Pantechnicon; 4; Doriot Anthony Dwer

You. DORIO Anthony Dwyer is the first woman appointed as principal player with a major he last August and as first lose with the Boston Symphony has performed with them and music centers all over the world. She's performing with us today. I'm Eleanor STOUT And I'm Robert two words and this is pen talk with your magazine of entertainment and the arts. Brought you not only on Sunday but nightly at 6:15 supported in part by the Massachusetts Council on the arts and humanities. Before coming to Boston during Anthony Dwyer was a member of the Los Angeles Philharmonic when she was chosen first flutist of the Hollywood Bowl symphony by Bruno Valter. She performed with such conduct as Charlene munch. William Steinberg and most recently Michael Tilson Thomas. Here in Boston. She was also a member of the Boston Symphony Chamber Players. And she'll be playing in the Boston University faculty series this coming Tuesday January 28 at the Boston University School of Music in a benefit for the scholarship fund of the music

school. DORIO talked with us recently about a career and with pianist Fred Weiner treated us with some live performances including the Chopin variations on a theme of Racine in. Mendelsohn's transcriptions of the skits the numbers 19 and 10. Supposedly written by fundamentals on. Music from. Berlioz damnation of most and methods Dr. Lee's serenade. Do you have then the point of the first principal player with a major symphony orchestra. Was that is that quite a coup do you feel. Well obviously and I yes I didn't mean that out of things that I'm very thrilled to be in the Boston Symphony. I. You know it was something we all sort of dreamed of to be you know a great wonderful orchestra like this but I never really expected to.

Be here. I was very happy if I was just somewhere as first flute I wanted to play. The solo part because I had studied them and I'd love them so. But. You know. I really think it's it's great to be in the Boston Symphony. I had heard that that. Mr. Lott was stepping down and retiring. And so I mean at least started to practice. And I wrote and asked for an audition and I didn't hear for a long time and I didn't think that I would hear because in those days if you put. A misson front of your name your letters were answered Oh oh oh oh yes discrimination you really felt it. Oh yes. Man I always did good at missing from my name because I thought it would be worse if I you know took all the trouble to go to an audition and then they barred me right at that spend on to me. So but only because you're a woman. Oh yes. Yes they would and wouldn't have any consideration.

I mean it's like a different species or something I don't. Anyway. But I did get a wire to come to Tanglewood and an audition. I mean they were holding. And I know it was very funny because I did I was in Los Angeles and I flew to New York and then I took a limousine from New York to Tanglewood and in New York friend of mine met me. And he said what are you here for and I said well I'm take a very important audition and I did. He said were you going to tango and he said Aha I want to tell you. Mel Not exactly. And. But no that's where the symphony is in the summertime you know. And so I came there and I played and and that's when it happened. How have your fellow musician how did they initially feel about a woman as first clue. Did you have any difficulty at all. Well I think that they were very very friendly and supportive.

And it was some adjustment for me. It wasn't that many people think this was my first job I ever had in my life. And that's not how I know you were. Yes. Yes no it's not true at all I want Gordon to do this sort of thing with or without it. A lot of experience. And I also you know people think this is the first time I ever played with a man's orchestra or something like that. No that's not true because even. When I go say even in school no that wasn't quite true I think there were about 50/50 half girls have boys at school but certainly all professional jobs I played. There are a great majority of men a great minority of women and usually I was the only female woodwind player in all of these jobs so that part was nothing new to me. But when I came here I was in the black. And I was first glued them. This is something I had dreamed very exciting doing because I had been for years a second through Los Angeles. For money. And

I had. Played many many jobs. As a person but. To have. A real steady job as first salute you know it was pretty. Exciting and I really was most concerned about. Playing my my parts well. Right where you get it all having or being the great great niece of Susan B Anthony was there

any time I ended. Did people say anything about that. Well they didn't know what I didn't say much about it and they just didn't know about it. And I don't think there would be kidding anyway except in my own family. More in my own family they were more they considered her in the eccentric. Cover really. Yes. They were not proud of her and there was a lot of killing going on because any time the women of the family stood up for themselves the man would kid about Susan B Anthony. And I'm very grateful to how many people you know who have done things to honor her because I think the Reserve brute situation has reversed a great deal. And were you very aware of her growing up. Not her family just not talk about it right now very much no. My mother would bring this up more than anybody else and she was very proud of it. But she wasn't directly related. How long have you played now with the Boston Symphony. Dorian Well I. I

