trumpetmike

I have just been replying to a thread on TH and thought I would ask a question over here that it made me think about.
Are audition excerpt lists needed?

By the time you are auditioning for a professional group (especially at the top end) then the chances are high that you already know much of the repertoire. If you don't know the repertoire you will either need to be a fantastic sight-reader or a very quick learner, if not you probably won't survive the pace of the professional world.
With this being the case, what is the point of an orchestra saying that they want to hear certain excerpts?
Surely they could just as easily say "from the repertoire" and it would be expected that you could play just about anything. If there was a piece that you were possibly unfamiliar with you could ask the steward (who would need priming beforehand) and they could act as conductor and ask for it a certain way.

Surely part of the job of an orchestral trumpeter is versatility, so rather than going in with their own set ideas about how an excerpt should be played, they could have a selection of styles on the stand and the audition panel could ask for an excerpt/etude/piece in any of those styles.

Excerpts are a vital part of our studies, but does a professional orchestra really need to tell allegedly professional players what they will be asked to play?

tpter1

Interesting question, Mike. I think they help people prepare better. Someone with alot of performing experience has played many of the works normally requested, to be sure, but how long ago have they performed something like the Bartok Concerto? And those entering the orchestral field for the first time certainly need to know what to polish up. To keep all those works fresh in performance condition might be a bit daunting. I also think it might help the commitee decide who is capable of preparing what to what level.

ecarroll

I hope that Manny doesn't mind me jumping in with my opinion before he has a chance to reply. TMike's question mirrors one that I have been asking for many years.

In the end I feel that you're both right.

If I were elected Pope of Music (let's not hold our breath), there would be no list to audition principal trumpet positions. I would expect anyone who considers him/herself to be qualified to perform as a soloist inside a big league band, as well as to function as a leader of a section, to have a good grip on the entire repertoire.

The three section jobs are perhaps another issue for the reasons stated.

In the end, a good audition committee can sort the wheat from the chaff.

I'm going to start a thread in my forum soon about auditioning. This subject is front and center on my mind right now as some of my students are taking the OSM audition in January. Stay tuned.

And now I return you to your originally desired moderator,
EC

Siegtrmpt

It seems to me that audtion comittees are simply looking for someone who plays well and will fit in personally with the orchestra. Orchestras publish their scheduled performance literature months in advance if not years. I doubt that they are worried that someone knows some obscure work off the cuff. The excerpts are just the format to find out how someone plays. Manny?

Manny Laureano

I would LOVE to see a return the old "Here... play a few things for me" approach to auditioning. "Let's see what kind of musician you are" as opposed to "Let's see how many hours you can practice a pre-set list of music so you can knock it of with technical perfection" approach.

ML

trumpetmike

So, would that involve free choice then Manny, or would it be that the audition panel would provide a few things and you would be expected to know them?
Or a combination of both?

Given enough time most players can work up most excerpts, it just seems strange that they can be an effective judge of who is most musical and suitable for a prominent position.

Siegtrmpt

Here's a good article by Steve Hendrickson about how they conducted the latest audition for the National Symphony. Lots of good insight into what they were looking for and why they did what they did.

http://www.trumpetguild.org/pdf/2006...0601InOrch.pdf

robertwhite

That's a good article. I'm proud to say that I was one of the four finalists for that job. Not to sound boastful, but to point out that even in that situation, nearly all of the music asked was the kind of stuff you'd expect to see on any audition. No surprises, really.

Mikey

Thanks for posting that, Bill. I think that should be required reading for any trumpeter insterested in a career with a symphony orchestra. It will be interesting to see if other orchestras try this approach that Steve and the NSO used to fill the second trumpet spot.

Mike

trumpetnick

First of all, Considering myself still a young player, I would say that these list can be useful. I spent my first study in small conservatoire, where playing in a big symphony orchestra setting within the studies was rather a luxe. So those list are still a chance to have a preview of the orchestral repertoire.

Secondly, it is a long way till someone becomes so versatile and fnatastic sight-reader. Don't you think so, TMike? You are teaching as well, right? What you have said applies especially to Principal positions in world class orchestra. Many trumpeters starts from small orchestra, often with 2nd, 3rd, 4th trumpet positions. This is how many of us really get to know the orchestral repertoire. How can a young player can prepare for an audition? Let's suppose that he had naver played in a SO setting before the audition = he has a limited knowledge of the orchestra repertoire. Bingo! Audition list is probably the answer.

However I think that some orchestra have to review ther audition list. I have seen quite often Henzel and Gretel on these list, but have never seen it on any symphony or opera orchestra program.