I [heart] FLB

Today, New England Conservatory had a big to-do for Frank Battisti, the former Wind Ensemble conductor. Hired under Gunther Schuller's presidency, Mr. B. became much more than a Band conductor. He trained musicians. He also made contributions to the Wind Ensemble repertoire through frequent commissioning and recording. The man is a hard worker and should be lauded at every opportunity.

Part of the shindig included an open rehearsal with a band stocked of players who played under Mr. B. while students at NEC. We (I played Bass Clarinet today.) had sight readings of Holst's two Suites, Persichetti's Symphony, Vaughan Williams' Folk Song Suite, and Grainger's Lincolnshire Posy.

I've missed that. I rarely get a chance to play with a group of people who hold a common way of making music. There were many different musicians in the room, but every single one of us knew what Mr. B. expected and we did our best to respond. I have no doubt that, given a few rehearsals, that group would be dynamite. Several musicians came from NY (one from the NY Philharmonic) and at least one came from a military band in Washington, DC. This is a group that would follow Mr. B. almost anyway.

Many days, I wish I had Frank Battisti to see daily. The man runs a rehearsal with one goal: recreating the composer's intent. No one is ever berated for being a "bad musician" or for making an honest mistake. Instead, Mr. B. attempts to guide the musicians to play better and more honestly every time through a piece. Hearing him speak about making music was a daily inspiration that I got to relive today.

Would you buy a used car from these two?

So, this is our new publicity photo for pianist Carol Minor and myself. After we finalize some contractual details, I'll let you know where you'll be seeing the photos alongside some concert advertisements. Until the ink is dry, though, I'd rather not jinx it. If things go well, I'll be able to blog about some neat details and processes related to the concerts. We'll see.

Prokofiev 5 was last night. The principal clarinet part for this is either alot of fun, or a real terror. I'm really not sure which of these I'd pick, but perhaps it's a little of both. I managed to get through it without completely embarrassing myself, but there were a couple of tiny glitches in the last movement. The winds have a tendency to raise pitch over the length of concerts, a habit that was made worse by the addition of many utility players to beef up for the Prokofiev. In my section, we were lucky enough to procure two players I know from school, both of whom are more than capable. No problems there. I'll wait until I hear a recording of the concert before I give my final opinion.