Berlin Philharmonic seeks trumpet voluntary
mainA quick search for ‘berlin trumpet’ on Slippedisc.com will show lots of changes in the Berlin Phil’s trumpet section over the past three years.
One that we missed is the resignation of Gábor Tarkövi as solo at the end of last season. He is now professor of trumpet at UdK Berlin.
There will be an audition for his successor in May 2020.
Berlin players rarely retire at retirement age, is that self-imposed perfection, or peer pressure?
And is that a good thing for an orchestra? I guess there is a constant infusion of new blood at the peak of their physical abilities…
I saw an interview he gave with Sarah Willis in which he talked about having to choose between playing and this teaching position. At the time he was waiting to hear whether he’d been hired and if so was planning to resign the Berlin Philharmonic the beginning of this season. It seems like a huge loss to me as a Berlin fan.
He’s a wonderful player at the top of his game, perhaps he wanted a life with less touring or perhaps less pressure…….it is interesting to me that the BPO has not been able to cultivate (or want) a long standing first trumpet in the sense that Maurice Murphy or Herseth or Voisin were……..there forever…….almost…………we wish…….
Martin Kretzer was principal for about 32 years, before Tarkovi replaced him (and Krezter moved to 2nd).
OK I stand corrected, I see him still playing with the orchestra occasionally
or Manny Laureano, who has been a principal trumpet for 42 years and is still going. These guys are amazing.
Principal Trumpet in Berlin, now there’s a tough gig.
No tougher than with the London,New York,Vienna or some others.
How is it tougher than in, say, in San Diego? They expect the trumpet to flawlessly play all the same pieces there as well asin Berlin.
It is a high-pressure job (in more ways than one).
Phil Smith of the NY Phil was amazing with a beautiful tone when playing lyrical pieces, and plenty of power when needed. Aka Mahler 5th etc.
Truly a great musician, one whom it would be wise to emualte!