Well, our friend is at it again. To re-state what I said about the Gliere Concerto about standing up toe-to-toe with the large Piano Concerti of Rachmaninov & Tchaikowsky and some of the standard violin fare, one must look further into what I say.
True the Gliere is overly sentimental, but so are these other aforementioned concerti. One must deal with medium bias of adjudicators when dealing in open concerto contests. A hornist could play a perfect Rosetti, Danzi, Mozart or Strauss 1, but still not get into a prize round if a bombastic pianist slices through Rachmaninov or Tchaikowsky. The same could go with a cellist entering with the Dvorak concerto or Violinist with Tchaikowsky, Brahms, Beethoven, etc. If missed rhythms, intonation, mistrikes, by pianists and string players are missed (or forgiven) by adjudicators, the same leeway is not given to wind players, especially brasses. In fact, slight errors often accentuated if one picks classical or early romantic literature. Also, the sheer length of the Piano and Violin repertory make the literature more 'worthy' in the minds of adjudicators. I've seen this over and over again and when I have the opportunity to serve on such committees, I am a staunch advocate of removing cultural bias from a committee. A few times I've been successful, but more often than not I've been outvoted. One particular time was after a trombonist played the living daylights out of the Ferdinand David Concertino, one judge actually said "Well, that instrument isn't as hard to master as the violin." Only great restraint had to keep me in my chair to keep from strangling that brainiac! I went into a 5 minute tirade after another echoed the same comments. Unfortunately, that is the world we inherit. Is it right? No. Is it fair? No. Is there a double standard? Absolutely! To be successful, we have to be better than any pianist or string player. What this means is that we have to absolutely nail the notes. Any missed note will be remembered (not the same for other mediums). As musicians, we must make music. Playing the notes is not enough. Pick something that you can sink your teeth into and create beautiful phrasing. While the Hindemith Concerto is a quality piece, it just doesn't have the appeal as other concerti in our repertory. The Gliere concerto stands up to other standard concerti of other instruments with regards to length, as well as sections of display vs. cantabile passages. Certainly the 'listenability' factor helps. Is it overly sentimental? Certainly. However, it does give the soloist the necessary material and wherewithal to transcend this. If you treat the material as 'sappy', then you will play it as such. If you believe this concerto is not your cup of tea, fine. There are others you can explore. However, if you are entering in competitions, you must play the game. While the Larrson Concertino is a gem of a piece, I don't believe it is a strong enough selection to win an open competition. There are other worthy pieces with which I could also add to this comment. While not everyone will agree with what I have written, I have been around the block a few times and have the experience to verify what I say. You can disagree with my observations if you wish; you certainly have that prerogative. Other substantial works that may also be worthy to consider for open competitions: Tomasi: Concerto Schoek: Concerto (this could be a stretch for not only players but committees) Sincerely, Dr. Eldon Matlick, Horn Professor, University of Oklahoma Principal Hornist, OK City Philharmonic 500 W Boyd Norman, OK 73019 (405) 325-4093 off. (405) 325-7574 fax Conn-Selmer Educational Artist http://ouhorns.com __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around http://mail.yahoo.com _______________________________________________ post: horn@music.memphis.edu unsubscribe or set options at http://music2.memphis.edu/mailman/options/horn/archive%40jab.org
