The Intern-al Report: News from the Field

If you've visited the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra this season, hopefully you have noticed the newest feature of our program book, the "About the Instrument" section on page six. We ask the musicians to tell us about their instrument, its mechanics, its history and what makes it a unique and necessary part of the orchestra. This gives the audience insight into what is happening onstage and behind the scenes to create the wonderful music they hear.

As part of my internship, I've had the pleasure of writing two of these features. When I interviewed Phil Palermo, Associate Concertmaster, and Tony Kniffen, Principal Tuba, I was fascinated by their knowledge and love of their instruments. Shortly after writing Phil's piece, I attended an ISO concert, and knowing more about him and his love for the violin gave me a whole new perspective on the music. As I watched the concert, I saw him in a different light: as a fascinating person instead of a personality-less performer. I listened in a new way as he coaxed charming solos from the beloved violin he had described to me.

Because this section is so great, it deserves to be revisited. Here are a few of the best insights we've heard in the "About the Instrument" section this year. Some of these have yet to be published, so we're giving you a sneak peek!

-Assistant Principal Clarinet Michael Borschel: "I love the bass clarinet's sonority and also its role within the orchestral repertoire, especially in Richard Strauss' Don Quixote, any work by Richard Wagner, and in most of Maurice Ravel's pieces that include the bass clarinet."

-Principal Harp Diane Evans: "The harp, with its intriguing and mesmerizing sound, is considered by many to be the most difficult instrument to play. Because the fingers are individually pulling, rather than pushing like with other instruments, it's difficult to support and control those muscles. Add to this the complexity of the foot pedal choreography and the need to watch the conductor."

-Violist Amy Kniffen: "My second viola...was built in 1945 by an English maker...during the Blitz in London. He was trained as a shipbuilder; however, when he decided to get married, he sold his violin because he needed money. After the wedding, he wanted to play again, so he went to the library, got a book on violinmaking and started making instruments. I think he got remarkably good results from his reading."

-Assistant Principal Contrabass Bob Goodlett: "My five-string bass, the only one in the ISO, can play the lowest note in the orchestra, which is a 'B.' This note is the next to lowest white key on the piano. As far as I'm concerned, you don't hear bass, you feel bass. You can also catch a bass in a lake." 

-Principal Percussion Braham Dembar: "The percussionist's job is to 'hit things - lots and lots of things...there's so much variety! One day we'll play a huge triangle, and the next day we may have a huge marimba part. The basement of my home acts as my studio and is completely filled with percussion instruments and gadgets.'"

-Associate Concertmaster Phil Palermo: "Few people think about bows, but they are an equal partner to the violin. You can't have one without the other! Like violins, each bow has its own personality and voice. To me, each violin is a living thing and I delight in bringing them to life by playing them."

-Principal Tuba Tony Kniffen: "The tuba can be an extremely colorful instrument because of its extraordinary potential for dynamic and pitch contrasts and because its parts are sensitive to orchestrations. I frequently have to change equipment slightly because the tone is not quite right - some pieces require a different mouthpiece or tuba to produce the right sound."