Herb,
That's an amazing story about the trumpet. I can understand how a musician could get so involved with doing the recording, getting it done, as a technical or even athletic challenge as well as a job, especially since it is to result in such an important end product, that he might have to be stopped by physical means.

Hehe Bruce, the stage floor - I don't know.
The floor is full of markers and tapes, but the studio is on the countryside.
So we have a wonderfull garden at the rear with a beautiful creek...

I deleted the "blood and tears" poll to keep the votes for the other stories, some of them are really funny (IMO).

The one instrument, which will never be recorded (which makes elephants happy) story:

The story begins during my active days as a cellist at the Vienna Opera. I loved to play Puccini (great themes for the cellos).
One of my best experiences was when I played Tosca for the first time. Second act, a very quiet but superdramatic passage.
Celli and bassi playing lonely pizz with big breaks between.
At that moment a deep “whhhooooomp” started sounding behind me, coming from the back of the stage.
It was not loud, but unbelievably deep, and I felt an air breeze.
That gave me the creeps. One minute later again this “whhooomp”. Wonderful…

From this day on Tosca was my favorite opera, but I never thought of asking what this “whhoommp” is.

13 years later when the recordings for VSL started, I remembered that situation and asked our percussionist
who also plays in the opera. He smiled: “That’s our elephant drum.”

“Elephant drum?”

“Yeah, an incredible large bass drum with an elephant skin.”

I got shining eyes, because I saw the chance to capture my goose-flesh:
“I will talk with the director of the Vienna Opera. We will record this drum in the opera
and place the mics exactly where I was sitting during Tosca. You place the drum on the exact same place…”

The musician was embarrassed and looked to the floor.

“What’s the problem?”

“Last week they hit on the drum too strongly and the elephant skin tore.”

“And…”

“We don’t know when we get a new skin, you can buy it only in the US.”

“Any alternatives?”

“Rhino skins. But they are much more difficult to get.”

“Ok, we have time, we’ll wait for the new elephant skin.”

Months later the musician told me that the new skin has arrived, and I should phone him the next days for a recording session.
So I did, but:
“They have a problem with the skin, it is a little too small. But they try to stretch it slowly over a couple of days.”

I crossed my fingers, but no chance. The skin tore again.
“When will the next skin come?”

“Never, it’s too expensive. They will simulate it with electronical stuff from now on.”

Maybe better this way. No elephant blood sticks on VSL hands.

Herb,

Write a book.


I buy it now.



The French dyslexic who speaks badly English.

These stories are GREAT (though I feel for the poor people involved!! Blood Sweat and tears: they should all get credit in your manual. Seriously, I'd like to see everyone's name: it heelps give us a connection to the orchestra we are USING.

Rob

Thanks a lot Crystal. Here I have to thank my wife Sabine - she is my english editor (for the stories)

Robert, really cool suggestion. It's a shame that we didn't had this idea.

hello rob,
we'll name the musicians in the manuals - if you want to know more about them, just have a look at TEAM on our website!

all the best,
sabine

What was the diameter of the elephant drum?

Herb,

That elephant story is quite something! You can now say on the box:
"No animals were harmed during this production"

Though, I wonder what the tymps were made of.....

Regards - Colin

Calf skin [8-)]

I would say the main difference is, we are eating calf meat, but no elephant meat.

On the other hand, the bow hairs are from horses. But they don't have to die for it, or???

@musos said:

You can now say on the box:
"No animals were harmed during this production"

[:D] ... actually, I already wrote this in the credits of our interactive CD-ROM ...

/Dietz - Vienna Symphonic Library