Members of the Orchestra - I can do that - Solo Performer

[suzyq]

I'm watching Live from Lincoln Center and Joshua Bell just finished playing.  TV being what it is there are closeups of musicians  and I sometimes wonder if at times the thought comes to them "I can do that just as well".

It happens that Joshua Bell is the soloist tonight, but it could be a violist etc.

If you aren't  out celebrating the New Year, I hope that you are/were able to see Great Performances - beautiful music, Joshua Bell - great evening.

[jochanaan]

I'm watching Live from Lincoln Center and Joshua Bell just finished playing.  TV being what it is there are closeups of musicians  and I sometimes wonder if at times the thought comes to them "I can do that just as well".

Many orchestral players are fine soloists in their own right.  They have to be, if they're woodwind or brass players; a composer of orchestral music could, in theory, call any player "forward" to play a solo, and often does.  There's a second oboe solo in the 2nd movement of Sibelius' Second Symphony.  (Sounds like a helping of "seconds," doesn't it? )  Among soloists who got their start in orchestras are cellists Gregor Piatigorsky (Berlin Philharmonic), Leonard Rose (NY Philharmonic), and Lynn Harrell (Cleveland Orchestra); flutist James Galway (Berlin Philharmonic); and trumpeter Rolf Smedvig (Boston Symphony).  Joseph Silverstein, long-time concertmaster of the Boston Symphony Orchestra, has also made several solo recordings, including a fine one of Beethoven's violin concerto.

[Brian]

Joseph Silverstein, long-time concertmaster of the Boston Symphony Orchestra, has also made several solo recordings, including a fine one of Beethoven's violin concerto.

He is also, I might add, a very fine conductor, as evidenced by a concert I saw here in which he led a sizzling - almost too high-velocity - Dvorak Seventh.

[MishaK]

I'm watching Live from Lincoln Center and Joshua Bell just finished playing.  TV being what it is there are closeups of musicians  and I sometimes wonder if at times the thought comes to them "I can do that just as well".

Given that I'm not that impressed with Bell's fiddling, I am sure there are many in the orchestra who'd think that. 

It happens the other way around, too, though. When Hilary Hahn was in Chicago last year, she played a solo violin transcription of Schubert's "Erlkönig" as an encore - basically a constant crazy doublestop exercise. Most of the string section of the CSO were visibly stunned, mouths agape, eyes like saucers.

[M forever]

He is also, I might add, a very fine conductor, as evidenced by a concert I saw here in which he led a sizzling - almost too high-velocity - Dvorak Seventh.

Whipping up "excitement" with fast tempi is not necessarily something which proves the competence and quality of a conductor. I did see Mr Silverstein direct a competent but uneventful and stylistically bland run-through of Brahms' 2nd symphony by the Utah SO many years ago in Berlin though. IIRC, he also played and directed one of Mozart's violin concertos (#3, I think).