TromboneChat

I went back to my job at the opera this week.. weird.
11 part arrangement of a Janecek opera with just a few singers. Recording.
Here is the last bit..... yes that is treble clef....in at the deep end.

High C for a bass trombone! I keep telling the kids you can't ignore range but here it is in black and white!

And the 32nd notes -- even in that slow tempo they can be unnerving.

Bet it really felt goo to be back in the saddle.

Jeff Reynolds used to call those "extra money notes"!

That's good Chris! It looks a bit difficult in my eyes, but I think you enjoy it! Good to see the world slowly goes back to more playing.
Leif

BGuttman wrote: ↑Tue Sep 15, 2020 1:01 pm High C for a bass trombone! I keep telling the kids you can't ignore range but here it is in black and white!

And the 32nd notes -- even in that slow tempo they can be unnerving.

Bet it really felt goo to be back in the saddle.

Yeh ! a lot of goo on my saddle.... good to be back ? Sure, but after six months away from doing what I have done day in day out for more than 40 years, it feels very strange indeed. It makes you realise that regular ensemble work leads to a certain mindset that becomes automatic in pro players and after a long break that mindset needs a bit of a kick to switch on.

Chris

Good thing you have that MV2G

Thanks for posting. Glad to see you are working again. Hope.

Finished the filming yesterday..... did that last bit seven or eight times. The last ones were the best but I bet they use one of the early ones .....filming is SSOOO slow...

Chris

FOSSIL wrote: ↑Tue Sep 15, 2020 12:48 pm I went back to my job at the opera this week.. weird.
11 part arrangement of a Janecek opera with just a few singers. Recording.
Here is the last bit..... yes that is treble clef....in at the deep end.

Good to hear you are back at work, Chris. I can see it is demanding right from the start. It is no honeymoon in the pro-world.

Here the big bands are starting up now, even the "Johan Stengård Jazz Big Band" which is the only professional band I play in. We've got three paid gigs booked. All other are kick start bands except maybe for the jazz sixtet with trumpet, sax, trombone, piano, bass and drums that we started up just before Corona. I don't know if that band maybe might get payed gigs or not.

The thing is I have rejected every band so far, I'm even reluctant to do the three JSBB gigs. I also said no to the choire. I guess they all have to start with a sub on my position. Even though this could lead to I loose the position in the band I take the risk.

I don't feel safe in the small areas where we rehearse and the pandemic is not over. Even though people want it to be over it is still going on, and is increasing in Europe even though not much in Sweden yet. Since I have high blood pressure and is overweight I don't want to take any risks. I do work at the Swedish institute for infectious disease control and hear about it every day and will wait for a vaccine in January/February or until the spread is real low before I start to meet with friends.

/Tom

imsevimse wrote: ↑Sat Sep 19, 2020 7:15 am

FOSSIL wrote: ↑Tue Sep 15, 2020 12:48 pm I went back to my job at the opera this week.. weird.
11 part arrangement of a Janecek opera with just a few singers. Recording.
Here is the last bit..... yes that is treble clef....in at the deep end.

Good to hear you are back at work, Chris. I can see it is demanding right from the start. It is no honeymoon in the pro-world.

Here the big bands are starting up now, even the "Johan Stengård Jazz Big Band" which is the only professional band I play in. All other are kick start bands except maybe for the jazz sixtet with trumpet, sax, trombone, piano, bass and drums that we started up just before Corona. I don't know if that band maybe might get payed gigs or not.

The thing is I have rejected every band so far, and also said no to the choire. I guess they all have to start with a sub on my position. Even though this could lead to I loose the position in the band I take the risk. I don't feel safe in the small areas where we rehearse and the pandemic is not over. Even though people want it to be over it is still going on, and is increasing in Europe even though not much in Sweden yet. Since I have high blood pressure and is overweight I don't want to take any risks. I do work at the Swedish institute for infectious disease control and hear about it every day and will wait for a vaccine or until the spread is real low before I start to meet with friends.

/Tom

I very much agree with your perspective. We were very careful to have as many precautions as possible, like one way systems and airflow in the work area and sanitizer everywhere. It is still not 100% safe but we have to try to put on performances as that is our job. If it were not, I would see it as you do.

Chris

Wow Chris!! That's great news no matter what you're doing!!! So happy for you and the rest of the folks.

I keep looking at that excerpt—Cunning Little Vixen? Jenufa?—and saying to myself, “Now, that’s just silly.”

