To the Editor:
As a former member of the Dartmouth Symphony Orchestra, I would like to shed light on the way DSO really works. An article on Tuesday stated, "The DSO currently consists of nearly 40 student-musicians playing violin, viola, cello, bass, flute, oboe, clarinet, bassoon, horns, percussion and harpsichord" ("Symphony Orchestra brings Bach and Mahler to Hop," Feb. 21). A full symphony orchestra typically has between 80 and 100 members. To fill out the full orchestra, the DSO hires professionals and students from conservatories. The ringers are brought in the Thursday of concert week.
This would not bother me if there weren't students wanting to play the parts that the ringers are playing. But Anthony Princiotti, the conductor of the DSO, turns away many musicians who do not live up to his expectations of orchestral experience. Last spring, after being away for the winter, I was taking two hard classes and sent a BlitzMail message saying I needed a week to know for sure if I would be able to play (the bassoon) or not, and I asked if I could attend rehearsals until I knew. I never received a response, and that term DSO had no bassoon players until the ringers came in.
In high school I played with a youth orchestra that was a full orchestra every week, including six basses, six French horns, trumpets and percussion. This is unheard of for DSO. Having experienced both, a full orchestra is a much more rewarding and encouraging environment than a partial orchestra. Princiotti claims that he does this to keep the caliber of the DSO where he wants it. I am not saying he should let people in who aren't proficient at their instruments, but I believe that for a student orchestra (isn't this what it should be?), if there are trumpet players who are decent, he should at least give them a chance.
The fiscal aspects of Tony's policies are incredulous. I wonder how much they spend hiring 30 professional musicians for three days each term. Although the DSO claims to be a student orchestra, it is not that at all. If one wants to go to a true student orchestra, the Dartmouth Concert Orchestra performance on March 6 would be a much better choice.
