Next Level Bassist Left Hand

Spotlight
cleveland Orchestra Bass Section
The Cleveland Orchestra is in many ways a peerless orchestra in the
United States. As the smallest city to maintain a “Big Five” orchestra
(a fabled rank that also includes Boston, Philadelphia, Chicago, and
New York), it is also notable for sustaining an extremely high level
of musicianship and artistry in spite of extremely trying economic
realities in its community. Forever indebted to the legacy established
by George Szell beginning in the 1940s, the Cleveland Orchestra
continues to produce definitive recordings and scintillating performances
heard in Cleveland and at many performances that the
orchestra undertakes on tour throughout the world.
Speak to any bassist from the Baby Boomer generation, and they
will likely cite recordings by Cleveland and Szell as some of the most
influential and impassioned they have ever heard. More specifically,
they may say, the recordings of Mozart, Haydn, early Beethoven
are almost unique in their clarity. Section bassist Derek Zadinsky
identifies some of the advantages of the orchestra’s home venue,
Severance Hall: “It is very easy for us to hear every player in the
section onstage, so any discrepancies always become immediately
clear.” At a time when the Philadelphia Orchestra made recordings in
gymnasiums, TCO was finely tuning the most delicate inner workings
of the ensemble. “The blend of sound in this ensemble is part of what
makes the Cleveland Orchestra so unique,” says Zadinsky. “Playing in
this orchestra can sometimes feel more like playing chamber music
because our principal players are so easy to follow.”
• Maestro George Szell carefully crafting the end of Beethoven
Symphony 5, Mvmt 2
There is a tremendous range of color and dynamics in this orchestra,
which many have attributed to Severance Hall. Some whispers even
implicate the practice rooms at the nearby Cleveland Institute of
Music, where the live acoustics of the rooms help attune aspiring
students to the resonant and intimate nature of Severance. As a
graduate of the Curtis Institute of Music, Derek Zadinsky certainly
noticed a transition. “I quickly found that the kind of playing that
works best in Severance Hall is different from what I had been familiar
with. The smaller size and resonant acoustics of the hall allow the
section and orchestra to effectively play down to the quietest whisper.”
While many auditioning bassists may take pains to attempt to recreate
or simulate the playing style of a committee they are playing for, it
is important to note Zadinsky’s heritage and current employer. No
amount of second-guessing can substitute for confident and wellprepared
playing, which Derek brought to his 2011 audition.
That said, the fundamental philosophy of the section, according to
Zadinsky is to “pay very close attention to all the composer’s markings,
and frequently discuss exact strokes and rhythmic placement.” When
tackling the immense complexity of Mahler or the deceptive simplicity
of Mozart, Cleveland’s bass section places the highest priority on
rhythmic unity and precision. Veteran player Scott Haigh says, “I think
our section is committed to playing a vital function within the orchestra,
but not a dominating one. Clarity, beautiful intonation, good
rhythm, and balance with the other section is our style, yet we can
rock out a section solo when called for.” Haigh also enjoys the variety
of repertoire the orchestra plays, which allows them to maintain their
flexibility. “Over the past few years I have enjoyed Baroque music in
a more authentic style, but still using a modern orchestra setup. The
conductors who specialize in this style are so much better than they
used to be in working with modern orchestras. They seem to get the
right string sound without having to change to gut strings, etc.” While
many orchestras deal with uncooperative or difficult acoustics in their
home concert space, the Cleveland Orchestra has developed its unique
sonic pallette from playing in one of the best acoustics in the world.
Severance Hall is certainly not the only ally of this venerable orchestra.
The Cleveland Orchestra is notable for one of the most extensive touring
schedules of any major orchestra, especially from a city the size
of Cleveland. While local citizens have much to be proud of, patrons
from New York to Nebraska have opportunities to see performances.
The orchestra also performs several weeks in the winter in Miami
(no small benefit to musicians in notoriously cold Cleveland!), which
Zadinsky describes as “coming to feel like a second home. The world
is our oyster!” The orchestra’s challenge on these tours is to maintain
the standard of precision while accommodating the huge variety of
halls in which they play for perhaps one night only. Says Zadinsky
“We are able to perform concerts that are equally musically compelling
in a wide range of acoustics, from Carnegie Hall in New York to
the Musikverein in Vienna.” Each concert is unique and exciting from
many perspectives.
No article on the Cleveland Orchestra bass section would be complete
without some links to videos. While there are not many videos of the
orchestra performing live, the immortal recording legacy of the group
is preserved well on the internet.
• Interview with Max Dimoff over a recording of
Bach Cello Suite 1 - Minuets 1 and 2
• The Cleveland Orchestra playing Richard Strauss’ Ein
Heldenleben - this video begins just before the famous #77
excerpt. Minute marker 1 has a great shot of Peter Seymour,
frequentsection guest and founding member of the Project Trio
playing all over the bass! 1:25 is a great section shot as well.
• A more complete rehearsal of Beethoven’s 5 th Symphony with Szell.
The information and process on display here are incredible
resources to anyone aspiring to be an orchestra player
or a conductor.
SUMMER 2014 NEXT LEVEL BASSIST
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