WGWTR180 wrote: ↑Sat Sep 19, 2020 10:01 am Wow Chris!! That's great news no matter what you're doing!!! So happy for you and the rest of the folks.

That was one week...there were two of Boheme before that, that I was not involved in...now, nothing until second week in November, and new lockdown measures are being threatened....we all walked away in a pensive mood.
Still, we are better off than very many at the moment.

Chris

Kbiggs wrote: ↑Sat Sep 19, 2020 10:03 am I keep looking at that excerpt—Cunning Little Vixen? Jenufa?—and saying to myself, “Now, that’s just silly.”

Yes, there were many familiar passages, but it is a poor arrangement in many ways, very thin...every entry feels like a solo, and odd that the only brass instrument is a bass trombone...though I'm not complaining .

Chris

I have begun teaching in person, but I'm not willing to go into the old and poorly-ventilated BU College of Fine Arts building so I've found an outdoors location next to the Charles River and far enough away from any campus buildings that I don't think we will get any complaints. I'll do this for as long as the weather allows, and then back to zoom.

No playing gigs on the horizon...I miss it so much.

GabrielRice wrote: ↑Sat Sep 19, 2020 1:00 pm I have begun teaching in person, but I'm not willing to go into the old and poorly-ventilated BU College of Fine Arts building so I've found an outdoors location next to the Charles River and far enough away from any campus buildings that I don't think we will get any complaints. I'll do this for as long as the weather allows, and then back to zoom.

No playing gigs on the horizon...I miss it so much.

Sorry for you with that.... any chance to play with others is a big deal now....it took a couple of days and then I was back in the groove. Teaching is difficult for sure.... I taught a Royal Marines musician at MOD Caledonia last week and felt okay, but no more than okay. I am looking forward to teaching your student at RCS in a couple of weeks...the plan is 45mins one to one live and 45mins zoom....it has to be a big room or it will be all zoom... we'll see.

Chris

Over the last few weeks o had the chance performing with a few of my contracted regional orchestras as well as groups I frequently sub with.
One brass quintet, one Labour day concert with a full orchestra, some more online content recording, next week subbing in chamber music program in the Toledo Symphony and then one more (small) Orchestra program.

I am lucky that some things are happening and that all of them were handled with utmost care, but of course, it’s nowhere as busy as I am usually around this time of the year.

I felt really jealous of the folks in Europe and how they had started to perform again, but it looks like the second wave is hitting Europe hard these days, I guess we have to be patient and wait for a vaccine.

I've had a couple of small outdoor gigs this months - New Orleans style brass band gigs, though with a greatly reduced personnel -- another one was cancelled, not because of the virus but instead because of the poor air quality caused by our charming California wildfires.

Also! A recording session in Los Angeles, but again, greatly reduced personnel, just violin and harmonica/trombone.
Lots of space, everything sanitized, masks when possible, a very unusual dubbing session for a film/score already completed.

The thing about it all is that you realize how much nourishment we get from interacting (musically and otherwise) with other musicians live and in person! And how much you miss it when it's gone......

Back to non working weeks now. You can see and hear the Janecek at www.scottishopera.org.uk I was very much mixed down....but the money was still the same !!

Chris

I could listen you very well! Nice! Good recording and balanced between singers and instruments. Thats an interesting score, is it original? Very nice! Good singers! Today we started rehearsel of the musical "Man of la Mancha" Very fun and a lot to do! Its the original score from Brodway. Three weeks with fun. Thats also an interesting score, no strings. Maybe some here played it?
Leif

Savio wrote: ↑Wed Sep 23, 2020 2:56 pm I could listen you very well! Nice! Good recording and balanced between singers and instruments. Thats an interesting score, is it original? Very nice! Good singers! Today we started rehearsel of the musical "Man of la Mancha" Very fun and a lot to do! Its the original score from Brodway. Three weeks with fun. Thats also an interesting score, no strings. Maybe some here played it?
Leif

The Janecek was an arrangement, but from way back. I like to think the company has high production values...that's why I was turned down .
Enjoy your show Leif...I've never played it but it sounds great !

Chris

I did a fun 5 bone & rhythm rehearsal on Monday, spread out in a church. This Sunday is an outdoor N.O.funk band gig. An outdoor wedding gig is on the horizon. It seems like people are figuring out how to do things relatively safely.