auditioned in the summer of 52 and I started the band in September and you've traveled all over the world with them I suppose. Yes I did not go to Japan. I have not been on the Orient because I was having a baby then the how did you find that the audience is different Atal in these in these countries could you all very different. Well you know there's a different audience here and in Chicago I mean you know or New York. Your sense of the mediately it's like. Being at a party and you look at people you know it's you just sense of there's a difference and different rhythms. I would say that the Russian audiences. I would not like to the group I'm with the South American audiences or anything else I would like to group the South Americans with anybody else either. But I would say the Russians were one of the most demonstrative audiences. That we have ever played and the most positive. Now you asked about South America. My I did not go there as a member of the Boston Symphony I went there

as a member of the Boston Symphony Chamber Players and I think probably it was a similar experience except that we're playing chamber music and it was. Well when you're a hundred people on the stage and there are thousands of people out it doesn't make much difference if you have 4000 or 3000 people. But when there are five of you on stage say and there are three. Thousand 10000 5000 out there or maybe a few hundred it makes a tremendous They think you're deaf. You know it's sort of at least it does to me. And I know one place we were in. Always maybe we had we were in that what they call the brick Cathedral and it was a cathedral made all of bricks. And in fact if you really want to know the truth a lot of it was big stones and then they painted over it to look like pretty cheap. ME IT'S AMAZING why should they paid over stones looked like bricks but that's what they did. And then there were real bricks there too. I'd probably get a letter from her the. Terrible thing I told them

anyway. It was a very touching experience because we were in this enormous Cathedral and a tremendous booming sound and we had a sort of whispered You know when people walked around they said was fantastic at the very end of the church how it was like it just hit your ear. How do you divide the time then between the Boston Symphony and the Boston Chamber Players. How often do you

perform with him. Well. We perform. We have about I think it's about 10 concerts throughout the year and then in the spring time we go on tour and we play quite often we tour for two two weeks and come to play a lot in New York don't do are you going to a series now in New York. Is it at Carnegie Hall. Well that's that's something else that's a series of. Concerts that I'm doing. And it's called. You two are friends and friends. And they are my friends. And it was it was started. Actually it was it was curtains idea. She said Oh Dorian Let's let's play together sometime and just. And just have. Our friends do something like this. And this was not for some very spontaneous. Yes. Well we planned this

concert. And it's going to happen next year. The one that we play and. The huff. I and in the meantime. I was. Found that I had this series of concerts that were possible to do. And so I invited Phyllis to do one of these with me and so that's. That's our concept but in turn we're going to do the same program next year another place maybe not syndrome but something similar to that. Anyway she could do a turn up the last of the series of three which will be in February 10th at Carnegie recital. And you're so used to working under different conductors. Which conductors do you feel you have derives the most from learned the most from. Well. I hope you didn't make that singular. No it was yeah. Because there isn't any single one.

I really get a great deal from practically everybody we play with and even some of the conductors I don't consider really the greatest. Sometimes I learn a great deal from them to like you know why why they might be lacking and why did I do to help this. And other times when I was just a great wonderful conductor Well then we all sort of sit back and. And. Well it's a different kind of playing. We we give our actions a way because each person reacts differently but. But when it's when it's a really great assured conductor. Why then there are relaxation sets in and yet. You work much harder because you can give more. You know when you're required to give more. And when it's a conductor who isn't quite as experienced let's say them. It's a

different kind of experience you have you're all probably all tense and you have to give a tremendous amount. Of other kinds of things but you can't give up most of musicality. And how do you work out a balance when you feel very strongly about something about phrasing for example. And yet the conductor might feel differently. Has that ever happened. Well yeah it's really built on about something. How do you work this out. Well the conductor is boss. And. On the other hand there are certain considerations that's a difference. A very big difference in great conductors and well you know the sort of average conductors. One of the biggest difference is a great conductor knows when a player feels strongly about playing something for reasons of his interest instrument or as an artist. Yeah. And then there are certain preferences Well they always have to be tempered with the conductors interpretation. You have to take that. You can do your own

thing. And you use it with the interpretation. If it jars with the interpretation then it's not right. I feel it's not right. Generally even if you meant to do it. You know. But. To play with. Because. It's one thing. Conductor brings his or her own horn as to what he. When did Walter Piston compose a concerto for you and how did that come about.

