OK, you win!
I looked that one up again on Wikipedia:
---
In Haydn's <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joseph_Haydn> Symphony No. 60
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Symphony_No._60_%28Haydn%29> in C (/Il
Distratto/), the first and second violins start the finale of this
unusual six-movement symphony with the lowest string tuned to F, but
tune up to G in the course of the music to create a comical effect. The
title of the symphony means "the absent-minded man" – so it is as if the
violins have "forgotten" to tune their strings. The music actually stops
for the violins to re-tune before continuing! Haydn also uses a violin
with the lowest string tuned to F in the trio of his Symphony No. 67
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Symphony_No._67_%28Haydn%29> in F.
---
Sounds cute, and quite doable. I had not heard of it before, and assumed
it was obscure, but i was obviously incorrect. My mistake.
RBH
David W. Fenton wrote:
On 25 Feb 2008 at 14:47, Ray Horton wrote:
OK - that's one reported pro "Distratto" performance! (No report on how
many, if any, of the fiddlers brought their alternate instruments.)
Some Googling turned up this:
Cleveland Orchestra, 2002
http://www.andante.com/article/article.cfm?id=18550
St. Louis Symphony, 2006
http://slso.org/notes/09-29-2006.htm
New York Philharmonic, 1991
http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9D0CE4DF163DF932A1575AC
0A967958260&sec=&spon=&pagewanted=all
Philadelphia Orchestra, 2007
http://www.dobsonorgan.com/html/instruments/op76_philadelphia/op76_rec
itals.html
Philadelphia Orchestra, April 2008
http://www.philorch.org/styles/poa02e/www/prognotes_20070412.html
San Francisco Symphony, 2006
http://www.sfcv.org/arts_revs/sfsym_3_14_06.php
I found no evidence that Boston or Chicago had done it, but I just
googled the orchestra names and "Distratto" to find these.
It seems to me that the best professional orchestras are programming
this piece *all the time*, and not a single one of the reviews
mentioned any switch of instruments by the players. Doesn't mean it
didn't happen, but I see no evidence anywhere for the idea that any
professional orchestra has switched instruments when programming this
popular work.
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