THE FRONT COVER: STANDING ON BIG SHOULDERS

THE FRONT COVERIn another of the excellent zoom sessions provided in recent months by the International Trombone Association (ITA), 13 June 2021 presented an interview, led by Kevin McManus and Chris Houlding of the ITA, with one of the world’s greatest low brass sections, that of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra (CSO). Readers will recall the session, reported in the last edition of The Trombonist, on the London Symphony Orchestra (LSO), and the CSO section is of similar repute, with one difference perhaps, that is, that for over more than 30 years, there has been no change of personnel in the section, and of course, that is what has generated and consolidated its character and quality. The LSO low brass achievement was to sustain their brilliance, whilst accommodating a number of different players over 60 or more years. The CSO low brass is notable for the relatively few changes over the same sort of period. For example, Jay Friedman, the Principal Trombone has been with the Orchestra since 1965, for 56 years. Charles Vernon, Bass Trombone has been there 35 years, since 1986. Michael Mulcahy, Second Trombone and Gene Pokorny, Principal Tuba, both joined in 1989, so have notched up 32 years. Behind that achievement, and figuring prominently in the discussion, was the legacy of three other long-serving players of unparalleled distinction: Adolph “Bud” Herseth (1921–2013), Principal Trumpet 1948–2001; Edward Kleinhammer

The front cover: Standing on Big

Shoulders – THE LOW BRASS OF THE CHICAGO SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA BY PETER CHESTER (1919–2013), Bass Trombone 1940–1985; and Arnold Jacobs (1915–1998), Principal Tuba 1944–1988. Like the current team, these three gentlemen were towering figures in their field, as orchestral players, as role models and as teachers, and their sustained influence on orchestral brass playing in the USA and beyond has been enormous. As Charlie Vernon said, ‘We’re standing on big shoulders’. Discussion sessions like this are inevitably a collection of memoirs, anecdotes and thoughts about music, playing and individuals. Given the credentials of the current team and the weight of their inheritance, this is a very rich seam of material to be mined. The CSO trombone section has to be one of the most distinguished and erudite group of players anywhere in the world. Each has been honoured in their own right with the prestigious ITA Award; each is a soloist and teacher, and an authority on all aspects of the trombone, yet all subdue that individuality to create that formidable trombone section. To add to that, in Gene Pokorny, they have a colleague playing the tuba who is equally famed and distinguished in his own field. The question of the origins of the ‘Chicago sound’ came very early in the conversation. As to what are the exact elements of that sound, words like ‘power’, ‘precision’, ‘brilliance’ come to mind, but behind that are attitudes and structure that produce the sound. 14

CURTAIN CALL FOLLOWING WORLD PREMIERE OF JENNIFER HIGDON’S LOW BRASS CONCERTO; L-R JAY FRIEDMAN, MICHAEL MULCAHY, CHARLES VERNON, GENE POKORNY. PHOTO CREDIT: TODD ROSENBERG.

Gene Pokorny spoke of the two solid ‘bookends’ of Bud Herseth on top with the ‘big bottom’ of Arnold Jacob on a large CC tuba at the other end, in creating the origins of the sound, with everyone fitting into a seamless team.

There’s a story about Edward Kleinhammer which encapsulates this. On being praised by a student for his outstanding sound in a concert, he replied, ‘that’s disappointing – I was trying to blend in – that is what we are supposed to do’. In other words, it is the team approach which is the main ingredient. Once in that team then it is a matter of listening and absorbing, playing your part in that pyramid of sound. As Bud Herseth once said, ‘If you have to say something (…about how to play…) to someone in the orchestra, it is already too late’.

To achieve such a team requires hard work, and these players have a huge work ethic and enthusiasm for what they do. As one of them said, ‘We give it our best every time we have the chance’. Mick Mulcahy reminded us of the Germanic traditions of the orchestra, that had been founded by German migrants 130 years ago, and whose rehearsal language for many years was German. This is not to suggest other orchestras are less disciplined, but he felt it was the sober-minded and formal approach which was an important characteristic of the CSO – ‘we’re not a party orchestra – we save the fireworks for the stage’. When we think of the great music for which the Chicago Symphony is famed, it is the major symphonic repertoire of Brahms, Bruckner, Mahler and Wagner, with conductors from Europe such as Fritz Reiner, George Solti and Ricardo Muti.

The concept of a singing quality to their playing was clearly very important. It had been an ingredient in both Arnold Jacobs’ and Edward Kleinhammer’s approach, and as every one of the current team at some point had had lessons with these two gentlemen, such an approach was bound to rub off. ‘Sing through the instrument’, said Charlie Vernon, and as Mick Mulcahy jokingly responded, ‘Charlie’s obsessed with singing, but just watch him play. There’s the smoothest of connection between the notes and an unbelievable focus on what he’s doing’. It is no accident that Jay Friedman released a CD in 2001, primarily as a teaching resource, called ‘The Singing Trombone’ which consists purely of orchestral excerpts and a number of the Bordogni ‘Vocalise’ studies, all without accompaniment, so that every subtlety of his sound and style can be heard. He has written extensively on such matters (see his WEBSITE), but the essence of the approach is to breath in a relaxed manner, aiming for a sustained legato and using air in exactly the same way as does a singer.

