The August 2005 featured artist of the month is Frank Almond.

Frank is the concertmaster of the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra, member of the chamber group An die Musik, and a frequent recitalist and soloist.

Post a question for Frank.

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Hi Frank,

I see in your profile that you were the Rotterdam Philharmonic and the London Philharmonic, both as concertmaster.

What was it like to play in a European orchestra vs an American Orchestra?

Hello,

Nice to meet you.

There has been a lot of talk on these forums regarding the different styles of auditions between Europe and the US. What adjustments did you make when you were taking your auditions both here and abroad?

Frank,

Is there much difference in the process of taking a concertmaster audition vs a rank and file or section violin audition?

Hi Ernie-
There are enormous differences playing with European groups in comparison with American orchestras, but it sort of depends which orchestra and which country. For example, the LPO is famous not just for its artistic expertise, but also for its almost inhuman schedule of constant touring and recording. The wages for the LPO musicians are also quite low in comparison to American orchestras. By contrast, Dutch orchestras in general pay a bit more than in England, but still cannot possibly compare to the larger American orchestras in the salary department. Also, most Dutch orchestras have at least two principals for every position (including Concertmaster), so you generally play only half the season; sometimes all the principals would be present for a tour. I found the Dutch audiences to be extraordinarily literate and quite progressive; that was also the case when we toured in neighboring countries. There was a sort of freewheeling quality about working in Rotterdam and on tour, perhaps due to the notoriously chaotic schedule of its Music Director, Valery Gergiev. Like most groups with which he has an association, we were making lots of last-second adjustments to pretty much everything, and definitely not rehearsing much. The orchestra was quite used to doing works like Mahler 6 on one rehearsal; I had to adjust a little.
Anyway, the point is that there are big differences, largely due to the fairly regimented working conditions for orchestras in the US along with higher salaries. There's generally a little looser attitude over there, which has its pros and cons.

Hi again-
Regarding European auditions, I really didn't adjust anything artistically, and I'm not sure that's a good approach anyway. I kind of tried to be aware of any procedural differences and went from there. I still had to prepare a certain list and play in front of any members of the orchestra that cared to show up. There was no screen (I was an invited candidate to what was obviously some sort of final round). In EU countries, inviting an American is sort of a last resort; usually it means that several rounds of auditions had taken place already with no EU candidate being hired. The biggest problem I had was that I got to Holland from the US on a Sunday, played Monday, and had a rehearsal on Wed. in the US as the soloist for Bartok 2. A long week.

I do think there are certain stylistic and artistic factors that often influence audition outcomes in European orchestras in ways that may be more pronounced than in the US. For instance, the Vienna Phil is obviously looking for a certain kind of string playing, both in style and sound. Likewise the brass in the Rotterdam Phil. has a long tradition, and for good reason. They are absolutely extraordinary in their combination of uniformity and virtuosity. Certainly those artistic qualities play a large role in auditions anyplace, not just in Europe.

As far as the differences between a section audition and one for CM, that's probably a topic for a whole separate forum, but I’ll take a stab. The goals in hiring for a section position are completely different than in the case of a CM (although there are similarities). Along with having the requisite technical skills, a section string player is generally expected to fit in; that is, nail everything while still participating in a uniform interpretation. And certainly a good section player is expected to have a high professional standard and be aware of basic etiquette (show up prepared and on time, for instance). A CM is expected to do this and much more- solos, bowings, diplomacy, etc. With any luck you also get someone who is a good public advocate for the orchestra. I think the best way to find a good CM is to have an open audition and go from there (yes, starting behind a screen). As with other positions, sometimes it's impossible to get experienced and qualified candidates to start in the first round, but I believe it's worth a try, since you never know who's out there. Over the last several years it has become more fashionable to have "invited" auditions for the position of CM (and some other Principal slots) without that crucial first step, and I think it generally makes for a less thorough search with a higher probability of eliminating great candidates before the search even starts. In Milwaukee this is our standard policy for any titled position; we always start with an open audition.

