amtrpt

Hi all,
School is finally out and the symphony season is pretty relaxed right now. That means for better or worse that I am around to answer more questions and post more threads. Sorry for the inactivity. I'm looking forward to getting back in the swing of things.
I hope everyone is doing well.
Best,
Andrew

Vulgano Brother

So.....what books are you reading? Favorite movies and TV shows? It would be fun to hear what you do when school is out and the season over for fun and relaxation.

amtrpt

Hi Vulgano,
I just finished reading the book by Aron Ralston. He's the guy who got his arm trapped by a boulder in Utah and had to cut it off to get out. It was a great book although a little squeemish at times.
My wife and just went to see Forgetting Sarah Marshall which was a cute movie. Maybe not terrific cinema, but very funny and easy too watch.
I have to admit that we are also big Grey's Anatomy fans. They just restarted the season after the writers strike so that's back on our list of things to do.
Other than that I am doing a lot of indoor rock climbing with my wife. In fact we are getting ready to go on our first outdoor trip in a few weeks and we're very excited about it.
The other thing that I am pretty busy with are the contract negotiations here in Toronto. I'm co-chairing the negotiating team. A friend of mine from the Buffalo Philharmonic told me when I was really young to never get involved in committee work. Some days I think I should have listened more carfully.
I'm off to play Tchaik 4 tonight. We are doing it on Bb trumpets. Last night was very exciting because we realized just before we started that we could barely remember the right transpositions. I guess that comes from having played it on C for so many years. If you are wondering why we are doing it, so are we. Needless to say it seemed like a good idea at the time.
It's up a fifth, right???
Best,
Andrew

siarr

Hey, Andrew,
I remember using Bbs on Tchaik 4 about 40 years ago...no problem, just pencil the notes in - better yet, use pen!! BTW, was it your idea or the conductor's? And I assume we're talking pistons, not rotaries?

Have fun - maybe you guys can use them on Alpensinphonie nnext time! :^)>

Best, Chas
Editions Bim and The Brass Press, International Music Publishing

amtrpt

Hi,
I just got back from the concert. It was our idea to use the Bb's. Actually it was my idea and I'm not sure that Jimmy Spragg the second trumpet player here will ever forgive me. I have to say though that we both really liked it. Not only did we like the sound, but we found it to be much a much more free sound than we would have gotten on C's.
Best,
Andrew
ps. I don't think that Alpine Symphony is a good idea for me, unless you meant Bb piccolo...
pss. Yes it was pistons.

HoosierDaddy

Let's talk play station. What games do you play to pass the time. Your friend Micheal Pisciony told me so.

Vulgano Brother

Contract Negotiations? What fun! Musicians ask only for "fair wages and working conditions," Management's viewpoint is that we ask for "more money and less work."
As much as I suffer from an innate dislike of violists, most orchestras have at least one militant violist, and they are useful.

rowuk

AWESOME!

trumpetnick

What would be wrong with rotaries? I bet that Berlin Philharmoniker is using flat rotaries on their recordings of Tchaik 4 and it sounds terrific!

Alpensinphine on B flat? I guess that it is possible....the last time I brought excerpts from it to play then on B flat to my teacher he said that nobody was playing this on B flat (he is a swiss and uses a lto C trumpet for R. Strauss). When I brought it to Rod Franks (London Symphony Orchestra) he did not seem very surprised...I gues that he is using it for Alpensimphonie...but then he does not play C trumpet at all

amtrpt

Hi Trumpetnick,
There is nothing at all wrong with using rotaries for whatever the rep is. I wouldn't feel comfortable with it because we don't use them enough. However I imagine that if that were my regular horn I would be able to make it work, Berlin and Vienna sure sound amazing on them!

Vulgano,
We have one of those violist too. They do have their moments.

Andrew