The Case Against Haydn, Part 2

| Jul 10, 2014 |

My thoughts about auditions will at first be general and then a bit more specific. In terms of picking repertoire for an audition I would suggest that the basic goal of the first round should simply be to get the most qualified applicants safely into the second round. This may mean that some not so qualified players advance to the second round but no problem – they can be eliminated in the second round. But all too often some very highly qualified candidates are eliminated in the first round and this, I feel, should be avoided at all costs. So the audition material in the first round should be basic and not too difficult. Quite often the more experienced players who already have a job show a tendency to improve with each successive round as their knowledge and experience become more apparent, while a talented student does well in the early going but then later in the audition process proves to be simply not qualified for the position.

The second round should now be one where only the most highly qualified players are considered for the third round. Whereas the purpose of the first round should be to get the more qualified candidates into the second round, the purpose of the second round should be to eliminate everybody except those who are good enough to take the job. Therefore, the audition material should be much more challenging and extreme than in the first round. Since there will be fewer players in this round each candidate should be given enough time to show what they can really do as a player. In technical and physical terms this should be the most difficult round. In this round the committee should know if a candidate is thoroughly capable of handling the most difficult passages in the repertoire.

Most auditions have three rounds, so let’s assume that the third round is the final round, which will probably mean that there are only several players involved. All of these players should be qualified to be a member of the orchestra. Sometimes one player will stand out as being obviously the best candidate, and this is probably what every orchestra wants – an easy choice. This is also easier for the candidates as well, if they realize that a certain player was obviously the best. But often the choice is difficult and can come down to who is the best “fit” for the orchestra, not only in terms of style and musicality but also personality. This is a round where solo literature can be asked and where the candidates can be asked to play with the section. And the requirements for a second or third player should be different than those for a principal player. Showing one’s ability as a soloist is necessary when choosing a principal player, but a second player should be solid as a rock and should have the necessary tools to make the principal player feel comfortable and secure. The third player should be a combination of these two, with the ability to be a section player yet also the ability to be able to play solo lines.

My own personal opinion is that the position of principal trumpet is such an important position that there should be a fourth and final round, and that the one to three candidates should be invited to either play various excerpts with the orchestra or have a week or two playing concerts with the orchestra. The problem with this last suggestion is of course the cost involved, but picking the best candidate can save the orchestra money in the long run because that candidate will be with the orchestra for many years, as opposed to a player being hired, not getting tenure, and then the orchestra spending both time and capital to arrange another audition.