CSO clarinetist Clark Brody dies at age 98
Clark Brody, who served as principal clarinet of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra under four music directors, from his hiring in 1951 until his retirement in 1978, died Saturday, at 98. He and his wife Donna lived in Evanston.
At the invitation of then music director Rafael Kubelik, Brody joined the CSO in 1951 as first clarinet. He was then fresh out of the CBS Symphony Orchestra, in which he also played principal clarinet from 1941 to 1950.
Brody's elegant phrasing and rich, woody sound were evident in everything he played as an ensemble member, soloist and chamber musician. Yet his musicianship was so flexible that he could readily adapt to whatever musical style was at hand. His reliability as a performer and section leader earned him the respect of his CSO colleagues in addition to that of music directors Kubelik, Fritz Reiner, Jean Martinon and Georg Solti. He stepped down roughly a decade into Solti's directorship.
Along with CSO woodwind principals Donald Peck, flute; Ray Still, oboe; and Willard Elliot, bassoon, Brody contributed much to the developing excellence of the woodwind choir during those years, a quality the orchestra's large discography confirms.
"He was a fine musician and an excellent colleague," said Peck, now retired, who played first flute for 21 of Brody's 27 years in the orchestra. "He was a very nice gentleman and we got along very well. He never intruded on anyone else's playing."
Brody was born into a musical family in Michigan, earning degrees from Michigan State University and the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, N.Y. He moved to New York in 1937 and served during World War II in the Air Force band and concert orchestra.
He also was an active chamber music player, performing at the Library of Congress with the Juilliard and Budapest string quartets. During his years in Chicago he also coached the clarinet section of the CSO's training orchestra, the Civic Orchestra of Chicago, and taught at Northwestern University as well as in private.
Among his recordings is a luminous account on RCA of Ravel's "Introduction and Allegro," in which he is joined by Peck, principal harp Edward Druzinsky and members of the CSO under Martinon.
Besides Brody's wife, survivors include a son, Robert. Services are pending.
Clark Brody, who served as principal clarinet of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra under four music directors, from his hiring in 1951 until his retirement in 1978, died Saturday, at 98. He and his wife Donna lived in Evanston.
At the invitation of then music director Rafael Kubelik, Brody joined the CSO in 1951 as first clarinet. He was then fresh out of the CBS Symphony Orchestra, in which he also played principal clarinet from 1941 to 1950.
Brody's elegant phrasing and rich, woody sound were evident in everything he played as an ensemble member, soloist and chamber musician. Yet his musicianship was so flexible that he could readily adapt to whatever musical style was at hand. His reliability as a performer and section leader earned him the respect of his CSO colleagues in addition to that of music directors Kubelik, Fritz Reiner, Jean Martinon and Georg Solti. He stepped down roughly a decade into Solti's directorship.
Along with CSO woodwind principals Donald Peck, flute; Ray Still, oboe; and Willard Elliot, bassoon, Brody contributed much to the developing excellence of the woodwind choir during those years, a quality the orchestra's large discography confirms.
"He was a fine musician and an excellent colleague," said Peck, now retired, who played first flute for 21 of Brody's 27 years in the orchestra. "He was a very nice gentleman and we got along very well. He never intruded on anyone else's playing."
Brody was born into a musical family in Michigan, earning degrees from Michigan State University and the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, N.Y. He moved to New York in 1937 and served during World War II in the Air Force band and concert orchestra.
He also was an active chamber music player, performing at the Library of Congress with the Juilliard and Budapest string quartets. During his years in Chicago he also coached the clarinet section of the CSO's training orchestra, the Civic Orchestra of Chicago, and taught at Northwestern University as well as in private.
Among his recordings is a luminous account on RCA of Ravel's "Introduction and Allegro," in which he is joined by Peck, principal harp Edward Druzinsky and members of the CSO under Martinon.
Besides Brody's wife, survivors include a son, Robert. Services are pending.