Anyway, in my opinion the actual playing audition for CM is really only a preliminary step in any serious search. The position requires such a wide set of skills beyond performance that it is impossible to really know the whole picture until the person has played for awhile in that specific chair with a specific orchestra (like conductors, not every CM is successfully interchangeable with every orchestra).

Incidentally, I won the Milwaukee CM audition when I was 31, and I started at 8AM behind the screen with everyone else.

Frank

Hi Frank,

What advice would you give to someone just about to go on their first audition?

Hi Frank,

Great info in your thread!! One thing I have always been curious about with Americans playing overseas. Does the conductor rehearse using English or the local language or some combination of the two? For example, in Berlin, they've got Rattle and I don't know if he speaks German or not.

Hi all-

There are obviously multitudes of really talented musicians looking for jobs at the moment. Assuming that one understands the relatively high level of playing that is pervasive at most orchestral auditions, I think the best advice for any audition (first or last) is to come as prepared as you possibly can. That may seem obvious, but what I mean is that I have encountered a staggering number of musicians who are auditioning without a really clear method of preparation, mentally or otherwise. An audition experience is completely different from a concert, and your preparation should reflect that. I don’t know many people who have won jobs by just deciding at the last second that they may or may not show up. You really have to commit to the whole process, and working out a regimen that starts well in advance of the audition is vital. Along with a practice schedule and maybe some good mental games, this would hopefully include several runthoughs of the repertoire under really adverse conditions in order to simulate the experience as best you can in advance. If you’re interested in some real details that seem to have worked for many people, I’d suggest some books by Don Greene, who’s mostly been working with musicians lately (after an esteemed career working with swat teams, race car drivers, athletes, etc.).

It is also usually worth it to speak with or play for any relevant Principals or members of the particular section you are auditioning for in order to try and get a sense what they are (or are not) looking for. I would caution anyone not to do this too close to an audition date, as it may raise a few ethical concerns. Personally, if I know I’ll be on a committee I don’t really feel comfortable hearing potential candidates or discussing the audition for several weeks in advance.

The goal isn’t necessarily to play perfectly, just to create in advance the optimum conditions for you to play your best in an audition, which in the end is really all you can do. All that may or may not occur later on is totally irrelevant to how you actually play in the audition itself.

As for the language issue, again it seems to change depending on who’s conducting and what country you are in. In Holland, Valery Gergiev only spoke English in rehearsals, with occasional asides in Russian to that contingent of the orchestra. Edo de Waart rehearsed almost entirely in Dutch, as did the late Hans Vonk. For me it usually wasn’t hard to get the point, but I would sometimes rely on my colleagues for a more detailed explanation, if I was in the wrong piece or something. One language not spoken was German, which I found interesting. One day we had a guest conductor who briefly lapsed into a bit of German, but quickly caught himself as the orchestra visibly stiffened up.



At the LPO Kurt Masur rehearsed everything in English, but once in awhile he’d yell something in German. Not often in performance, but occasionally.

Frank

Hallo Frank,
I was wondering if there is something like the most difficult piece to play for violin (1st violin). Could you name some of such pieces
1) for string orchestra
2) for symphony orchestra
Thanks
Kate

why don't they speak German? is it a cultural pride thing or historical resentment on Germany's past?

So, they talk in other languages but yell in German?

quote:

Originally posted by kate:
Hallo Frank,
I was wondering if there is something like the most difficult piece to play for violin (1st violin). Could you name some of such pieces
1) for string orchestra
2) for symphony orchestra
Thanks
Kate

Hi Kate-

There are maybe 500 years of music from which to choose, so it's a little difficult to narrow it down. Also it depends on what you mean by "difficult". Mozart is difficult. So are Strauss operas, but for different reasons.
Frank

quote:

Originally posted by Blair:
why don't they speak German? is it a cultural pride thing or historical resentment on Germany's past?

So, they talk in other languages but yell in German?