Each of them had memories of how they came to be with the Orchestra. For Gene Pokorny, already having been Principal Tuba in a number of orchestras in the

THE FRONT COVER 1980s, it was meeting Arnold Jacobs and having lessons with him. After a week he was faced with violinist colleagues commenting ‘What’s happened? You sound so different’. It was Jacob’s enthusiasm as much as his playing that was so memorable, a sentiment echoed by Mick Mulcahy: ‘I had never heard anyone talk like he did about music’. At the time when Mick Mulcahy met Arnold Jacobs, he was having some issues with his playing, and was getting very self-conscious about them. Jacobs helped him realise that the physical side of playing can be put aside so that he could concentrate on the music. ‘The player needs to impose him or herself on the instrument, not the reverse’. Clearly technical skills are important, but it is the stepping back and considering the wider picture that is essential. Enthusiasm and hard work were something Mick Mulcahy recalled about Edward Kleinhammer: ‘He was a boxing coach (!) three hours of intense work, on and on about details of the music and my playing, very intense but always caring about me. He gave me a sense of optimism and confidence.’ Similarly, Charlie Vernon had worked with Jacobs and Kleinhammer since the late 1960s and totally absorbed their philosophy and style, so when the Kleinhammer retired in 1986, Charlie was an obvious successor. Jay Friedman’s introduction to the orchestra was something of a baptism of fire. Jay started his musical career playing the euphonium in a high school band in Chicago, eventually taking lessons from a distinguished trumpeter called Vincent Chicowitz. In 1957, Jay was THE FRONT COVER 16 looking for a change and Chicowitz ‘pointed me in the direction of the trombone, gave me an old instrument, a copy of the Arban Method book, told me to go and learn the positions’. Five years later Jay was playing in the Chicago Symphony! In fact, in those five years Jay had had lessons with the then trombone players of the CSO, Robert Lambert, Principal Trombone 1953–1963 and Frank Crisafulli, CSO trombone 1938–1989, and it was through them that Jay got his first playing job with the Orchestra. That was as an auxiliary player in an all-Wagner concert, playing the bass trumpet. The conductor, Fritz Reiner, noted for his icy manner alongside his impeccable standards – ‘nobody moved when Reiner was conducting’ – and noticing someone new in the brass section at the first rehearsal, required Jay to play every bass trumpet entry alone, in front of the full orchestra. Needless to say, Jay survived and by 1965 had been appointed assistant Principal. Mick Mulcahy raised an interesting question for players, even at their standard, which is basically ‘how to avoid falling into a rut’. Given the repetition of programme and activity that can occur in an orchestra or a band, this can be a risk. For the CSO players it has been primarily their enthusiasm for music that keeps them going. As he said, ‘We’re always talking and thinking about music’, but beyond that, they are all active in related musical fields. Teaching is of course important to each of them but playing chamber music together is important. They started in the 1990s, initially to strengthen and unify the section, and it ‘allowed us to get 27 MAY 2021. MICHAEL MULCAHY CONDUCTS A PROGRAMME OF WORKS FOR BRASS IN CSO’S FIRST CONCERT SINCE MARCH 2020. PHOTO CREDIT: ANNE RYAN.

to know each other differently. The increasing co-operation and experiment led to improvement all round’.

This led to some recordings and the chance to perform publicly once a year, eventually in Symphony Hall, involving Daniel Barenboim, choirs and soloists. The initial project also expanded to produce a full CSO Brass Ensemble and recordings of some great music, ‘a touch formal and sober perhaps, but challenging and we like to play it’, as Jay said.

The other thing they have each done is appeared before the Orchestra as soloists, often with works specially commissioned for them and supported by generous endowments from the Schmidt family. Just to give a flavour of their activity, in 2006, Charlie Vernon premiered Chick’a’Bone Checkout, a concerto in which the soloist is required to play alto, tenor and bass trombones, written by Christian Lindberg. Most recently in June 2019, he performed Chapters, an Incredible Bass Trombone Concerto by Jim Stephenson, with Riccardo Muti conducting. Mick Mulcahy has had works written for him by fellow Australian Carl Vine, for example Five Hallucinations (2016) and Jay Friedman has had several composers write for him, including contemporary American composers Ellen Zwilich and Jennifer Higdon. In 2018 Higdon wrote a concerto for the full section, of which they are very proud, and pleased that Ricardo Muti took it with the Orchestra on tour.

Rounding up with a question as to their favourite recordings, Interestingly, there was some criticism of the famous Decca and DG recordings of the 1970s with

Solti, with the comment that the recording techniques of the time, requiring the brass to be widely distributed around the hall, did not produce the sound as it was live, and was too often too top-heavy. That said, favourites from the Orchestra’s vast output did emerge. For Jay Friedman it was Nielsen’s Second Symphony with Morton Gould; for Gene Pokorny it was the Cesar Franck Symphony in D Minor with Pierre Monteux, and Reiner’s recording of Richard Strauss’ SYMPHONIA DOMESTICA; for Mick Mulcahy it was the recording of Smetana’s Ma Vlast with Raphael Kubelik. The interview session was brought to close with an excerpt from Bernstein’s recording of Shostakovich’s SEVENTH SYMPHONY, a splendid example of exactly what the Chicago sound is. The conversation was joined by people from across the world, which is part of the joy of Zoom, and an edited version of the conversation will be placed on the ITA website, as have all these talks – they are well worth a listen. ◆ Follow the links below to learn more about the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and hear its renowned low brass in action. CSO LOW BRASS SECTION IN PERFORMANCE AT ORCHESTRA HALL, CHICAGO. PHOTO CREDIT: TODD ROSENBERG.THE FRONT COVERChicago Symphony Orchestra website CSO Brass on Jennifer Higdon’s Low Brass Concerto CSO low brass play chamber music CSO low brass play orchestral excerpts Dance of the Knights from Prokofiev’s Suite from Romeo & Juliet Mussorgsky arr. Ravel Pictures at an Exhibition 17