Well. Warren I have been friends for. Ever since I came to Boston in fact. We became friends because he wrote lovely Sonata for flute and piano. And I had just recorded it in Los Angeles before I came to Boston. And one of my first the first thing I did one of the first things I did when I got settled here was to look him up. And play that sonata for him because I want to know how he if he you know how he thought about this and I want to ask him certain things. That I didn't understand about the Sonata etc.. So from then on and you know he's a very wonderful and charming person. And so we just were friends and then he was he's an avid symphony Gore and we play his works all the time and so one thing in a. Well. He said at one point he said I'm going to write a concerto for you I'm going to. And then it was Oh sure sure that I'm going to. And I said. Well wonderful. And then nothing happened.

And then. We Mr. much had played a lot of his symphony. Us and Them Leinsdorf was here and we played a few more and not as many as when winter is here. Then I think that was sort of a quiet period period. And oh Steinberg was here and then shortly after that you know Michael Tilson Thomas became a conductor. And I mean he was a conductor but he key became famous conductor. And one of the things it one of the innovations I'd say that he made in Boston where were his performances of the best and works. And he especially did the second symphony very beautifully and then he was on the air and he and piston was his guest. And Walter told me about this. And that that Michael said. And what are you working on now Dr. pist and what is your major work. And he said well I'm writing a concerto for Dorio. And he said to me I haven't put a note down you know.

About that I mean my commitment to her and he said I don't want to right now you had to do it. Yeah. That's well that's how it came about. Do you prefer playing classical music over a modern music but what period of music do you best like. Oh. I really can't say. I used to think I liked one thing I think I've used to think I like Baroque you know over contemporary Then I decided it was contemporary and today these little pieces that I play are romantic I think my run going to sound crazy I think the room I go every day it's something different Yeah I just love it all. But when you have a style of your own people who hear you play without realizing that it's you if they're listening to a recording know that it's Doyle and you do as they do with Paul. But if you could describe your style. How would you explain it. How does it differ do you feel if you were talking to a student about what it is that you're all about and what techniques you

want to get across in your playing. Well I. I wouldn't. Talk about techniques because if you talk about getting technique to cross it's techniques and it's not music. I think that all technique is is you know a tool for what music is at hand. And. I think that's what I said. MR. And I think if anything else. I try to have a singing style. Various singers though I hope. What do you mean by the singing style. Well but sometimes I'd like to have a speaking style too. I want to be expressive that's all. And I think that that instrumentals often. And this is not limited to flute players I think all instrumentalists often. Get Caught Up. In a school of playing

and it creeps over and it becomes a school of interpretation. And I hope that I don't have that kind of you know they say this is a pianists piece or this is a real violin is that something that's fine when you're describing orchestration. But many times I find that interpretations are described as. As that. And well I hope that what I try to do is to bridge that gap. So there. So I'm not tied down to the flute when I'm playing. That's why on this program some of these little pieces I'm playing are really Arias and. Oh I love to play vocal pieces because. It's just diversity. Yeah. Did you always play the flute. Did you start off as a child playing the flute and if you played another instrument. Well I played piano for example very badly. But I'll tell you about my piano playing

one my daughter has summed it up very well. She thought I was a pianist. Because I didn't practice except when she was asleep. And then the day came when she went to kindergarten. And so when she would be awake sometimes I play the piano for her. I play little songs. Or I play for my own enjoyment you know. And then when she was asleep that I practice the flute. And so when she went to kindergarten she came home and she said Mom guess what. The teacher plays the piano for us. And she doesn't stand in the middle. Yes. And there is a little bit. Did you come from a musical family. Oh yes. My mother my mother is was a very wonderful flutist. And then elsewhere you picked up the Elsa's. She was self-taught. Practically. But. She was really very good.

She wanted all of us. I would want to. She wanted all of us to play the flute. I mean you know. I. I was the one that. Stuck at it. Very successfully. I must say I stuck out for a long time very unsafe. Suddenly. It all made sense. Thank you very much Doyle and need life.

Thank you for being with us today. And a reminder Boston University faculty series benefit is this coming Tuesday January 28 at the Boston University School of Music. Join us during the week and next Sunday when we feature the Opera Company of Boston or contact me gone. This is Elena Stone and Robert Taylor from the. Thank you. And remember the Pentagon is produced for WGBH radio by Greg Fitzgerald. This is the eastern Public Radio Network.