Buzzing Reed- Classical Music & Clarinet Culture

Boy, what a chamber music party that would be to have those two guys in the same room! Well I didn’t have them visit me at exactly the same time, but back to back days, close enough to wear me out.

I’m recovering from the musical events and technical bureaucratic machinations required to prepare for a weekend of concerts which contained two delicate and complicated pieces: Beethoven’s 8th Symphony and Mendelssohn’s Concert Pieces for double clarinets and piano.

Beethoven’s delightful and humorous 8th Symphony in F Major has no slow movement, a significant indication of it’s lightness. In place of a slow 2nd movement is a Scherzando Allegretto, which contains some dicey staccato ostinato parts for the winds.

But it’s the Trio of the Menutetto third movement which contains probably the most dicey of all clarinet excerpts. The “trio” of instruments playing this happy little devil music is two horns and one very lonely clarinet, accompanied by some disgruntled chortling from the cellos throughout. (and from what I’ve recently learned, also a dicey part for the cellos)

Our conductor this past weekend was Edwin Outwater, who brought a fresh and elegantly dancelike interpretation to the piece, asked us to play the Trio “languidly”.

What I felt was anything but languid as I played this delightful music.

I don’t think I’ve ever heard a recording of this movement where the clarinet sounds completely at ease. The player almost always conveys a sense of practiced (meaning somewhat forced) mellowness. In other words, about as mellow as a secret service agent at the beach in a bathing suit.

The reason it’s so difficult to relax during this solo is that the range and dynamics are contradictory to any comfort. Beethoven asks the player to play extremely soft AND very, very high. In fact, Beethoven saved the best, meaning the worst part, for last. The trio ends on a high G in pianissimo. UGH!

About 6 years ago I bought a “C” clarinet, to have in case we play certain pieces which almost require its use, namely Ginastera’s Danses Concertantes, and Strauss’ Der Rosenkavalier.

On a whim I decided to try the solo of Beethoven’s 8th symphony using the C clarinet. Beethoven wrote the piece for “Bb” clarinet. Played on the C, the solo in the Trio would be a full step lower, in F instead of G, making the high note easier to reach at the end.

I took my C to rehearsal and got through it fine. But I couldn’t get the scale to line up as it had a few years back when using the same instrument for the same piece. I was playing on different mouthpieces then, so it’s hard to say what was different. It didn’t matter. I had to play it now with what I had.

The day of the performance, I worked for at least 4 hours, playing the solo over and over and over. (my housemates must have struggled not to go postal) I tried different reeds, different mouthpieces, different ligatures, over and over and over. I couldn’t seem to get the soft high notes out consistently in tune. Sometimes they blew sharp, sometimes flat. I tried different fingerings. I invented new fingerings. (VERY dangerous, like “inventing” a new dish the night your boss and his wife are coming to dinner) Nothing seemed to work.

I got to the performance with the best set-up I had found. It went fine, but the urgency in my playing was far from languid! After the concert, our principal cellist came up to me and politely asked if I intended to move the tempo that much the next performance. I said no, I would try to lay back and smoke a cigarette while playing it. (let’s see that on YouTube)

Before I packed up to go home that night, I popped my mouthpiece on my Bb (which I play for the rest of the symphony) and played the solo as written, with the notorious pianissimo high G. It popped right out. Was fate (Beethoven) trying to tell me something?

I spoke to the conductor about it the before the next concert and told him I’d play it much more languidly, and on Bb. He looked relieved. It went beautifully. I could have blown smoke rings if I could smoke and play at the same time. (on my list, after double tonguing and circular breathing) I still felt a bit like a Secret Service Agent at the beach, but at least I had a bathing suit and shades to cover my shifty eyes!

So for all you clarinetists who quiver at having to play Beethoven 8th, I say, play it on a funky C clarinet a few times and it will cure you of any fear. (In defense of playing it on C, it’s actually quite appropriate, if your C had been properly overhauled and fine tuned, which I plan to have done to mine now for the next time)

The next day, I got up at 6:30 to drive 1.5 hours to teach 7.5 hours, then drive back in time for an 8 PM concert which opened with my colleague Woody Jones and I playing the delightfully (and equally possessed as Beethoven’s 8th) Concert Pieces, Opus 113 and 114, for two clarinets and piano, originally for clarinet and Basset Horn (alto clarinet in F).

Let me put it this way. Those cute little pieces are easier and easier the less and less you play them!

Though stressful and tricky to play well, I thoroughly enjoyed performing them with Woody and Caroline Hong, who teaches piano and OSU and who organized this unique collaboration between OSU faculty and CSO musicians. My hat comes off to Caroline. I hope we do many more of these in the future.