I’ve been lucky to have 5 or 6 outdoor gigs recently - 1 private party and the rest have been New Orleans funk things. A couple of sousaphone gigs sprinkled in with the trombone stuff. A few bars with outdoor spaces, some live-streamed stuff (and more coming up) and even a festival next weekend! But the ban on advertised music in NY has really put a cramp on it again, right when it was starting to pick up.

I don’t foresee much after mid-October: the outdoor gigs will dry up and the gigs that are available aren’t worth chasing (and aren’t particularly suited to a NO brass band either...)

Here’s looking forward to next year, post vaccination!

I posted this remark in another topic just now, thought it might be of interest here in case anyone missed it. Its interesting but I am not suggesting its the way forward or what we should do either in the UK or USA but its worth considering.

"By the way, as an aside and just for anyones interest, I have connections with Finland - there they are holding live concerts. They had one last night The Kymi Sinfonietta Orchestra in Kotka did a Mozart performance. The concert was just an hour long, no interval and they did it twice once at 5pm then again at 8pm both with an audience of 100 or so well spaced apart (in a hall that would normally seat about 300 I would guess)".

Finally got a chance to see the Janacek. It's one I had never heard of before.

The tenor was fantastic. Held the whole show together.

Singing in Czech is difficult for most singers and they managed to do it well.

I would have liked to see more of the orchestra. Mostly one violin, the viola, and the clarinet behind. I saw the contrabassoon on its stand in another shot. I got a very brief view of Chris in one shot, but I wish there were more. I certainly heard Chris -- as the only trombone it's tough to hide. Then again, there was no reason to hide (good job!).

I also was put off by the way they shot the 3 woman chorus. Constantly shifting focus between them. I would have liked a different shot where all 3 were in focus together.

Janacek is not everyone's cup of tea, but if you like this kind of music this was a very interesting performance.

One of my big bands is back next week. We have a large room, and rehearse in a "box" formation. Bones on one side, facing saxes. Trumpets on our right, facing rhythm on our left. Makes it easy to spread out, and still be able to hear everyone.

BGuttman wrote: ↑Thu Sep 24, 2020 5:21 am Finally got a chance to see the Janacek. It's one I had never heard of before.

The tenor was fantastic. Held the whole show together.

Singing in Czech is difficult for most singers and they managed to do it well.

I would have liked to see more of the orchestra. Mostly one violin, the viola, and the clarinet behind. I saw the contrabassoon on its stand in another shot. I got a very brief view of Chris in one shot, but I wish there were more. I certainly heard Chris -- as the only trombone it's tough to hide. Then again, there was no reason to hide (good job!).

I also was put off by the way they shot the 3 woman chorus. Constantly shifting focus between them. I would have liked a different shot where all 3 were in focus together.

Janacek is not everyone's cup of tea, but if you like this kind of music this was a very interesting performance.

Could you post a link?

Chris put this link in his post, but start here: https://www.scottishopera.org.uk

The opening screen will have a link to the stream.

It's only 35 minutes if that makes it more tempting. May well be the sort of stuff we will be doing for some time.

Chris

Thanks. Interesting music for a late 19th-early 20th C. Romantic story. Very interesting orchestration—bass trombone and contrabassoon.

The low woodwind part is bassoon doubling contra, but our principal bassoon does not play contra, but our second bassoon....her husband...does...so we had two for the price of one. It was Alan's last gig before retiring. Alan and I joined the orchestra on the same day in 1984 !

Chris

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TDpmHuJfO7s&t=89s

Man of la Mancha
I wonder who play trombone in this recording? Its London 1968. Chris might know?
Im playing this for 3 weeks. Premier tomorrow. Have to say its so fun bass trombone part. And so nice music. Spanish flamenco and lot of other fun things. And so much bass trombone...
Wiki:
"The original 1965 Broadway production ran for 2,328 performances and won five Tony Awards, including Best Musical. The musical has been revived four times on Broadway, becoming one of the most enduring works of musical theatre."

Some places in Norway is nearly corona free so we can have performances up to 200 in public But still whit strict rules. Remember Norway is a little place with people spread out. But now we see the towns are growing with corona. Mostly because young people seems to not care so much anymore.

Leif

That is one show I'd have trouble playing because I get emotional listening to it.

Are they doing it in Norwegian or in English? I would suspect that an audience trying to listen in a foreign language would have trouble following.

I first saw it off-Broadway at the ANTA Theater. Absolutely mind-blowing. And what a fantastic bass trombone part. Wonder if that was Bob Hughes playing in England.

