RCEditions

Charles Dutoit is one of the last great maestros. He is dignified and demanding. He can be intimidating, and I felt it when I was younger. I have performed many works with him, including 'Pictures at an Exhibition,' Rachmaninoff 'Symphonic Dances,' and Prokofiev 'Romeo and Juliet.' But when Maestro Dutoit looked me in the eye from the podium, I looked at him. I didn't blink, didn't take my eyes off him as long as he was looking at me. And, the last few times, he smiles after I play. And if it means playing the solo by memory, I do that. And after years of playing with the BSO for years, Mr. Dutoit asked the Philadelphia Orchestra (with whom he at time Chief conductor) to call me to play saxophone. I did it a few times last summer. And by the way, Mr. Dutoit has just perfect and expressive baton technique, you really want to watch. He doesn't need to say anything.

Jeffrey Tate conducted Britten ‘Sinfonia da Requiem’ with the Boston Symphony. He is impressive as a musician, and sees the big picture. He is a brilliant, remarkable person; also a doctor, and a stunningly humane person, who was born was spina bifida, which is visible, but which has no bearing on his ability to perform. In fact I remember his gestures as both sensitive as well as vivid and athletic. I also remember him as the first guest conductor who ever spoke to the orchestra (including me), by name. He had learned all of our names before the first rehearsal!

Gil Rose
I have always admired Gil's work, and continue to be impressed with his ever-widening ability in opera and new music. Gil can do anything-Ellington, Antheil, John Adams, Paul Hindemith, Thomas Ades. Choirs, singers, soloists, electronics, media of any kind--and because of his relatively young age, and having started his own successful orchestra 'Boston Modern Orchestra Project' and Recording Company, as former Music Director of Opera Boston, and Professor at Tufts, I know this is a MUSICIAN who is doing EVERYTHING for the first time, and is so well prepared and so able, and so in control of his own ego, that one imagines he has done all the works (many of which are premieres) many times, which of course, is simply not possible. Gil is also a natural manager, very relaxed (or at least giving the appearance of, no matter what life's challenges may be at that moment). So, even in tense situations, Gil greets all of these with equanimity, and makes the rest of us stronger, and relaxed. BMOP is a wonderful orchestra, with a great environment, all attributable to Gil.

Mariss Janssons is a great musician, and conducted the Boston Symphony in Rachmaninoff 'Symphonic Dances.' By the time I played this work with him, I had done it with 2 or 3 other conductors in recently preceding years. There were also a number of Russian musicians in the orchestra who knew how to play Russian music. Janssons had very carefully edited Russian parts. He had a different interpretation, and the orchestra as a whole didn't seem to be embracing it, all the way into the third and final rehearsal. I remember the violins playing the upbeats in the waltz movement without much exuberance, in fact with their instruments almost in guitar position. But, Janssons didn't call attention to that. He merely said, violins, could you play the upbeat pizzicatos with a little vibrato? Wow--They sat up in their seats, and the whole sound changed, and he did it by being polite and musical. He emphasized the point that EVERY note is important from beginning to end (even the shortest notes have tone), and he did it without hitting anyone over the head with an oppressive lecture. Bravo, Maestro.

A Salute to (My) Teachers

4. Conductors, Pianists, Composers and other related inspirations (cont.)