OUR COMMITMENT
Last Sunday evening I gave a free recital in my home, the second such event in a month. The audience loved the concert, relishing the opportunity to see musicians perform up close and speak with them afterwards. Cultivating relationships with music lovers nurtures their personal investment in the Symphony and offers a valuable path for development of a strong and dedicated support base.

Along with other musicians, I wish to contribute to the long term development of our Orchestra. Among us we share skills in budgeting, investing, technology, organization, outreach, management, public opinion and education, to list just a few, all of which could contribute to the success of management’s output. Yet our efforts to contribute have been met with disdain from management.

Recent heroic attempts by newly formed grassroots organizations to stir support for the musicians have been treated with suspicion and even hostility by current management, revealing the counter productive behavior we have witnessed for years. Lack of cooperation among all parties is suicide in today’s competitive market. We are eager to contribute. We await inclusion by our board and management. Yet, instead we get more hostile ultimatums and threats. Is this productive behavior?

THE PROBLEM
In the past decade, the part of the budget for musician expenses increased about 4% a year, while operations expenses rose approximately 7% a year, significantly higher. Why are those expenses so high? In two of the past three years, the musician portion of the total budget was 39%, short of the national average of 40-50% for other orchestras. (In fact, that percentage should be lower, since the “in kind” donations of $1 million were excluded from the total budget.) Expenditures for musicians have been consistently lower than the national average, so why are they being asked to bear the vast majority of proposed cuts? Lack of effective answers to such questions has prevented a positive solution to our mutual problem.

Already six CSO musicians are embracing more secure employment opportunities. The effect of losing current CSO personnel is far-reaching. We teach the city’s children, in colleges, public schools and privately; we coach ensembles and orchestras, conduct the city’s amateur orchestras. We buy houses, pay taxes and spend our income here. The cultural drain caused by musician departures is taking place as we wait for effective solutions. Our board’s resistance to amicable communication underscores their tragic failure to champion the cultural gem of Columbus, its Symphony.

The behavior of current Symphony leadership is nothing short of sabotage. Canceling the popular and lucrative Summer season and failing to sell subscriptions for next season betray their intentions. This board’s failures began years ago. In order to stave off the current crisis, they should have implemented a comprehensive strategy at least two years ago, including, but not limited to, the following initiatives:

1. Capital Campaign from the Corporate Community
2. Capital Campaign of 30 top benefactors but seeking a major gift from one or two from the list.
3. Complete and submit numerous applications of grants to the various foundations in the United States with a particular emphasis on education of younger people who are taught by the Symphony members.
4. Develop a plan to seek State and Local support and fund it through a tax levy.
5. Develop a plan of action to involve all of the regional chamber of commerce’s to solicit community support from Columbus and the outlying cities.
6. Develop and execute on a long term strategic plan for the Symphony with a particular emphasis placed on the Executive Director, staff and Board Leadership working as a team.

Board chair Buzz Trafford’s statements claiming donor fatigue and the City’s inherent lack of support the real problem; Columbus is fatigued by repeated attempts to support an organization with a lackluster, calcified board and management which has failed to serve the City and the orchestra. Music Director Junichi Hirokami said in the May 10 NY Times article that he has tried to solicit funds from companies in his native Japan. “But they don’t trust our board,” he added. “That is why they hesitate to support our orchestra.” Who would want to give money to a poorly run organization?

THE SOLUTION
Economic data does not lie regarding the relatively high median income, population density and growth, corporate density and economic stability of the Columbus Metropolitan Area. (www.census.gov) Columbus can afford this orchestra. To regain the public trust, the current board and management need to step down so those more able can do what really needs to be done.

Great cities are built on thinking BIG. Why destroy the potential for greatness already within our City’s grasp? Junichi Hirokami said in the NY Times April 12th, “…In six years I can make this orchestra one of the best.”. We should be talking GROWTH: tours, recordings, a proud new concert hall for Columbus, not destruction. Fund raising will be easier with an exciting plan for growth. Our 2001 trip to Carnegie Hall demonstrated what is possible.

The musicians are the heart of the orchestra. Our part of the current budget is only $5.4 million out of $13.5 million (counting $1 million non-monetary “in kind” donations from various sources). It seems painfully obvious that our board of trustees, which claims to represent the higher aims of Columbus, should secure the current quality of music making by maintaining the musician’s part of the budget. Then, by utilizing the vast resources offered by volunteers, grassroots organizations and the musicians themselves, we can work together to build a truly great orchestra.