BGuttman wrote: ↑Sun Sep 27, 2020 3:29 pm That is one show I'd have trouble playing because I get emotional listening to it.

Are they doing it in Norwegian or in English? I would suspect that an audience trying to listen in a foreign language would have trouble following.

I first saw it off-Broadway at the ANTA Theater. Absolutely mind-blowing. And what a fantastic bass trombone part. Wonder if that was Bob Hughes playing in England.

Yes its very emotional, both the music and the story. We do it in Norwegian, but the conductor is from Michigan. Also the producer is an american and its the original score from 1965. I think many have listen some of the songs without knowing where it comes from.

Strange there is no full recording in youtube or spotify. Its about two hours with all the acting included.
Leif

Bob in 1968 was still at school ! Bob's younger than me and I was still at school. No idea who was playing but it was a good band. Who was around ? Phil Brown, Pete Harvey, Dick Tyack, Maurice Gee....who knows ?

Chris

Ray Premru? Can be many since this is a strange score, 2 flutes, 1 clarinet, 1 bassoon, 1 oboe, two trumpets, two horns, two trombones, second trombone is named "trombone with f attachment" lot of percussion, one string bass, not el bass. Two nylon guitars, not flamenco. Lot of singers and actors.
Its so fun, we even play a psalm.

I think with this strange score its maybe some studio musician?

Leif

Nice to hear from you Chris, Savio, and all the other usual suspects, regarding the approachment of normal life again. As a new participant of the Ellicott City Trombone Choir, we’ve done a couple virtual pieces, but it sure misses the mark from a live performance.

Well, with the way things are going here, not much chance of a further return to work.....stuff locking down again....
I hear the NY Met has cancelled through to September 2021 and are laying off all performers...but the management will be retained and paid...can this be true ? Heart breaking if it is.

Chris

Finding out tomorrow if I'm laid off from Disneyland. Yay

Burgerbob wrote: ↑Wed Sep 30, 2020 3:04 am Finding out tomorrow if I'm laid off from Disneyland. Yay

I hope things work out in your favor, man. Good luck!

FOSSIL wrote: ↑Wed Sep 30, 2020 2:54 am Well, with the way things are going here, not much chance of a further return to work.....stuff locking down again....
I hear the NY Met has cancelled through to September 2021 and are laying off all performers...but the management will be retained and paid...can this be true ? Heart breaking if it is.

Chris

If true, that seems ridiculous. But then... Who would be there to ensure the organization exists at all when the concerts start again ... In 2022... If not for the accountant and manager?

Maybe better to at least retain the musicians on some sort of monthly stipend and cut every staff members salary. Everyone gets $10k for the year... Equal for every employee. It all sounds terrible.

Burgerbob wrote: ↑Wed Sep 30, 2020 3:04 am Finding out tomorrow if I'm laid off from Disneyland. Yay

So you have been furloughed up until now?

(a significant distinction, btw)

JohnL wrote: ↑Wed Sep 30, 2020 1:45 pm

Burgerbob wrote: ↑Wed Sep 30, 2020 3:04 am Finding out tomorrow if I'm laid off from Disneyland. Yay

So you have been furloughed up until now?

(a significant distinction, btw)

Yes.

By California law, all non-union employees have to be fired after 6 months of furlough (which accounts for many of the numbers being let go). I'm union, but that only protects me if they want to keep us around!

FOSSIL wrote: ↑Wed Sep 30, 2020 2:54 am Well, with the way things are going here, not much chance of a further return to work.....stuff locking down again....
I hear the NY Met has cancelled through to September 2021 and are laying off all performers...but the management will be retained and paid...can this be true ? Heart breaking if it is.

Chris

Chris I can tell you that the Met Orchestra as well as all other unions have been laid off without pay until at least September 2021. Not sure about management being retained and paid. Before the pandemic hit The Met was millions in debt.
Sorry you're shutting down again. I think, for me, that would be more painful than my current situation. Starting up and then stopping again would hurt. Stay well.

I'm lucky Bill, the government has looked after us so far. Possibly not in the future, but we shall see. You guys have it far harder there and you are in our thoughts. Our freelance players have really been abandoned and I fear for their future and that of the music business globally. When it's gone it can never be brought back as the same thing.
There is hope though.. ..I have one of Jack Schatz' pupils starting a Masters with me here.... bright, keen and talented. ...and positive about the future. He will need to be....but he gives me hope.....

Chris