[NewMusic] Bernie Holland

[Michael Henry]

Like I said, someone needs to put baby Bernie to bed, it's past his bedtime.  And change his diaper too. And Scott Johnson's while you're at it.

Coincidentally, I was going through some stuff in my archives this very evening and came across an item which says a good deal about Bernie.

Back in '91, he reviewed a Carnegie Hall performance of the Cleveland Orchestra. On the program was Rimsky-Korsakov's "Russian Easter" Overture, about which Bernie quipped:

"With its reputation for denying glitz, the Cleveland can also make its sober style work well in big pieces like Rimsky-Korsakov's "Russian Easter" Overture. The size and grandeur -- without the Technicolor -- were there. Richard Solis's french horn solo was masterly."

Well, small problem Bernie.....there is no horn solo in "Russian Easter." But there is a long trombone solo.

A couple of days after, a correction appeared in the NYT. As follows:

"A music review on Monday about a concert by the Cleveland Orchestra misidentified the trombone soloist in Saturday's performance of Rinsky-Korsakov's "Russian Easter" Overture. He was Allen Kofsky, not Richard Solis."

Of course, the corrections editor couldn't bring himself to embarrass Bernie by pointing out that he had not only misidentified the soloist....he misidentified the instrument (!)

I have heard he is notorious for dozing off during concerts.

-MH



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