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YouTube - Phil Smith Plays Haydn Concerto 1/NYPO/Mehta

YouTube - Phil Smith Plays Haydn Concerto 2/NYPO/Mehta

YouTube - Phil Smith Plays Haydn Concerto 3/NYPO/Mehta

Stile442

Absolutly Amazing. Great Find.

Jimi Michiel

I'm sorry, I can't get into his playing. By all accounts he is a great person and an incredible trumpet player, but there's just not a whole lot there. It's a beautiful sound, but there's just no style. I find the same thing with a lot of his recordings with the NYP. Phenomenal trumpet playing, but it's almost robotic. In a drop the needle test next to MA, Eklund and Hakan Hardenberger, the only way I could pick out Phil Smith's is by noting the lack of style interpretation.

Sorry, the guy is great role model for young trumpeters, but I've always felt his beautiful sound and near perfect technique were brought down by his failure to present any kind of personality in his playing.

-Jimi

commakozzi

Very cool. Was looking for some Phil Smith yesterday, glad this was added. I love his playing, and I'm sorry I mean... I guess someone always has to take shots at the guy at the top, but I hear plenty of "emotion" in his perfect playing.

Jeff23

Wow, I've heard him a lot, but never watched him play. It's so weird to see someone with such a great sound have such an extreme pivot and tilt. I've always been told to try to avoid that, but then Phil Smith does it and it works! Amazing. I guess it goes to show you that you should play however is natural, not what looks natural. There are times when he has the trumpet almost completely sideways.

Jhorn229h

Wow, thanks for sharing. I'm sure we would all love to hear your interpretation of the piece......

J

Tiscione

Are you serious?

Schwab

I got nothin'. How can you argue with someone who says that about Phil Smith?

tatakata

Jimi Michiel

Guys,

Can we be completely objective for a minute here? Forget who he is. Turn off your monitors and turn up your speakers.

Yes, Phil Smith occupies a chair, and a stature in the trumpet world that chances are I (or any of us) will never come close to. The intonation and rhythm were perfect. I cannot argue the Phil Smith has one of the most beautiful sounds of his generation.

HOWEVER... Where is the dynamic contrast? Where is the phrasing? Listen to the second movement. Does this really sound like someone who is completely aware of the harmony accompanying the tune? Is he really trying TO MAKE MUSIC? The difference between a good trumpeter (or cellist, violinist, pianist or clarinetist) and a great musician is an awareness of context and style. Does he really play with that awareness?

Before you shoot me down, do me a favor and listen to two different versions of Coplands Fanfare for the Common Man: the first one is from the nineties, the NYP with James Levine which can be found here. The second is on iTunes. Search for "bernstein copland fanfare" You don't even have to buy it, just listen to the 30 second sample. My point is not that Phil Smith isn't a great trumpet player-he is. My point is that Phil Smith does not have an exciting, individual voice that distinguishes him as a musical icon in the same way as Vacchiano, MA and Herseth did a generation before.

I'm not just trying to ruffle feathers, but to encourage some intelligent conversation. I understand that I will most likely never achieve the stature that Mr. Smith has in the trumpet world. I will also never play for the Red Sox. This does not prevent me from having and expressing opinions on baseball. Let's have an intelligent conversation about this.

What do you really like about this performance of the Haydn? I would be glad to enumerate the specific things that I don't like about it, but I'm genuinely interested in hearing what the "opposing" side has to say.

-Jimi