Sorry, was not VPO but VSO (Vienna Symphony). As far as I know, Woess did not conduct Vienna Phil. But he was good for Viennese music, Wagner, Bruckner, Beethoven. He himself began as 2nd violin. Thee is another story of him, when he was in Tokyo as MD of the NHK symphony (Radio Symphony). He had studied some Japanese for himself. One day he had something to say to the Bassoons & he explained it like "the bundled pipes" --- astonished faces - again "the bundled pipes" --- suddenly one said "Ohh, you talking about fagotto ???!" - big laughter on both sides (I know that from the bassoon player who was involved).
Who was that Viennese maestro - Hollreiser - no - Swarovski --- or Boskovski himself, who told us he were received in Japan like the old Kaiser coming from Vienna. ============================================================ ================================================= -----Original Message----- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Paul Kampen Sent: Saturday, June 03, 2006 8:03 PM To: The Horn List Subject: RE: [Hornlist] Compiled Post: Orchestra Pranks: My Opinionsfor Everyone Message text written by The Horn List >Late Kurt Woess (Linz, Bruckner Orchestra) had hard time with us young horn players & woods in the early 1960ies. Once I fixed two pages of the Flying Dutchman score< Dear Hans and List I remember him! Smoked cigarettes in a long holder a la Noel Coward as I recall as did Jack Coles at the BBC Midland Orchestra in Birmingham. He once told us a story of when he was conducting the Vienna Philharmonic in Bruckner 5 and he complained that the 'cello section was not big enough. So, in the next rehearsal, there was an extra desk of 'cellos who were, as he put it 'pensioners'. They sat with stony faces and their left wrists hardly moved. Herr Woess said "more vibrato cellos" - no reaction. Again Herr Woess stopped and said "more vibrato cellos" Again no reaction. So Herr Woess stopped again and walked over to the back desk of the cello section and shouted at the top of his voice "more vibrato cellos!" And so, when they started again, as Herr Woess put it, "they vibrate - once!" It was a privilege to do concerts of the Viennese repertoire with him and we looked forward to doing a run of Lehar's Merry Widow without the stodge which British conductors always manage to add to this wonderful score. Sadly, he died before this could come to pass. And it reminds me of another Vienese conductor, still at the top of his game, who was once asked by a certain principal percussion player in a rehearsal where I was depping (actually in the same orchestra as the 'Oberon in E flat' and 'raised music stand' stories) in a Johann Strauss etc concert - "where shall we put the jokes?" - he replied - "Yokes! - YOKES!!!! - if zere are yokes - I make ze yokes!!" You do not mess with guys like that! Happy memories! Paul A. Kampen (W. Yorks UK) _______________________________________________ post: horn@music.memphis.edu unsubscribe or set options at http://music2.memphis.edu/mailman/options/horn/hans%40pizka. de _______________________________________________ post: horn@music.memphis.edu unsubscribe or set options at http://music2.memphis.edu/mailman/options/horn/archive%40jab.org
