Met orchestra principal: Anyone can get to Carnegie Hall

Met orchestra principal: Anyone can get to Carnegie Hall

Orchestras

norman lebrecht

January 05, 2024

David Krauss, the Met’s principal trumpet, has a combative conversation with his close colleague Denson Paul Pollard, the company’s principal trombone.

‘I had no trombone lessons until I was a freshman in college,’ he reveals, adding: ‘anyone can get to Carnegie Hall’.

Listen here.

 

Comments

  • Anti-Vax says:

    This must be a common feeling for many professional musicians as I heard from many colleagues that they dislike the first violinist of the Dover Quartet. Perhaps, they also wanted to punch him in the face. Or not. My teacher said he is ungrateful and looks down at other musicians who are not as accomplished as him. His former colleague says he is the king of gaslighting in the classical music world. At least he is the king of something. Well, I heard he is also anti-vax. Does that mean his quartet is also anti-vax?

    • Christian Atanasiu says:

      This is a cheap shot written anonymously. Obviously some people have more talent than others, but there is also a tremendous amount of work ethic involved, with patience, and methodical analysis to get to that level of playing. The Dovers (past and present) are all fantastic musicians. You can like Joel or not personally, but it sounds like you’ve never met him. There’s so much work that goes into their playing, and many people who didn’t quite get to their level certainly are jealous of their success. Have you heard them live? They are really worth listening to, especially Joel.
      Shame on the trolling!

      • Anti-Vax says:

        They’re fantastic musicians! I think Joel is a great violinist! Just not a good person! I heard them live many times! Great concert every time! Being a good musician and being a good person are different things, right? There are many musicians in our industry who are great musicians but not great people or nice. Levine, Dutoit and Uchida come to mind.

  • Eric Wright says:

    Paul is one of the bass trombones, not principal.

  • Fred Funk says:

    Doesn’t look like he’s ever interviewed a viola player. Do they have a creative approach? Why do you have turn up the stereo volume to hear them? Your thoughts on Harold….

  • King D says:

    D bags

  • Axl says:

    Oh my… There is website and roster where anyone can check musicians and their positions! Pollard is not principal trombone – he’s wechselposaune / tenor & bass player with also bass trumpet. Austin and Romero are principal trombones

  • Steve says:

    That’s a bass trombone.

  • Maurice says:

    Who reveals?

  • notacynic says:

    a fascinating life story of a true mensch. thank you for the link.

  • Robert Holmén says:

    That’s an odd horn for a principal trombone, unless they have a principal bass trombone.

    • Axl says:

      MET have a (principal) bass trombone position but that’s now empty / vacant since Steve Norrell retired couple years ago and at the moment we don’t know when MET will organize a bass trombone audition to fill that position. Nicholas Schwartz from City Ballet orchestra have many times been the bass / contrabass / 4th player when needed.

  • John says:

    Of course a brass hole would say that, those are the easy instruments vs strings.

  • Matteo says:

    Great interview, Mr Krauss. Very interesting!

  • Monty Earleman says:

    “How do you get to Carnegie Hall?”
    “Rent it”.

  • Anon says:

    OK, so that’s his name: Denson Paul Pollard. They did a big close-up on him warming up before the overture at the MET’s Nabucco Live In HD yesterday. He sounded great, but as soon as he realized the camera was on him, he put down his trombone & stared into the camera. It was kind of funny. I get it, but it’s a shame because this is probably why we only see stagehands not orch musicians at these Live In HD screenings.

    Nabucco overture opens with a huge brass chorale, featuring the trombone section. They were amazing! Impeccably played, very exciting. Bravi!

    I was impressed that the MET’s Principal Trombone yesterday was a flamboyant looking woman with purple hair who played superbly. Someone tell KN, aka the Baltimore DEI police about this woman, I thought. Then reading her bio, I realized that she joined the MET as a man. Now she is a woman.

    Confused about this. I guess this counts as female representation in the brass section, but does it? It’s kind of like trans male athletes competing as women. Hoping that the Baltimore double reed DEI diva will weigh in on this topic.

    Nabucco was spectacular. The orch was in top form & the voices, mostly unknown to me, were outstanding. Ukrainian soprano Liudmyla Monastyrska was simply extraordinary in the difficult role of Abigaille. Tenor Seok Jung Baek made his MET debut as Ismaele & he was marvelous. Great production!

    • ParallelFifths says:

      It is in no way analagous to biological males competing on sports teams whose players are biological females. The issue there is not counting numbers to make a diversity showing. The issue there is the unfair biology-based advantage.

    • Jen Hinkle says:

      Stop thinking so hard about my wife’s genitals. It’s weird and creepy.

    • Amata says:

      Wow you are oddly obsessed about genitals. Keep your weird creepy obsession in your own pants. Shes obviously a woman.

  • Roger says:

    You were probably fortunate to not have a teacher until college. And you were lucky to have a good teacher in college! Yes, anyone can succeed if you have the will and knowledge. But you must also have the good fortune to avoid an incompetent teacher who will destroy your playing. Congratulation! It’s just the singing!

    • Alphonse says:

      Yes!! Roger, your website saved my playing and my life. Sing, buzz play! It truly is just the singing. I hope you are well!

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