Music critic article about NY Phil brass

dstdenis

I just noticed this article in The NY Times in which music critic Corinna da Fonseca-Wollheim complained that the NY Phil is playing too loud. Quote: “Gentlemen of the brass section: I’m talking to you.”

Anyone here heard the NY Phil live lately? What did you think? And wouldn’t the brass play the way the director wanted? Just curious.
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a.kemp · Posted: Mon Jan 14, 2019 7:33 am Post subject:

“GentleMEN......”??
Great start.....

pitchlevel · Posted: Mon Jan 14, 2019 8:08 am Post subject:

Turkle · Posted: Mon Jan 14, 2019 8:17 am Post subject:

I emphatically disagree. The past few performances I've seen by the NY Phil have been great. Very exciting brass playing and nowhere near too loud.

I had some disagreements with their recent interpretation of Tchaik 4, but the volume was not the problem. And their performance of the Prokofiev violin concerto displayed remarkable subtlety and grace.

Ignore the haters, NY Phil!
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a.kemp · Posted: Mon Jan 14, 2019 8:17 am Post subject:

Uh oh! PITCHLEVEL IS BACK!

boog · Veteran Member Joined: 04 Jun 2014 Posts: 247

From an old thread on balance in orchestra and band. Maybe this has some bearing on the perceived "loudness" or "harshness" of the sound of any given ensemble (most likely not!):

https://www.trumpetherald.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=41967&highlight=francis+mcbeth+pyramid

cheiden · Posted: Mon Jan 14, 2019 10:14 am Post subject:

Awesome quote!
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LaTrompeta · Posted: Mon Jan 14, 2019 10:59 am Post subject:

Who the crap is "Corinna da Fonseca-Wollheim?"

I know who Chris Martin is. I also know who Gene Pokorny is. I've met him. Let's leave music making to the pros who actually know how to do it.
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Harry Hilgers · Heavyweight Member Joined: 16 Jun 2015 Posts: 637

I had the great honor to play third and second cornet for many years in the "by invitation only" Colorado British Brass Band under the baton of Dr. John Kincaid at the Western State College in Gunnison, Colorado.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9xmbVDWfzvs
Here is a discussion about John many years after he retired.

John had a very simple rule:
The tubas set the intonation of the whole band. They are the base. When everybody is in tune with the Tubas then all harmonics result in that sonorous singing sound that sets the band aside from the "also ran". Therefore by extension, if you cannot hear the tubas you are playing too loud and you are probably out of tune resulting in the whole band sounding crappy.

Dr. John Kincaid, one of Colorado top maestro's and British Brass Bander.

djpearlman · Posted: Mon Jan 14, 2019 11:06 am Post subject:

trpthrld · Heavyweight Member Joined: 09 Mar 2007 Posts: 4806

It's just an opinion.

Everyone has one, and everyone also has a ... well ... you know.

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oxleyk · Heavyweight Member Joined: 12 Apr 2006 Posts: 4180

Music critics are to music what dogs are to lamp posts.

dstdenis · Posted: Mon Jan 14, 2019 3:48 pm Post subject:

dstpt · Heavyweight Member Joined: 14 Dec 2005 Posts: 1283

First…

spitvalve · Posted: Mon Jan 14, 2019 9:09 pm Post subject:

I'm confused. It's possible to play "too loud?"

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dr_trumpet · Posted: Mon Jan 14, 2019 10:31 pm Post subject:

scottfsmith · Posted: Tue Jan 15, 2019 9:50 am Post subject:

See this article by trombonist Douglas Yeo which make a similar point as the NYT critic:

https://www.dansr.com/wick/resources/me-myself-and-i-are-orchestral-brass-players-losing-the-concept-of-being-team-players
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kehaulani · Posted: Tue Jan 15, 2019 12:44 pm Post subject:

Excellent, insightful and brave.

I think his comment on the Ozawa performance was telling. My knee-jerk reaction to the review was that the conductor truly calls the shots, implying that I would defer to the conductor's reaction not the reviewer's. But the Ozawa anecdote makes me reconsider.

Maybe the critic has a point. To the best of my understanding, none of the posters were present at that particular performance of the NY Phil. At any rate, the article by Douglas Yeo is definitely a though-provoking read.
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cbtj51 · Posted: Tue Jan 15, 2019 1:45 pm Post subject:

mhenrikse · Veteran Member Joined: 21 Jul 2009 Posts: 162

There were many other people at the concert as well as this critic. But she is the one with the microphone. Is her opinion, though amplified by the NY Times, any more valid than any other concert goer? Her bio:

"Corinna was born in Germany and grew up in Brussels, where she studied the violin. She earned a B.A. in music and psychology from the University of London (Royal Holloway College) and a Ph.D in Italian literature from Cambridge University."

So, I wouldn't put much stock in her opinion about the philharmonic brass. But I put stock in this: I never thought the brass sound harsh when the two Phils were on principal horn and trumpet, so I doubt it has changed much.