ecarroll

TMers,

Trumpetmike started an interesting thread in Manny’s forum recently asking if excerpt lists are really necessary when auditioning for a professional symphony orchestra. The thread below avoids that topic as it’s being well discussed across the hallway. I’d like to focus instead on the upcoming audition in Montreal and talk about what an audition committee may (or may not) be looking for in when listening to an applicant. Trust me when I say that I’ve served on many.

Firstly, let’s understand that there are objective standards against which any candidate can be measured by a committee of peers:

1) Playing the notes effortlessly.
2) Rhythmic accuracy (hugely important on a large stage where the brass often can’t hear the front or opposite side of the stage when they themselves are playing)
3) Intonation (if it’s close it’s wrong).
4) Clarity (articulation, punctuation, etc.).
5) Knowledge of the entire composition and the composer’s stylistic thumbprint (this rings through the screen immediately – trust me once again).

Subjective standards such as the quality and appropriateness of an applicant’s sound will naturally vary from orchestra to orchestra. Please remember that your sound is YOUR sound and if the committee likes it you might have a good fit (conversely if they don’t like it you wouldn’t have been happy there anyway so move along with a smile). The power of your forte and the fluidity of your pianissimo must match the dynamic of the ensemble as well. Thank God for subjectivity. Variety is the spice of life, after all.

Secondly, let’s take a look at the description of the job and repertoire list:

4th trumpet (utility)
Orchestre Symphonique de Montréal
Kent Nagano, Music Director

Announces the following vacancies
4th trumpet (utility)

National auditions will be held on January 11, 2007
Employment to begin in September 2007
Highly qualified applicants please send a one-page resume before December 15, 2006 to

mcbriand@osm.ca

or
Michael Carpenter, Personnel Manager Musicians
Orchestre Symphonique de Montréal
260, de Maisonneuve Ouest
Montréal, QC H2X 1Y9

Repertoire

A) SOLO

Honneger Intrada pour trompette et piano

B) RÉPERTOIRE ORCHESTRAL
Bartók Concerto pour orchestre (1er, 2e et 5e mvt) Trompette 2
Beethoven Ouverture Leonore nº 2 et 3 op. 72 (solo hors scène) Trompette 1 Beethoven Symphonie nº 5 en do mineur op. 67 (2e mvt) Trompette 2 Bizet Carmen Suite nº 1 (Prélude) Trompette 1
Debussy Trois Nocturnes (II – Fêtes) Trompette 2
Donizetti Don Pasquale (Prélude du début du 2e acte)
Dvorák Symphonie nº 8 (nº 4) en sol majeur op. 88 (1er, 2e et 4e mvt) Trompette 2
Gershwin Concerto pour piano en fa majeur (2e mvt) Trompette 1
Handel Messiah (nº 48 The Trumpet Shall Sound)
Mahler Symphonie nº 5 en do# mineur (1er mvt) Trompette 1
Moussorgsky / Ravel Tableaux d’une exposition (Promenade) Trompette 1
Ravel Concerto pour piano en sol majeur (1er mvt)
Respighi Les Pins de Rome (1er mvt) Trompette 2
Schumann Symphonie nº 2 en do majeur op. 61 (1er mvt début à 2 mesures avant A ) Trompette 1 et 2
Shostakovich Symphonie nº 5 en ré mineur op. 47 (1er mvt) Trompette 2
Strauss, R. Ein Heldenleben op. 40 Trompette 1 en mib (complet) Trompette 2 en mib (mesures 58-66 et 69-75)
Strauss, R. Till Eulenspiegels lustige Streiche op. 28 Trompette 3
Stravinski Petrouchka (version 1911) Piston 1 (Danse de la Ballerine : 1 mesure avant 69 à 70 ) Trompette piccolo 1 et 2 (Final : de 132 à la fin)
POSSIBILITÉ DE LECTURE À VUE ET DE JOUER AVEC LA SECTION DE TROMPETTE DE L’OSM / SIGHT READING AND PLAYING WITH THE OSM TRUMPET SECTION MAY BE REQUIRED
S.V.P. apporter votre partie de piano, car nous aurons un accompagnateur. Le diapason de l’OSM est La-442.
An accompanist is supplied; please bring your own piano part. The pitch of the OSM is A-442.

