Chet's Classical Influences

[bill_h]

Chet was no doubt influenced by classical music. Just wondering if he had a favorite conductor or favorite composer ( or composers.) Anyone know?

[synchro]

I believe he was partial to Arthur Fiedler and the Boston Pops.

[bill_h]

Thanks Synchro. I wonder if it was Fiedler's conducting that appealed to Chet or his choice of material.I would think Chet would appreciate a good melody more than an elaborately developed theme. ( Or maybe he was into Fiedler's conducting and choice of material both.)

[Norm]

I found this in my notes. Can't remember who it's from. Might be Paul's wife, Marie...

"...Tony Migliore sometimes conducted symphonies for their concerts and Paul said Chet always said that Tony was a really good conductor..."

Seems to me Chet's classical tastes were on the light side and I'm glad of it. Recuedros d' Alhabra, Bach's Bourre certainly the Malaguena as done on Finger Style Guitar... Minute Waltz... all good, reckognizable classial pieces, none of them beginner's material.
Not a matter of "influences" as much as what did he like to play.
He was a guitar player and he liked "pretty". And we're all the better for it...

That's how I see it.

[bill_h]

Thanks Norm. I'll be sure to check out Migliore's conducting. I'm sure he was good if Chet liked him.

[Norm]

I don't have any experience working with musical groups that require a conductor but Chet's preference for Tony may have been as simple as attitude. Some condouctors are real prima donnas and absolute tyrants. Toscanninni stories aboud. Arthur Fiedler has a good reputation but in Tony Migliore Chet may have liked him simply because he was easy to communicate with. Maybe he knew how to get the best out of the musicians without needing to terrorize them as Toscaninni allegedly did.

Conductors are like record producers. They need to take the music and performers and, as Chet used to say, "Make it interesting for three minutes" but the conductor is not permitted to make himself the focus.

We tend to over-idolize a lot. But the bottom line is always as Chet said... "Nashville Sound" is a made up thing. We were just trying to save our jobs.

And when you played the road it was important for people to like you well enough to hire you back. Having a stable, competent conductor helped things overall.

And Tony M. wanted to save his job, too...

[craigdobbins]

Tony Migliore isn't a classical conductor per se- he's more of an all-around musician, arranger, and conductor. Remember, he was Chet's piano player after Randy Goodrum, and also music director for Don MacLean, among others. Here's a link about his career:

http://www.angelfire.com/tn/capitolmana ... gliore.pdf

Craig

[craigdobbins]

This is pure speculation on my part, but I would think Chet's relationship with Arthur Fiedler had more to do with the fact that they were label-mates. (The Boston Pops recorded for RCA Red Seal, the classical division of RCA Victor.)

Also, since they were a "pops" orchestra, Chet could play a wider variety of music with them. Plus, they had a national audience via "Evening at Pops" on PBS.

Anyway, just speculation, as I said.

Craig

[bill_h]

You raised some very good ponts Norm. I wouldn't even be surprised if it ever became known that Chet had trouble working with some conductors because they looked down their noses at him and then liked it even less when they found that this "non-formally" trained musician could hear things that they couldn't. A perfect example that comes to mind is the time Chet told the conductor of the San Antonio Symphony that his musicians weren't all in tune. I don't know that the conductor actually looked down his nose at Chet but from what I hear, he didn't particularly like it that a non-schooled musician told him something was out of tune in his orchestra. ( I'm sure Chet very ccourteous and professional in pointing out that there were some tuning problems.)

Craig, your speculation makes all the sense in the world to me. Thanks for your input.

[Norm]

Paul described that San Antonio situation very well.
Not a fan of symphony was Paul

________________

We played with every major symphony in America. Chet enjoyed doing those and for the most part they were great. In the middle 1980's we played three days with the San Antonio Symphony. The Symphony always did the first half, and then there was a thirty minute intermission during which Chet's band set up for the show.

As our part of the show started Chet turned to Tony Migliore who was our conductor and said "the or-chestra is out of tune"(meaning they weren’t with us) that's one thing Chet couldn't stand is being out of tune.
Now, in an orchestra, the oboe player has a strobe and everybody tunes with that person, so Tony stopped the show and told the orchestra they were out of tune and please tune up.

__Paul Yandell, cgp
Well. that did it! They all got an attitude they really turned against us, you could have cut it with a knife which got Chet a little upset so it was rough. I just wanted to get up an leave but we did the show. They never did get in good tune. We had two more shows to do in towns close by and we never were comfortable with them. When we got home Chet wrote the newspaper there and told them how he had been treated by the Symphony and he let them have it. That was the worst time we had in all the years I was with Chet I think…

Most of the musicians in those symphonies are snobs. The conductor has to be nice because he's getting paid to do it but the string players and all the players except the horn players wouldn't even speak to you or make eye contact.
I really didn't enjoy working with them