delighted) audience? His dialogue introducing La Basque was not edited out in the commercial release, only this comment after Villanelle.

   "Well, Fancy that!"

4. Who was studying to be a music teacher and as a second instrument to piano, chose the horn. In less than a year she had performed Strauss 1 flawlessly at school concerts and 6 months later got a first job as solo horn at one of Germany's leading opera houses in Frankfurt. Shortly after that she became solo horn of the Bamberger Symphoniker then the Radio Orchestra in Frankfurt. Her teacher was renowned for a method of teaching which is reputed never to fail. Her teacher, arguably, still has more pupils in professional positions in orchestras than most any other teacher worldwide. Who is this now full-time soloist and recording artist and who was the teacher?

   Marie-Louise Neunecker

5. Famous Quote by Famous Hornist: "A horn player is a member of the extremely small and exclusive fraternity of experts who carry on an ancient and beautiful art, its very difficulties creating a bond of understanding and friendship between all its members." Who wrote this?

   Phil Farkas

   ---

   Non-Horn Offering

6. This conductor was known to pose for pictures and ceremonies in his pride and joy, a firemans hat. He had been awarded an honorary position with the fire department and proudly wore the hat on many occasions. Caution, this is not some obscure local conductor, he conducted the most widely listened to orchestra in the world and reigned for decades. Who was he?

   Arthur Fiedler

7. Added because of the Nasal Dilator thread is this question. This famous Tubist used bronchial inhalers (dilators) before playing to markedly increase his breathing capacity. This continued for three years whilst suffering from chronic bronchial asthma. (He did so under doctor's orders, so don't try this at home). Who is he? (For those of you who think Tubist questions have no place on this list, I would normally agree, however, in this case, this renowned tubists' first cousin happens to have been a nationally known first-chair hornist, so I have declared it a legitimate question). To append and further legitimize this answer, what is the name of the tubists' first cousin, hornist?

   Arnold Jacobs
   Joseph Singer

8. Famous Quote: After reading Cindy Lewis' treatise about Ralph Gomberg, the oboist, this story came to mind. The Conductor chastised a Mr. Gomberg for playing a note out of tune:

   "Mr. Gomberg, that note is out of tune. The oboist replied, Thank you ______, I heard it too. "

   Who was the conductor in this exchange?

   Lenny Bernstein

9. The following is a published description of a well known conductor given by former players in his orchestra under interview circumstances. Try and identify the conductor. (I realize this description fits at least three conductors I can think of off hand, however, give it your best shot)

   " The tributes offered to _____ from the members of the orchestra are remarkable--because most of them loathed and feared him....He ran the orchestra in the Toscanini tradition, which is to say that he was autocratic and tyrannical, cutting of tongue and unsparing in his criticism. He did not draw music out of his players; he frightened it out of them. He was impatient, irascible, sarcastic. He would attack a player during rehearsal and flay him verbally until he almost drove men crying from the stage. 'He was a sadist,' one player of that era told me. And another and another and another. If he could not drive a man from the orchestra, he would fire him. 'He always had a list of people to be fired,' recalls one player. "There was always a lot of insecurity in the orchestra then."

   Fritz Reiner

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