Jazz for aficionados

Too hip for the room! :-)

To anyone:

(1) Do all symphony Orchestras utilize the same seating arrangement? I.E. are all the different instruments seated in the same place relative to the conductor in all orchestras?

(2) Are all memebers permanent? What about instruments that may not have parts in most symphonies. Harp? Are they full time employees?

(3) And lastly, this has been driving me nuts. Both BBC and Gramophone magazines have a monthly article where they discuss and make recommendation on a particular piece of music. They will review several performances and give their take on each, including ones to avoid.

While reading one of these articles I THINK, I read the following. "and for those of you that DEMAND THAT EVERY NOTE BE PLAYED", they then named a CD.

I think it was Paganini. My question is this: Is it ever 'acceptable' or permitted, or even expected, that all of the notes of ANY piece of music will not be played? Even by a soloist.

Cheers

Django?

You guys!! Always pulling my leg. But I must admit, you had me convinced you were serious for a while. :)

Cheers

"Gypsy Jazz"! Just when I thought I had heard it all, Acman3, you come up with something new; I like it.

Enjoy the music.

Rok,

1) No. Although there are traditional seating arrangements for certain sections, certain instrument sections may be positioned differently according to the particular orchestra's traditions, a particular conductor's wishes, or a particular work's requirements per the composer. Although as concerns a particular work's requirements (usually a modern work) "all bets are off", orchestral seating arrangements that seldom change are:

- 1rst violins: left/front
- woodwinds: center/ front to back with horns usually closer to center behind woodwinds
- brass: right/rear
- percussion across the left to right/ rear

Seating for 2nd violins, violas, celli and basses can vary. In opera orchestras, because of the shallowness of most "pits" seating varies even more.

2) Most members are permanent. "Auxiliary" instruments (bass clarinet, piccolo, harp) in major orchestras, with a few exceptions (saxophone), are also permanent. In orchestras with smaller budgets they are not.

3) Given the amazing level of proficiency in today's orchestras there is little chance of an unusually technically demanding work not being executed to near perfection (technically); and, it certainly would not be acceptable if that were the case. That wasn't always the case with earlier recordings of the modern repertory on which one can sometimes hear the players struggling with difficult passages. However, it is not clear from the "every note heard" comment wether the reviewer refers to the execution of the parts or (more likely) to wether that particular recording or performance includes a passage or section of music that, either because of traditional performance practice, or the composer's designation as "optional".

BTW, was I pulling your leg? :-)