Ralph Pottle (BSO french horn, 1966-1981) oral history interview: Pottle, Ralph, interviewee, 1993-08-05T00:00:00+00:00, 2023-07-11T00:00:00+00:00

Cassette 43: Oral history conducted by Robert Ripley on August 5, 1993.

PARTIAL TRANSCRIPT

Tape 43, Side A

Interviewer: Bob Ripley Interviewee: Ralph Pottle Date: August 5, 1993

0:08 INTERVIEW BEGINS

0:27-3:23 early life, born in Louisiana; parents were professional musicians; father ran a private conservatory and taught many different instruments; father studied acoustics at the BSO

3:23-5:53 grew up studying the trumpet, performed in theatres at age 5; when adult teeth came in, he could not play as well anymore; after army service, returned to Southeastern Louisiana University and picked up the horn, James WILCOX encouraged him to go to Tanglewood

5:53-6:48 went to Tanglewood, met VALKENIER, who would become his teacher; did various jobs at Tanglewood

6:48-7:40 personal family life; sister is a musician; practiced hard in high school

7:40-9:01 did not play music while in army as had heard it was not inspiring

9:01-11:25 college education; decided to go to New England Conservatory to continue study with VALKENIER; spent one year at Conservatory; then spent one year with the San Antonio Symphony with REITER, replaced Harvey GARBER; returned to Conservatory to finish Master's degree in performance

11:25-19:51 joined the National Symphony and loved it; left only because of Fulbright fellowship to Vienna; studied with Godfried FREIBERG while in Vienna; taught his distinct style of playing; did not play with opera or Philharmonic, but did play chamber music with SCHNEIDER

19:51-20:51 after return from Europe in 1955, taught at Lousiana State University; resigned from LSU to audition for the BSO

20:51-27:16 arrived to Boston, met Sara CALDWELL who helped him gain access to a doctoral program at Boston University; joined Zimbler Symphoneta and went on South American trip, story of helping with visas to return

27:16-30:55 continued teaching and studying at BU; married woman he had met at LSU; began playing around Boston in the theatres; assisted Sara CALDWELL but did not play much for her; substituted as horn regularly in the BSO for two years

32:00-36:48 story of acceptance into the BSO; did not have to audition; letter sent to horn players from LEINSDORF letting people know that they would be competing against Ralph POTTLE; no one auditioned, so POTTLE was given position; experience playing in so many different chair positions in the orchestra prepared him well for joining the BSO

36:48-41:20 for doctoral program, prepared to write a paper examining the social dynamics of the orchestra, but found that the project was too close to home; quit the program

41:20-43:33 brief discussion of involvement with Players Committee; memories of MUNCH; hired by LEINSDORF; enjoyed brief years with STEINBERG; continued to teach at BU after leaving doctoral program; continued to teach at New England Conservatory

43:53-45:39 story of a missed note during a performance, messing up Gino CIOFFI

45:39-49:57 story of Arthur FIEDLER; loved to play practical jokes on him; story of dressing up with space-themed clothes during Pops performance; 48:08 after FIEDLER left in irritation, Bill MOYER told them to be silent, so the orchestra spontaneously went angelically silent when he stopped conducting

49:57 RECORDING ENDS

Tape 43, Side B

0:12 RECORDING BEGINS: RALPH POTTLE CONT'D

0:16-1:11 continued stories of Arthur FIEDLER; creation of the joke "if you want to kill Arthur Fiedler, just be nice to him"

1:11-3:30 left orchestra as parents and in-laws were in poor health; continued to participate in Tanglewood

3:30-6:10 personal life; three children, plus two from wife's previous marriage; grandchildren; discussion of Ralph's lack of southern accent; did not feel connected to southern culture because family was spread throughout US

6:10-8:06 continues to teach; serves as the "artist in residence" at the Southeastern Louisiana University; plays chamber music and plays with New Orleans Symphony

8:20-16:41 story of support from management for his alcoholism; counseled by Todd PERRY and the Players Committee; finally found release and freedom from it in his 60s

16:41 INTERVIEW CONCLUDES