Tonight's Philharmonic concert wasn't my usual sort of fare – a Brandenburg Concerto, the Haydn Trumpet Concerto, Bolero - but it was all worth it for the 14 minutes Principal Clarinetist Stanley Drucker stood onstage at Avery Fisher for the last time as soloist, performing the Copland Clarinet Concerto. For those who haven't heard, Drucker, 80, is retiring this year after 61 years with the Philharmonic. But, this is no doddering fool being put out to pasture (the way I wish the Phil would do with some of their other octogenarians.) Drucker has long been one of the great clarinetists in the world – in or out of an orchestra – and his talent hasn't diminished one bit over the past six decades. If anything, he's grown even better with age – no mean feat when you play a reed instrument. (Take it from a former clarinetist.)
In an opening video montage – a rare tribute for any retiring orchestra member – former conductors and colleagues heaped praise on Drucker, calling him a consummate musician and "one of the last great stylists." Incoming Music Director Alan Gilbert said: "There are very few musicians who, through their playing, can elevate a performance from merely adequate to truly magical. Drucker is one of those rare musicians." He is literally a walking history book of the Philharmonic, having played with everyone from Bruno Walter, to Bernstein, to Boulez.
Drucker has played the Copland over sixty times over the years with the Philharmonic, having made it his own. Originally written for Benny Goodman, it's full of jazzy rhythms and tricky runs up and down the keys. Drucker played it with fierce energy and flair, a truly great performance by any standard. When the crowd stood to offer him a standing ovation (including fellow clarinetist Don Byron), he almost seemed embarrassed by all the attention, wanting to run back to his chair at the rear of the orchestra (which he did for the Ravel.)
This was also a departure of another sort: the first of Lorin Maazel's final string of concerts as the Philharmonic's Music Director. More on that in future posts: tonight, it's all about Stanley. (More pics below.)