This question was recently posted on the Facebook "Horn People" group:
I have a conductor who is insisting that our section not spin our horns at all to empty water during our upcoming concerts. He doesn't like the way it looks. Wondering if anyone knows where I can find the anecdote about Phil Farkas and the Chicago concert where he and his section did not empty their water? I've tried using the search feature and have not been successful.
Thanks!
And here is the answer someone provided:
Philip Farkas relates in either an interview or his book "The Art of French Horn Playing" how in his younger days in Chicago, Reiner came to him and told him that a wealthy woman who was a great financial backer of the CSO accosted him (Reiner) at a cocktail party and expressed great disgust at how the french horns were always draining their horns right there on the stage in public! So Reiner told Farkas not to do that anymore and to tell the whole horn section.
During the concert, it came time for a horn solo (I don't recall the work or even if it was mentioned in the article) and all that came out of the horn was gurgles and belches. In the intermission, a livid Reiner confronted Farkas. "How could you play so horribly? You've never sounded that!" Farkas said "I just flipped over my horn and all that built up water poured out onto Reiner's shoe. No mention was ever made again about us not emptying our horns on stage."
I have a conductor who is insisting that our section not spin our horns at all to empty water during our upcoming concerts. He doesn't like the way it looks. Wondering if anyone knows where I can find the anecdote about Phil Farkas and the Chicago concert where he and his section did not empty their water? I've tried using the search feature and have not been successful.
Thanks!
And here is the answer someone provided:
Philip Farkas relates in either an interview or his book "The Art of French Horn Playing" how in his younger days in Chicago, Reiner came to him and told him that a wealthy woman who was a great financial backer of the CSO accosted him (Reiner) at a cocktail party and expressed great disgust at how the french horns were always draining their horns right there on the stage in public! So Reiner told Farkas not to do that anymore and to tell the whole horn section.
During the concert, it came time for a horn solo (I don't recall the work or even if it was mentioned in the article) and all that came out of the horn was gurgles and belches. In the intermission, a livid Reiner confronted Farkas. "How could you play so horribly? You've never sounded that!" Farkas said "I just flipped over my horn and all that built up water poured out onto Reiner's shoe. No mention was ever made again about us not emptying our horns on stage."
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