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eric m berlin Regular Member
Joined: 28 Jul 2005 Posts: 53 Location: Amherst, MA
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Posted: Fri Sep 30, 2005 7:14 am Post subject: Charles Schlueter - Clone Bud - Having your own identity |
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Hey all,
Please excuse the long post but there are many thoughts going through my head as Charlie retires. There was mention of a "clone Bud" school of playing on this thread. I wrote something about this in the earlier days of TPIN. "Clone - Bud" seems to have negative connotations about Bud Herseth, but I believe that it is merely a statement about how homogeneous classical trumpet style has become since the advent of hi-fidelity recording technology.
Think of this: In the mid 20th century, the American orchestras were clearly identifiable by the sound of the principal trumpet (among other identifying characteristics) Turning on the radio anywhere, you could tell exactly who was playing that Leonore call.
Think of Roger Voisin in the Boston Symphony. What incredible fire and passion in that sound, but it is not what most of us consider "traditional". His predecessor, Georges Mager, had a completely different sound: Bigger, darker. Think of Bill Vacchiano in NY Phil. When I hear those early recordings, all I think of is rich milk chocolate. What a sound! Harry Glantz inspired thousands of listeners to the NBC Symphony. That was a completely different sound and style as well. How about Gil Johnson in Philly, or his predecessor, Sam Krauss? These men had unique sounds and styles that set them apart from the rest.
Young Bud Herseth came on the scene and made an indelible mark on the trumpet world. As a fabulous musician with a great sound who never missed, he became the standard. Everyone revered, admired and imitated him. In a world where we need to play as perfectly as the records he made, we all tried to sound like him. The trumpet world rushed to buy trumpets from a virtually unknown New York trumpet builder named Vincent Bach to get that sound. We emulated the sound, the style, the articulation, the vibrato. By copying this one distinctive musician, soon this wonderful diversity was lost. We have grown increasingly homogeneous and lost sight of the fact that there is room for a wide spectrum of sounds in our world.
Charlie to me is the last of the breed of principal trumpets willing to truly be distinctive. It is often observed that he doesn't play like a trumpet player. Sometimes his articulation and sound camouflage him so that he can melt into the woodwind section. Sometimes, like in the Don Juan solo, he exists only as a whisper of deep purple in the string sound until you become aware that this sound has transformed and lit up in brilliant colors of red and orange to send the melody soaring into the audience.
His willingness to transcend the boundaries of “traditional trumpet playing” is his greatest strength as a musician and greatest gift to his students. The trumpet, to Charlie, remains a tool to express the music of the soul within him. Remember that the trumpet is merely an “instrument”, not the music itself.
An exercise that my other most influential teacher, Vince Penzerella, had me do was to close my eyes and imagine my ideal trumpet sound, my “Gabriel”. This is the truest form of creativity as a musician. Inside the mind it can be anything at all, as the imagination is boundless. That individual human element is what truly makes music an art. What we practice for is to refine the physical process of transferring that sound from inside of our own minds to the minds of our audience through the trumpet.
Vince Penzerella once said to me "If you don't have your own identity, it's wrong". Think about that.
As the era of my mentor and a truly great musician comes to an end, let us reflect on what function the trumpet serves in our creative lives. Does it tell us how to sound, or do we use it to sound like ourselves?
With endless gratitude for the countless lessons about music and life in general that he has given me, I tip my hat to Charles Schlueter. _________________ Eric M. Berlin
University of Massachusetts Amherst
Principal Trumpet - Albany Symphony and Boston Philharmonic Orchestras
Yamaha Performing Artist
Board of Directors - ITG
www.americantrumpeter.com
www.ericmberlin.com
americantrumpeter.blogspot.com |
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kmm0805 Regular Member
Joined: 20 Jun 2002 Posts: 99
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Posted: Fri Sep 30, 2005 7:32 am Post subject: |
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Well said Eric! I am looking forward to your recital in October.
Best,
Kevin Maloney |
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heik Regular Member
Joined: 02 Apr 2005 Posts: 58
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Posted: Fri Sep 30, 2005 7:56 am Post subject: Charles Schlueter retires |
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Bravo Eric.
Couldn´t have said better myself. I think you spoke for all of us who had the honor and pleasure to know the man up close and drink from that infinite fountain of wisdom, humility, generosity and integrity.
Charlie has made his mark. And what a beautiful and distinctive one it is. Everything else is just a pointless discussion.
Again, bravo for your words. Let´s touch base sometime.
Your friend,
HeinzKarl. |
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tromba mann Heavyweight Member
Joined: 23 Jan 2003 Posts: 975 Location: Northern Virginia
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Posted: Fri Sep 30, 2005 4:40 pm Post subject: |
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BINGO. Eric M nailed it.
He wrote:
Quote: | "Clone - Bud" seems to have negative connotations about Bud Herseth, but I believe that it is merely a statement about how homogeneous classical trumpet style has become since the advent of hi-fidelity recording technology.
Think of this: In the mid 20th century, the American orchestras were clearly identifiable by the sound of the principal trumpet (among other identifying characteristics) Turning on the radio anywhere, you could tell exactly who was playing that Leonore call. |
And then:
Quote: | Charlie to me is the last of the breed of principal trumpets willing to truly be distinctive. |
Eric, you said (in a much more clear manner) what I was trying to say. _________________ Cogito, ergo sum |
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hotorangetrumpet Heavyweight Member
Joined: 08 Jan 2006 Posts: 930 Location: Rochester, NY
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Posted: Tue Jan 24, 2006 4:26 pm Post subject: |
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Any idea if his retirement from the BSO also means his retirement from NEC too? Has he said anything? It would truely be a shame to loose a great player AND teacher in the Boston area..... _________________ -----------------------------------
http://www.colbycooman.com
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eric m berlin Regular Member
Joined: 28 Jul 2005 Posts: 53 Location: Amherst, MA
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Posted: Tue Jan 24, 2006 9:09 pm Post subject: |
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I am really gald to say that Charlie plans on continuing to teach at NEC. His teaching touches me every day of my professional life. It indeed would be a shame to lose him but luckily that day has not come. _________________ Eric M. Berlin
University of Massachusetts Amherst
Principal Trumpet - Albany Symphony and Boston Philharmonic Orchestras
Yamaha Performing Artist
Board of Directors - ITG
www.americantrumpeter.com
www.ericmberlin.com
americantrumpeter.blogspot.com |
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