It Could be alot Worse

[Chuck Jackson]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cxh-o9ENW5o" target="_blank

For all of you who might be offended by the rare occassion a conductor ASKS you to do something you might not like, count your blessings. This is crazy. I think this is where Buddy Rich got all his good material.

Chuck"who still thinks the conductor on the clip is one of the 5 greatest in the 20th Centruy"Jackson

[windshieldbug]

And this is where most orchestra boards of the 20th contury got their impressions of the relationship between a "maestro" and the ignorant, uneducated musicians...

[djwesp]

I like this!

[Alex C]

It was a different time. No professional orchestra would abide being talked to like this now. That may be one reason Toscanini's recordings are so good.

A story related to me was that Toscanini once berated Harry Glantz who got up and left. "Fine no problem for me I can get a hundred trumpers for this chair," to which Glantz replied on his way out, "Sure you can, and they will all be my students." Glantz was back the next day with an apology. Of course, he was the highest paid musician in the orchestra, too.

Lots of sites with Toscannini stories on the web.

Buddy Rich exceeded anything Toscanini ever did beyond measure. Physical threats (which he could carry out) and personal insults were the fodder of his tirades. Lots of Buddy Rich stories on the web, too; the difference is that they are depressing. I don't know how anyone stayed in his band, except a number of good players say Rich was terrific. Go figure.