Roger Hecht ([log in to unmask]) wrote:

>Probably both because, as far as I know, Ansermet picked most of the
>players.  And who knows what else was involved?

I have a friend who played with most of the great conductors of the
post-war era - he was in the 1950s Philharmonia (now *that*, arguabkly,
was one of the top 10 of all time) and later principal bass in the BBC SO.

He told me that he was once playing in the pit - probably at Covent Garden
- when Ansermet leaned over and offered him a job...

deryk barker
([log in to unmask], http://www.camosun.bc.ca/~dbarker)