CSO clarinetist Clark Brody dies at age 98
Clark Brody, who served as principal clarinet of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra under four music directors, from his hiring in 1951 until his retirement in 1978, died Saturday, at 98. He and his wife Donna lived in Evanston.
At the invitation of then music director Rafael Kubelik, Brody joined the CSO in 1951 as first clarinet. He was then fresh out of the CBS Symphony Orchestra, in which he also played principal clarinet from 1941 to 1950.
Brody's elegant phrasing and rich, woody sound were evident in everything he played as an ensemble member, soloist and chamber musician. Yet his musicianship was so flexible that he could readily adapt to whatever musical style was at hand. His reliability as a performer and section leader earned him the respect of his CSO colleagues in addition to that of music directors Kubelik, Fritz Reiner, Jean Martinon and Georg Solti. He stepped down roughly a decade into Solti's directorship.
Along with CSO woodwind principals Donald Peck, flute; Ray Still, oboe; and Willard Elliot, bassoon, Brody contributed much to the developing excellence of the woodwind choir during those years, a quality the orchestra's large discography confirms.
"He was a fine musician and an excellent colleague," said Peck, now retired, who played first flute for 21 of Brody's 27 years in the orchestra. "He was a very nice gentleman and we got along very well. He never intruded on anyone else's playing."
Brody was born into a musical family in Michigan, earning degrees from Michigan State University and the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, N.Y. He moved to New York in 1937 and served during World War II in the Air Force band and concert orchestra.
He also was an active chamber music player, performing at the Library of Congress with the Juilliard and Budapest string quartets. During his years in Chicago he also coached the clarinet section of the CSO's training orchestra, the Civic Orchestra of Chicago, and taught at Northwestern University as well as in private.
Among his recordings is a luminous account on RCA of Ravel's "Introduction and Allegro," in which he is joined by Peck, principal harp Edward Druzinsky and members of the CSO under Martinon.
Besides Brody's wife, survivors include a son, Robert. Services are pending.
Clark Brody, who served as principal clarinet of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra under four music directors, from his hiring in 1951 until his retirement in 1978, died Saturday, at 98. He and his wife Donna lived in Evanston.
At the invitation of then music director Rafael Kubelik, Brody joined the CSO in 1951 as first clarinet. He was then fresh out of the CBS Symphony Orchestra, in which he also played principal clarinet from 1941 to 1950.
Brody's elegant phrasing and rich, woody sound were evident in everything he played as an ensemble member, soloist and chamber musician. Yet his musicianship was so flexible that he could readily adapt to whatever musical style was at hand. His reliability as a performer and section leader earned him the respect of his CSO colleagues in addition to that of music directors Kubelik, Fritz Reiner, Jean Martinon and Georg Solti. He stepped down roughly a decade into Solti's directorship.
Along with CSO woodwind principals Donald Peck, flute; Ray Still, oboe; and Willard Elliot, bassoon, Brody contributed much to the developing excellence of the woodwind choir during those years, a quality the orchestra's large discography confirms.
"He was a fine musician and an excellent colleague," said Peck, now retired, who played first flute for 21 of Brody's 27 years in the orchestra. "He was a very nice gentleman and we got along very well. He never intruded on anyone else's playing."
Brody was born into a musical family in Michigan, earning degrees from Michigan State University and the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, N.Y. He moved to New York in 1937 and served during World War II in the Air Force band and concert orchestra.
He also was an active chamber music player, performing at the Library of Congress with the Juilliard and Budapest string quartets. During his years in Chicago he also coached the clarinet section of the CSO's training orchestra, the Civic Orchestra of Chicago, and taught at Northwestern University as well as in private.
Among his recordings is a luminous account on RCA of Ravel's "Introduction and Allegro," in which he is joined by Peck, principal harp Edward Druzinsky and members of the CSO under Martinon.
Besides Brody's wife, survivors include a son, Robert. Services are pending.
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