Fischthal in action at Menlo

The radiant sound of the Summer Brass Institute filled the week of July 10-18 2004 in Menlo Park, California, where members of the Bay Brass inspired stellar music-making amongst participants from all over the Bay Area and the United States. Over nine days, the Institute energized participants with intensive rehearsals, coachings, and a musical inspiration every evening. Master classes by San Francisco Symphony brass players, a festival concert by the 13-member Bay Brass at Stanford University’s Memorial Church, an open rehearsal by the professionals, and a trip to hear the symphony perform, engaged participants throughout the week. Bay Brass members, fresh from the San Francisco Symphony Mahler 2 recording sessions, led section classes on that work, which requires a massive brass section including 8 trumpets. The focus was on sound: powerful yet golden, with no raw edges.

Trumpeters of the Bay Brass, a 13-member ensemble comprised of leading players from five Bay Area orchestras, coached and taught throughout the week. ITG member Dave Burkhart motivated participants with his insights about sound and precision during lessons and coachings; Jim Dooley imparted his specialty: powerful, radiant sound, so pleasing that listeners never want the music to stop.

Trumpeters delighted in Glenn Fischthal’s master class, entitled "The Art of the Audition". Participants performed orchestral excerpts and concertos for Mr Fischthal’s experienced ear. His reflections on the audition process, and his demonstrations of winning ways to play excerpts, inspired listeners, many of whom were preparing for upcoming auditions themselves. Showing how a D trumpet helped him musically when auditioning with the Ravel Concerto, Mr. Fischthal demonstrated the importance of horn choice combined with nuance in auditioning. Working with three trumpeters on excerpts from Pictures, he used each trumpeter’s mute in his own Schilke picc for the Schmuyle section of the music, emphasizing how to shape attacks and to get the best muted sound. Coaching a trumpeter on a Mahler excerpt, he performed extensive musical snippets from memory to show the range of interpretive possibilities in trumpet sound.

Finishing the week with a concert of music for brass, participants demonstrated their growth as ensemble players, filling the Ballroom concert hall at Menlo School with stirring sound in chamber works and large ensemble music including a Bernstein trio, quintets by Dahl, Adams, Ewald, the Plog octet, and pieces for large ensemble. Looking forward to hearing you again next year!

Plans are afoot for SBI 2005; for information, please visit the website or contact Vicky Greenbaum: vgreenbaum@menloschool.org.

The Further Adventures of Brass at Menlo

David Washburn

We always invite more excellent brassplaying at Menlo! Again this summer, David Washburn performed at the M@M festival following the Summer Brass Institute at Menlo in July 2004. This year, he performed Albinoni’s Op. 7 #3 Concerto in Bb, accompanied by a chamber orchestra, to begin the chamber concert in the intimate setting of St. Mark’s Episcopal (Palo Alto). Using his Scherzer Bb rotary piccolo trumpet (pictured), Washburn obtained a lovely, warm sound in a radiant chamber performance with the accompanying strings. “I picked this horn to help me go with the violin sound,” Washburn commented. He impressed listeners with his elegance in achieving that mellow blend. Wielding Yamaha G piccolo horns in Vivaldi’s Concerto for Two Trumpets in C major, he and James Rodseth closed the concert that evening.

Website:
Summer Brass Institute