De Pasquale and his brother Robert (violinist with Philadelphia Orchestra, 1964- ) discuss their musical and family backgrounds, how Eugene Ormandy went about getting the four De Pasquale brothers into the Philadelphia Orchestra (Francis - violoncello, 1943-1977; Joseph - principal viola, 1964- ), the formation of the De Pasquale String Quartet and allowances made for it by Ormandy, the sense of pride possessed by the members of the Phila. Orch., and the personal kindness of Ormandy. They also discuss other aspects of Ormandy's characteristics as a conductor, including his skill as an accompanist, his conducting technique (especially his downbeat and how it affected the sound of the orchestra), his physical strength and endurance, his methods of motivating and controlling his players, his workload, his sense of humor, his emphasis on sound quality in recordings, his toughness, his generosity, his last concert at Carnegie Hall, and his part in choosing his successor, Riccardo Muti. Comments and opinions are also offered concerning other artists, including Samuel Mayes, Joseph and Louis Lanza (their cousins), the Philadelphia String Quartet, and Benjamin Lees.
