Sym. Fantastique stories

[Toad Away]

I may be geezin', but I've just been following the score while listening to this amazing piece and thinking there may be some good stories out there.

(Equipment, conductors, experiences, etc.)

Marty E. (Willson Eb) joined Gene (Firebird F) at a highly praised series of performances last season in Chicago.

While reminiscing:
I was so fortunate to join Ev Gilmore in 1973 with the
Dallas Sym. when Raphael Frubeck de Burgos was the
guest conductor. The conductor wanted the Dies Irae
in octaves. Ev used his Miraphone 'F' and nearly tore
the plaster off the roof!
I tried to keep up using a Rudy 4/4 CC.
___________________________________________
Tim L.

[ztuba]

When we did this in Las Vegas, I did not know of any tubists in town that could play the other tuba part properly so I had my twin brother play it on my tenor tuba... Of course we did almost everything in octaves and the running line to the high Bb was off the hook with me going down the octave and him blaring it up on tenor tuba ... it was awesome.

[Matt G]

When we did this in Las Vegas, I did not know of any tubists in town that could play the other tuba part properly...

Really?

[ztuba]

lets get this straight ... just because i didn't know any does not mean that there were no players that could ... it just means I was not aware of them.

[eupher61]

Hearing Gene and Mike Sanders do it on matching B&S F's (at least, they sure looked like matching), in St Louis in the late 80s was pretty awe-inspiring.

A local community orchestra had it on a program, but the day of the concert the one harpist they corralled into playing...did not show. I guess they just skipped the 2nd mvt.

Gene and Scott Mendoker played on the wonderful Chicago recording from the mid 90s.

It's probably my single favorite piece to play, and to listen to.

[UDELBR]

Used to be a story around New York about a NY Phil percussionist (who later went on to be a major contractor around town). He climbed a ladder to play the bell part that precedes the big Dies Irae theme. Right before the big entrance, he drops the hammer to the floor and misses the crucial entrance.

And that's why folks he'd later contract would whisper reverently "Yep, old _____ ______ used to drop things at the Philharmonic".

[windshieldbug]

One year my Music Director called me aside about playing this next season, and said he'd heard about something called an "ophicleid·éh ". I didn't tell him that I had just put an unmarked C belonging to Franz Streitweizer's foundation in playing condition. I said that I'd look into it and get back to him, hoping I'd look like a hero. Turns out that he *actually* wants me to use it!

That series I used Franz's (which he was good enough to lend me) on the first part, with a tuba on the second.

When it came around again, Franz was still in the US, so I played the C again and Jay Krush of the Chestnut Brass Company was available for the series and played the second part on his Bb ophicleide. The rest of the brass were on modern instruments, but the Dies Irae was very spooky sounding!

[Wyvern]

I have this one coming up 16th May and will be playing using my PT-15 F and it would really be nice to have an F tuba on the 2nd part too, rather than the rounder sound of a British EEb. So if anyone in Southern England playing F tuba is reading this and would be interested in playing Symphonie Fantastique for probably just expenses, drop me an email.

[Jack Denniston]

Back in the 80's I was playing extra tuba in the Des Moines symphony. They were auditioning conductors and one of them conducted the Sym. Fantastique. When it came time for the chimes just before the Dies Irae, the percussionist, bless his heart, came in one bar early. A look of fear appeared on the face of the guest conductor. Then her expression changed to one of resolute determination. She turned toward the tubas, pointed directly at us, and right on time, gave us the most gidundous cue I have ever seen. If she had been chopping wood, she would have busted the axe. The tuba section came in at the right time and the rest of the orchestra adjusted, correctly, with us- whew!

Jack

[Spencer_Brown]

CSO with Gene Pokorny and Jim Self during Midwest in December
best concert cso i have been to this year!

[Bill Troiano]

The first time I performed it, I was with the Erie Philharmonic and they didn't hire a 2nd tuba. I played the 1st part on my 186CC. 2 concerts - on the Friday night concert, as I was taking a nice, big, relaxed breath to play the Dies Irae, when the percussionist dropped one of the chimes. Scared the crap out of many of us, but I was the one who came in late on the first entrance because I was stunned. The next night, I was preparing myself thinking he may drop it again. This time, on the last bell note, he hit a g# instead of a g. Freaked me out again and I was late again. Luckily, I got to play it a few more times. The next time was at Eastman on my 186 again. I think Jay Krush played the 2nd part on his MW CC. Then, I played it years later with the Nassau Symphony here on LI using a Yamaha Eb, while Jeff Furman used a MWCC. A fews years later, we got to play it again with the Symphony of LI. Jeff and I both played on matching B&S F tubas. Luckily, no mishaps since the Erie Phil days!

[eupher61]

Time for a detour...

The old KC PHilharmonic was doing "Pines", and I was ushering up in the nosebleed section of Music Hall. It was actually one of the last few concerts of that group, as they went belly up not long after.

Most of the time, this being 1981, the bird call was either on a record or a cassette tape, and the percussionist had to be careful about not "clicking" the player too loudly if possible. Not the KC Phil. 2" reel-to-reel, through the main speakers, center cluster in front of the proscenium.

Clarinet solo, well played. Here comes the bird...

CHIRP CHIRP
a 700 pound canary comes jumping out, it seemed. The percussionist controlling the tape looked puzzled. The audience in general was chuckling, hearing a bird call from a tape deck was funny.

I fell out of my seat from laughing so hard.

The conductor kept cool, gave a cut-off to the tape, and it ended in mid-chirp, several bars too early. my then-teacher was playing off stage 'bone, said it woke them all up.

[ztuba]

worse ... I did pines with UNLV wind Symphony and the bird sounds were actually a masterfully performed bird whistle ... you know the ones with water in them you get from the toy store? Poor percussionists, it seems they always get the short stick.