I feel that this is a very fair list for a utility trumpet position. The OSM feels that Honneger’s Intrada is a good test for an orchestral musician (I agree) and they thoughtfully ask that each applicant bring his/her own piano part (presumably to address various interpretations), warn that sight-reading and playing with the section may be required, and add that A-442 is the pitch standard of the orchestra. Useful information, all.

I believe that each applicant should consider what the committee is objectively listening for when they hear the following passages: (my personal take is marked with a star *)

Honneger Intrada pour trompette et piano
*Opening: Quality and presentation of sound from low G to high C. Soft to loud dynamics and long line. Part two (if they get to it): rhythmic accuracy and clarity of articulation. Note that first impressions are powerful. You won’t win the job by playing a great Intrada but attracting the interest of the committee may be critical to advancing to later rounds.

Bartók Concerto pour orchestre (1er, 2e et 5e mvt) Trompette 2
*Mvt #1: (opening) Soft articulation, soft dynamic, intonation, and rhythmic accuracy (fugue) weight of sound and rhythmic accuracy. Mvt #2: Clarity of articulation, dynamics, and rhythmic accuracy. Mvt #5: Intonation, weight of sound, and rhythmic accuracy.

Beethoven Ouverture Leonore nº 2 et 3 op. 72 (solo hors scène) Trompette 1
*Bravura style and clarity of articulation (psst: observe the fermati).

Beethoven Symphonie nº 5 en do mineur op. 67 (2e mvt) Trompette 2
*Intonation, clarity of articulation, and weight of sound.

Bizet Carmen Suite nº 1 (Prélude) Trompette 1
*Secure low notes, intonation, long line, and rhythmic accuracy (psst: there will probably be a cellist on your committee).

Debussy Trois Nocturnes (II – Fêtes) Trompette 2
*Rhythmic accuracy, soft dynamic, and clarity of articulation (psst: the OSM absolutely owns this, and other, French pieces. Be prepared to play different articulations if asked. Think French champagne, not German beer).

Donizetti Don Pasquale (Prélude du début du 2e acte)
*Expressive, singing line (psst, subjectivity lovers: this is a great opportunity to sing and shine as it’s the only true “solo” in the entire list of orchestral passages, save the short Gerhwin lick and the brief opening of Mahler #5).

Dvorák Symphonie nº 8 (nº 4) en sol majeur op. 88 (1er, 2e et 4e mvt) Trompette 2
*Presentation of sound over two octaves, intonation, and rhythmic accuracy.

Gershwin Concerto pour piano en fa majeur (2e mvt) Trompette 1
*Singing line and rhythmic accuracy (psst: take the time to prepare a good chapeau. Thrift shops can be a goldmine of old fedoras. Cut the brim off and make a small slot 1 inch from the rim to grab the tip of your bell. Experiment until satisfied and then really practice on the silly thing!).

Handel Messiah (nº 48 The Trumpet Shall Sound)
*Intonation and articulation on a higher trumpet (psst: also knowledge of when to step forward and when to step back into the shadow of the basso).

Mahler Symphonie nº 5 en do# mineur (1er mvt) Trompette 1
*Range of dynamics, clarity of articulation, intonation, and presentation of sound (psst: know and prepare all of the passages, including all of the tutti “solos” and muted pp triads at the end of the movement).

Moussorgsky / Ravel Tableaux d’une exposition (Promenade) Trompette 1
*Presentation of sound, long line, and rhythmic accuracy (psst: don’t rush!).

Ravel Concerto pour piano en sol majeur (1er mvt)
*Clarity of articulation and rhythmic accuracy over a long line.

Respighi Les Pins de Rome (1er mvt) Trompette 2
*Presentation of sound at loud (muted) dynamic, rhythmic accuracy.

