Mr Herseth makes a point

The University of Central Florida continued its regular series of trumpet lectures and clinics on Thursday, February 13, 2003. This outstanding series, organized each year by their trumpet professor John Almeida, has recently featured such notable players and teachers as Phil Smith, Vince DiMartino, Bill Adam, and Vincent Cichowicz.

This year's featured guest was Mr. Adolph "Bud" Herseth, who recently retired from the Chicago Symphony after 53 years as principal trumpet in that orchestra. Not only did a talk by Mr. Herseth offer the possibility of another fine trumpet "clinic," it also provided the opportunity to be in the presence of a living legend: a man who has redefined the art of orchestral trumpet and brass playing.

Mr. Herseth gave a two hour demonstration/lecture based on selected recordings that he chose, representing some of his performances with the Chicago Symphony. Mr. Herseth chose excerpts from ten recordings to discuss: Bach - Brandenburg Concerto #2, Mahler - Symphony #5, Mussorgsky/Ravel - Pictures at an Exhibition, Stravinsky - Song of the Nightingale, Bartok - Concerto for Orchestra, R. Strauss - Also Sprach Zarathustra, Scriabin - Poem of Ecstasy, Stravinsky - Petrouchka, Mahler - Symphony #3, and Hummel - Trumpet Concerto in E. For each of these pieces, he chose the most popular trumpet sections to play, and the trumpet part was projected onto a large screen so that everyone could follow the music. Many of the parts were stamped with the Chicago Symphony Library stamp and some had his markings on the music.

Several times Mr. Herseth mentioned "going beyond the notes." He also went beyond the notes with his presentation. He used the recorded excerpts as a starting point. He then talked about the nuances of playing the part, or the special insights that the conductor or composer had on the music and his performance. He emphasized the importance of being excited about playing and how important it is to tell a musical story when playing. Several times he played an excerpt the way he often heard it in an audition or even in some performances. Then he explained what was wrong with that interpretation and demonstrated how he thought it should be played.

During his tenure with the Chicago Symphony, Mr. Herseth had the opportunity to get to know some of the world's finest conductors and composers. He knew Stravinsky well, and Bernstein, Copland, and Hindemith, among many others. And he worked with conductors who had known many of the great composers, including Bartok and Mahler. The opening of Mahler's Symphony #5 is one example of how these special friendships have influenced his performances: From playing with conductors who knew Mahler, and from listening to a piano recording (wax cylinder) of Mahler playing the 5th Symphony, he learned that the opening triplets are supposed to be slightly rushed, rather than played in strict time. This can be heard in his performances.

Mr. Herseth recorded Mussorgsky's Pictures at an Exhibition six different times with the Chicago Symphony, under six different conductors. Each time the conductor wanted something different. He spoke about the importance of being able to adapt, and that the music must be practiced in many different ways. With the Promenade in Pictures he talked about understanding what the visitor to the museum, as depicted in the music, was doing and how it might influence the interpretation. He also said that knowing that the music was written for the piano is important for understanding what the composer intended. Solti talked to him about how the "decay" of the sound when the keys are struck on the piano should influence the trumpet player's performance of the Promenade.

Mr. Herseth's stories and insights were too numerous to include them all. But the overall theme seemed to be that the details are important, and that a musician must go beyond the notes to make music. He talked about how important it was that his teachers at the New England Conservatory, Marcel La Fosse and Georges Mager, had given him a musical approach to playing, as opposed to a muscular approach. He demonstrated this musicality with his recordings and with his own playing. And he showed how important it is to have an understanding of the composer and the music that one is playing. "You must go beyond the notes."

Some of his incredible success, in addition to his talent, is no doubt due to his dedication and commitment to his job as principal trumpet. Several times he mentioned the importance of showing up every day prepared to play at the highest possible level. He taught at a university for a short while, but decided that it interfered with his orchestral preparation. He felt that all of his physical and mental energy must go into playing for the orchestra.

Trumpet players will probably be interested to know that Mr. Herseth talked about having around 55 trumpets and 200 mouthpieces. The C trumpet that he played and still prefers is a 50-year-old Bach, large bore. It is one out of a set that Fritz Reiner bought for the Orchestra when he was the director. Reiner let each member of the trumpet section choose one of these instruments to use while he was a member of the orchestra.

Anyone who has an opportunity to hear Mr. Herseth in person should take advantage of it. He is a very nice and approachable person who just happens to be an incredible musician and trumpet player, perhaps the most well known orchestral trumpet player in the world. He seems willing to share his knowledge and experience with other trumpet players. This was demonstrated when he stayed around after his presentation to talk with all of the trumpet players who wanted to meet him. Everyone in the large audience had the opportunity to introduce himself, ask an individual question, and have a picture taken with the "master." For any serious trumpet player, it was truly a night to remember.

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Music at UCF

Source: Joe Phelps