Two Flautists

[Neil McGowan]

Two flautists are coaching each other for a Music Theory Exam.

FIRST: "What's the sub-dominant of F-major?"

SECOND: "Nah, it's a trick question! F-major is already the sub-dominant!"

[autoharp]

Are we to understand that in certain parts of the world flautists are considered inferior to viola players and drummers?

[Neil McGowan]

Are we to understand that in certain parts of the world flautists are considered inferior to viola players and drummers?

There's a whole sub-genre of anecdotes about Bass Clarinetists (and the idleness thereof). In Russian orchestras "Bass Clarinet" is a full-time job - I know two of them, and neither plays the conventional Bb clarinet. One doesn't even have a conventional clarinet. As you can imagine, most of the anecdotes are along the lines of "354-two-three-four, 355-two-three-four"...

[Neil McGowan]

[ahinton]

Are we to understand that in certain parts of the world flautists are considered inferior to viola players and drummers?

There's a whole sub-genre of anecdotes about Bass Clarinetists (and the idleness thereof). In Russian orchestras "Bass Clarinet" is a full-time job - I know two of them, and neither plays the conventional Bb clarinet. One doesn't even have a conventional clarinet. As you can imagine, most of the anecdotes are along the lines of "354-two-three-four, 355-two-three-four"...

Interesting - but at least Elliott Carter and Thea Musgrave have written fine concerto-like works for it (the bass clarinet, that is - and he's written other works for bnass clarinet, too - pehaps he'll write more yet, for he's only 103 tomorrow...).