Schumann Symphonie nº 2 en do majeur op. 61 (1er mvt début à 2 mesures avant A ) Trompette 1 et 2
*Presentation of sound at soft dynamic, intonation, and rhythmic accuracy (psst: the majority of the committee members won’t be trumpeters and won’t care one iota that this is a simple, but difficult, passage! Auditions have been lost, but rarely won, during such moments).

Shostakovich Symphonie nº 5 en ré mineur op. 47 (1er mvt) Trompette 2
*Presentation of sound and rhythmic accuracy (psst: there will probably be a percussionist on your committee).

Strauss, R. Ein Heldenleben op. 40 Trompette 1 en mib (complet) Trompette 2 en mib (mesures 58-66 et 69-75)
*Eb #1: Presentation of sound and rhythmic accuracy. Eb#2: Presentation of sound, rhythmic accuracy, and clear attack on low notes.

Strauss, R. Till Eulenspiegels lustige Streiche op. 28 Trompette 3
*Presentation of sound and rhythmic accuracy.

Stravinski Petrouchka (version 1911) Piston 1 (Danse de la Ballerine : 1 mesure avant 69 à 70 ) Trompette piccolo 1 et 2 (Final : de 132 à la fin)
*Clarity of articulation and rhythmic accuracy (similar on the muted piccolo trumpet).

Those paying attention will note that rhythmic accuracy is crucial to winning a job in a large ensemble. Delivering a wide range of dynamics is important (consider please that there will be committee members who are unimpressed by FF dynamics and dream of trumpeters who exercise restraint. Drop the hammer once to show that you have a large FF but be absolutely scintillating from mf to pp), but a candidate without solid internal rhythm can’t be invited to become a colleague. The stage is simply too large and 100+ members count, so to speak, on one another to play in time.

Lastly, expect the unexpected. You may be asked to do something that differs from your preparation – to repeat a passage differently or to play something that isn’t included on the list – and you should view the unexpected as an opportunity to shine. This, in my opinion, is where auditions are most often won or lost.


Best and I’m looking forward to discussing this with you, Who says early January is boring?
EC

ecarroll

Jim Wilt wrote a marvelous piece over at Trumpetherald (yes, I ghost but rarely contribute) after the recent 2nd trumpet audition in Los Angeles. He’s given me permission to re-print it below and I think that it’s invaluable . . . honest and accurate impressions written by a committee member immediately after going through the process.

Jim writes:

In the interest of saving some of you guys the heartache of blowing a bunch of money to come to an audition and getting cut early, here are a few observations while they are still fresh in my mind:

1) Sound is king. Do not try to artificially darken your sound by lipping everything down - you will end up with a dead, flat sound, and you will also end up back at the airport a day early. Many, many candidates went down for this reason. Conversely, do not squeeze up on the notes, either. Tight sounds do not win jobs. Play right down the middle of the horn, where the sound spins on every note -- including the fast ones.

2) Do not neglect the metronome when you are preparing. I don't care what level player you are - do it. You will be amazed at the tendencies you will notice and (hopefully) correct. This goes for counting your rests, too.

3) Don't assume that because the LA Phil (or any other band) is a "big-time" orchestra, we want to hear everything really loud. There were more 300 lbs ballerinas than I care to think about. When an excerpt calls for you to really rip it, then yes, by all means show us what you have (with a good sound), but you had better show us the flip side, too. Remember, there may be more than a few viola or bassoon players on that committee, and you can bet they're thinking "do I really want to sit in front of that?

4) Along those lines, if it is marked p or pp we want to hear it softly. Not so softly that you ghost every other note, or to the point it sounds weak or scared, however. Just don't come out and play your Academic Festival at a comfortable mf.

5) Get intimate with your tuner. Yes, it is a tool based on an equal-tempered scale, but it will show you if you are really flat or really sharp.

6) Play with good rhythm. Should be a no-brainer. You'd be surprised at the variations we heard on the second mvt. of Dvorak 8, or Siegfried's Funeral March, etc. And the opening fanfare before the Ballerina Dance? Uh, the beat is in eight notes there, so that low C gets four of 'em.

