Posted by js on July 07, 2002 at 23:13:24:
In Reply to: Re: Re: Rehearsal Horror Stories posted by GC (the older one) on July 07, 2002 at 12:38:29:
You've been extremely generous to do this. Probably the fact that the people were really "nice" had a lot to do with what you were willing to do for them.
Each year here in town, an elderly European gentleman comes to town (hired by the dance company) to conduct the Nutcracker. The fellow doesn't know a baton from a futon, but he is NICE.
The orchestra would do better without him, because watching him is disasterous. Basically, he approximates (with whirlie-twirlie downbeats) the beginnings of the numbers and the concertmaster (or other applicable player) actually starts each of the numbers, and at the proper tempi.
Nobody complains, even though he makes the job a little harder (anything but the Nutcracker obviously and there would be trouble). Again, he's a NICE GUY. That is more important that anything else.