Thanks for support from Phil. Of course after making just such a point -
though I recommended a bad harpsichord rather than a synthesizer - I was
taken to task. The criticism of my position would have been appropriate for
participation in a performance by a sensitive modern-instrument chamber
orchestra, but alas, THOSE people, who always think THEY are the
undeserving target of HIP rants, are not the problem.
 
Biggest irritation, of course, of the symphony types is their
pretentiousness and arrogance. It's one thing to take on a performance of
literature for which you are a rank amateur; it's another to do so and
strut around as though YOU are the big all-knowing professionals.
 
Incidentally, that phalanx of FOUR hard-shell-cased double basses waiting
against the wall like Sherman tanks, was not made-up by yours truly.
 
A perverse part of me wonders what it sounded like. But I heard this band
do the Bach Magnificat some years ago, and, .....whew, Boy. My favorite
were the continuo cadences (you know, supposed to be a harpsichord and a
'cello finishing off the cadence when the soloist runs out of anything to
say - dum da da Dum da Dum) played (I am not making this up) by five
'cellos and two double basses.
 
Let it be known that in the areas in which this band has expertise it is an
extremely fine outfit.
 
owen
 
>In a message dated 98-11-25 21:15:28 EST, Daly wrote:
>
><< I'm sure a fine harpsichord was made to look like a foolish toy. >>
>
>An excellent refreshing tale.  My policy has become to resign from the tuning
>expedition in such an ignorant ambience.  Let them get a synthesizer.
>
>Tyre,
>Dunedin