7) Unless you are willing to get a recording and listen to the whole piece, don't waste your money on airfare. It was brutally obvious that some had just listened to the excerpt, or that they had learned it from the guy in the next practice room. Do yourself a favor and go to iTunes and spend a buck on each piece. Do this before you try to learn the piece. If a list says "sight-reading may be required", a good place to look is the dark corners of the pieces that are already on the list...

8.) Pick reasonable tempos - some guys cratered because they tried to play some things too fast. Don't volunteer to show us "what you can't do". If we want to know, we'll ask...

9) Be honest in your preparation. If there are problems, you can bet we'll hear 'em if you can. Fix them instead of pretending they're not there, or hoping we won't "ask for that one".

10) Ask yourself "why is this piece on the list?" Figure out what qualities we are looking for in a particular excerpt, and make sure you demonstrate them. In other words, we want to hear versatility. It should sound like the same person, but a person with a HUGE tool bag. Lyrical pieces like Pines or the Posthorn solo have tremendous potential to show how beautifully you can turn a phrase - don't leave that opportunity on the table.

11) Don't be afraid to shine. The committee is looking for someone to say "I'm the one". That means, in addition to doing everything I just said, you need to make all of that sound like it is second nature to you, freeing up your conscious energy to concentrate on actually making music. I want to hear patience. I want to hear someone who puts the proper space between the 16th notes on Siegfried to give the impression of weight - same goes for the aforementioned Dvorak 8th. I want to hear someone who plays with purpose, direction and intensity. Play these excerpts like they are actual pieces of music, which they are. You need to know the context in order to do that.


Bravo, Jim, and thanks. I hope you’ll find time to add a few tidbits to this discussion as well.
EC

tpter1

Ed- Thank you. This brings to mind an article by Jay Freidman (if you can forgive the trespass of cavorting with a trombonist... he does play trumpet, too).

Here's a link:

http://www.jayfriedman.net/reflectio...strategies.php

I think some (if not all) of this could be applicable to student auditions for festivals, although that's a (slightly) different topic.

__________________
-Glenn
"Roses have thorns; shining waters mud. Clouds and eclipses stain the moon and the sun; and history reeks of the wrongs we have done. After today, after today, consider me gone."- Sting

ecarroll

Glenn,

If the audition is live then yes, it would be similar (minus the screen, presumably), and I know that far more of you have upcoming festival auditions than professional ones. If the audition is taped then yes again (but no excuses!).

Thanks for the Jay link. I think he's qualified, and then some, to speak on this topic!

Best,
EC

trumpetdiva1

I had attended a lecture given by Susan Slaughter and Gary Smith, St. Louis Symphony Orchestra, at one of the ITG conferences many years ago. I had purchased the cassette tape from the conference and took notes from their discussion. Below are my notes on “How to Audition for an Orchestra.” You will find that some of these statements echo what Ed has offered to us.

How to Audition for an Orchestra?
What is the auditions committee looking for?

1. Rhythm – execute rhythm in the music as perfectly as humanly possible.
2. Intonation – can play in tune with themselves; can play a scale in tune
3. Musicality – this is considered to be a bonus

Principal Position:
1. Somebody who can play creatively
2. Somebody willing to take chances and succeeds in executing those ideas

Three tools that are a great value to all of us:
1. Metronome
2. Tuner
3. Tape recorder

Question: What kind of trumpet should I use?
Answer: What ever instrument allows you to play that excerpt the best possible way.