It seems to be left over from the war, esp in Rotterdam, which was flattened early on. My experience w/Maestro Masur was with the LPO in London and on tour. He is generally not known for any hesitation regarding his opinions, sometimes in a forceful way and in a foreign language.
Frank

Frank,

This is some really wonderful advice. Have you coached any violinists prior to auditioning in Milwaukee? If so, were any hired?

Hi Frank,

Nice to meet you and it's really a very good experience to read this precious reply from someone like you. I always doubt for CM's ability in every single live performance, whether he or she can charge up the group even the conductor is standing there. And the most important thing is that, whether he or she can tidy up a mess when the group behind is off tempo, before your boss turns to you. From your experience, what would you do or just prefer leaving the job to your boss ?

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Artemis,

quote:

Originally posted by musician:
Frank,

This is some really wonderful advice. Have you coached any violinists prior to auditioning in Milwaukee? If so, were any hired?

If I understand your question, you mean before those violinists auditioned for the MSO. If you are referring to a permanent opening, the short answer is no. That could be due to my incompetence as a teacher, but more likely it involves many other things, such as the fact that I don’t teach privately very much or very regularly (these days I am not officially affiliated with a University or College). Most of my current teaching is either Master Classes or festivals of some sort that have a student program, most often not in the Milwaukee area. I do have several sporadic college-age students that supplement their conservatory training if they are in the area on a break or something.

Further, there have been relatively few violin openings in the MSO since my arrival- perhaps four. Most of the candidates we have attracted were not from this area, and the local musicians who took the audition did not study with me at all. That could be because they asked too close to the audition for my comfort, or perhaps some felt that playing for the CM could somehow work against them.

I have coached various people who have occasionally wound up on our sub lists (on various instruments). Around here those auditions are also with committee and behind a screen. And I have worked with any number of people who have gone on to win jobs in other locations.

quote:

Originally posted by artemis:
Hi Frank,

Nice to meet you and it's really a very good experience to read this precious reply from someone like you. I always doubt for CM's ability in every single live performance, whether he or she can charge up the group even the conductor is standing there. And the most important thing is that, whether he or she can tidy up a mess when the group behind is off tempo, before your boss turns to you. From your experience, what would you do or just prefer leaving the job to your boss ?

Hi Artemis,

I’m a little confused by the wording of your question, but I think it generally touches on an important subject, which is exactly how much one can do in performance from that chair. I assure you there are definite limits.

If you have an uninspiring or otherwise less-than-stellar person on the podium, the entire orchestra hopefully has a basic standard of performance and professional pride to rely on. No matter who is conducting, in the best performances everyone in the orchestra is playing together and reacting quicky in a chamber music sense, listening closely and following each other and the conductor (not always simultaneously). If a problem arises, the group reacts as a unit much easier.

But often that just isn’t the case, even in the greatest orchestras. Even with the best conductors, things sometimes just come apart and everyone instinctively does their best to bring it back. As a CM, it’s a challenge to figure out what to do in those split seconds (as it is for everyone)- for example, if the entire orchestra goes with a soloist that a conductor cannot follow. That gets a little confusing visually. Or if something happens and things sort of split, like half the group plays with what they are hearing, and the other half goes with the stick (who may or may not realize the problem).

No matter how good a musician you are, you are still only one person. In my experience, sometimes good instincts along with some authoritative body language can help immensely. Sometimes not.

Frank

Thanks Frank. That's exactly what I want to know. Perhaps, every time we can just rely on how the "chemical reaction" works.

Hi Frank,
From your profile I know you were DeLay's student. I have read Barbara Sand's biography on her about how she trained students. Ofcourse, you won the Paganini's and the Tchaikovsky's before that means your techniques are undoubtly superb. But when I know you have been an international concertmaster and from your replies here, you are really humble and with a very good communication skill which is very important as a CM, could you tell whether DeLay has trained students the qualities of being this ? How was your training ?

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Artemis,

Most if not all Delay students, like many excellent violinists are very humble. It's best to let the world tell you're you're great rather than you telling the world.