On Orchestra Quality

To the Editors of the Crimson:

This is in response to an issue Scott Rosenberg raised in his April 20 review of the Magic Flute: namely, the poor quality of the orchestra's playing. There appear to be more aspiring musical theater producers than musicians sufficient to support their ambitious plans. Given this shortage of orchestral talent. I offer the following suggestions to anyone planning a musical production next season:

a)Don't expect musicians to be anxious to play in your show. Most good players on campus are already affiliated with an organized musical group which places extensive time commitments on them. You have to start calling people early, and expect to call a lot of people.

b)Watch your scheduling of rehearsals and performances with regard to when other groups are playing. Often three or four major productions end up on the same weekend. It is easy enough to find out orchestra and band schedules as they are set a year in advance.

c)Get a top-notch music director. Few players are willing to go to more than two rehearsals, so run-through time cannot be wasted. Get someone who knows how to the people pleasantly.

d)Look for talent outside of the undergraduate student body. There are many fine players in the area who can help you out when undergrads are unavailable. Above all, when you get musicians, try to ensure they have a good time. It is not always fun coming into a production where everyone else has been working together for a month. Musicians are an integral part of a production, and should be treated as such. JoycoJacoboom'82   HRO president