Repertoire:

Charlier Etude #2 (C trumpet)
1. Lyrical
2. Chance to show some real musicality
Problems:
1. Intonation – all of those nice D flats
2. Take a little time with a few rubatos here and there

Stravinsky: Petrouchka – First Part (1st Trumpet in B-Flat)
1. Attacks – notes shatter because there is not enough air behind the attack
2. Tonguing
3. Are the runs accurate?
4. Looking for technical strengths and weaknesses
5. Display as much strength as you can
6. Keep articulation constant
7. Contrast in dynamics

Mussorgsky: Pictures at an Exhibition – Promenade
1. Intonation – Can this person play in tune with themselves? 4th’s, 5th’s, octaves, etc.
2. Are the slurs rushed? Are they uneven?
3. Rhythm – Are the eighth notes even? Do not let the time lag after you breathe.

Strauss: Ein Heldenleben (E-Flat Trumpet)
1. Rhythm
2. Low range
3. Accuracy
Problems:
1. Accents are not done in the right places
2. The triplet comes too soon. The person cannot play the triplet fast enough. Use the metronome. The half note is not held long enough.

Bartok: Concerto for Orchestra – Finale
1. Rhythm
2. Attacks
3. Strength
4. Power in playing

Debussy: Nocturnes – Fetes (Trumpet in F with Mute)
1. Mainly for rhythm
2. Intonation with a mute

Strauss: Don Juan
1. Endurance
2. Dynamics
3. Intonation
4. Rhythm

Rimsky-Korsakov: Scheherazade
1. Multiple tonguing – Is it clean? Is it even?
2. Can you count the rests accurately? Rests become either very short or very lengthy. Do not forget to count the measures of rest.

Bach: Magnificat
1. Intonation
2. Endurance
3. Do not rush rests

Repertoire came from, “Facing the Maestro.”

Guidelines for an Audition:
1. Make up an audition
2. Play as if you were doing an audition
3. Play for somebody
4. Practice the audition material with a stop watch. Time gets distorted.
5. Play tones in the hall, especially if you change mouthpieces or trumpets.
6. Do not take too long to audition.
7. Winners get better as the process goes on.

Guidelines for Making a Tape:
1. Practice with a tape recorder all of the time. Get used to hearing yourself on tape.
2. If there are nine excerpts, try to take 3 or 4 excerpts a day. Play each excerpt 3-5 times and then select your best tape and transfer this to a master tape. Do not record it all in one session. Space taping out over 3 or 4 days.
3. Listen to the tape before you leave the studio.
4. Experiment with a microphone.

Janell

__________________
Janell Carter

Derek Reaban

Ed,

Thanks very much for starting this post and providing some great general guidelines on what a player should be focusing on when preparing these excerpts and what the committee will most likely be listening for.

I have only taken 4 auditions in the past (2 in Phoenix and 2 in Tucson), and in those auditions I have prepared everything on this list with the exception of TTSS (which I’ve done several times with church choirs) and the solo from Don Pasquale. Since there’s no Bach on the list, the Messiah seems to be providing the piccolo requirement of the Baroque literature.

What I’m curious about is the inclusion of Don Pasquale on this list and your comment that “I feel that this is a very fair list for a utility trumpet position”.

I’ve played a lot of orchestra concerts and have never seen Don Pasquale come across my stand (consider that I’ve played in a regional orchestra for the past 16 years with 4 classics concerts and 4 pops concerts per season). I’ve attended operas for over 30 years in the summers in Santa Fe and have never seen Don Pasquale (I did see that they programmed it once in 1983, but we must have seen two of the other operas scheduled for that season).

The only reason that I stumbled across the big solo in Don Pasquale is that I wanted something “repertoire specific” to play for my recent lesson with David Krauss (My Lesson with David Krauss at the Met!!) and that solo came up as being THE big opera trumpet solo. I’m sure others that are auditioning for a position in the OSM will be more seasoned than I am, but it just seems like Don Pasquale is jumping over the fence from the opera repertoire list to the symphonic repertoire list.

I think it’s a great piece (now that I know it), but based on what you mentioned in point 5 of your list [i.e. Knowledge of the entire composition and the composer’s stylistic thumbprint (this rings through the screen immediately – trust me once again)], I have to wonder how many players really know Don Pasquale in the level of detail of the more standard symphonic repertoire on this list.


With that said, I think this one piece could clearly be the discriminator in an audition like this. If a player had multiple recordings of everything else on the list and had performed many of them, but somehow never included Don Pasquale in their music library and never met with someone like David Krauss for a lesson on the big opera repertoire, they could play a very pretty, well in tune, “expressive” version of this solo and it would be incredibly bland to anyone who had heard a “greasy” version of this Italian opera solo!

That cadenza figure just before the fermata screams out for the player to take “liberty” and play it with “schmaltz”, but you have to know that you can take a breath and then take some artistic liberty because it’s no where to be found on the page. I get the feeling that this is the case with a LOT of the opera literature!

If you had two candidates in the finals who were both impeccable and very evenly matched, but one had very little exposure to the opera literature, would this be a factor in selecting the ultimate winner? How often does the OSM program “opera literature” during a regular season?

Anyway, just some comments from my fairly unique perspective (i.e. no orchestra experience in High School or College, no music degree, no professional opera orchestra performance opportunities, only studying with Symphony players after College, etc.)



P.S. After seeing Janell’s nice write up of the ITG lecture on orchestral auditions, Don Pasquale seems to dance around the first point on this list: 1. Rhythm – execute rhythm in the music as perfectly as humanly possible.

__________________
Derek Reaban
Tempe, Arizona

ecarroll

Hi Derek,

Regarding Don Pasquale, I'm not a member of the OSM and have no inside knowledge as to why it was chosen (perhaps it's on their schedule this year or next or perhaps somebody in the section simply likes it?). I do feel that it's a good choice, however, as it is a major solo from our repertoire -- sadly neglected, as you mention -- and asks the candidate to make subjective choices (the cadenza that you mention) in contrast to the other more cut-and-dry passages from the list. It also asks the candidate to go an extra mile in his/her preparation, perhaps helping the OSM to weed out a few less than serious applicants (?)

Regarding " two candidates in the finals who were both impeccable and very evenly matched, but one had very little exposure to the opera literature, would this be a factor in selecting the ultimate winner? ", again, I'm not on the committee, but if I were and it was a toss-up I'd lean towards the candidate with the most comprehensive knowledge of music. This would be the person I'd feel most comfortable sitting next to.

Other opinions?

Best,
EC

Khora

Derek-

While Don Pasquale may at first seem like an odd choice, it is quite possible that Kent Nagano will be programming more concerts with singers than Dutoit did. (Programming does have much to do with conductor's preferences and agendas.) I've done lots of "Opera Arias" concerts with several different orchestras - and if there is a tenor soloist, Don Pasquale shows up often.

We don't get much in the bel canto style that isn't borrowed from some other instrument/voice, but it is a critical style to be able to play well. That's why we work on Concone and Bordogni, after all. It leads into the cornet solo style as well.

Granted, I've done a lot of opera work and it is my favorite stuff to play, but it is still one of my favorite excerpts. It is a beautiful tune, and really allows a lot of expression. I wish it were on more lists!

Sandy

Derek Reaban

Ed and Sandy,

Thanks for your responses. I, too, really like this solo! I hope to hear the complete opera someday and do some studying to understand why there is a big trumpet solo in the middle. I know little to nothing about the story.

Last season the orchestra that I play with was in transition (we lost our Music Director and Executive Director), and with some scrambling we ended up with a fantastic Opera Conductor (the best conductor I’ve ever played under). When I went to pick up my folder for our January concert tonight, I just had to laugh. The theme for the show is “An Evening at the Opera”, we have a tenor soloist, and you guessed it…Overture to Don Pasquale is on the program! I don’t have a part for it in the 3rd book, but it’s still very funny that I wrote my post this morning saying that I’ve never seen the part in all the years that I’ve played in the orchestra, and tonight I have the play list with this on it!

I must find a really good recording of Don Pasquale!

__________________
Derek Reaban
Tempe, Arizona

ecarroll

Derek,

Never say never and it's a good thing you didn't write your post about Prokofiev's Scynthian Suite or Ades' Living Toys (yikes!).

Cheers,
EC