tune in – SPRING / SUMMER 2012 –
backstage What were your first experiences of music, and what drew you to the timpani? My mother and father are both very musical, singing and playing the piano respectively, so there was always music in our house. My two older sisters played cello and viola, and I started on the violin when I was six. I never much liked it but it got me playing in orchestras which I loved, simply because the music was so wonderful. I was fascinated by the variety of sounds coming from the back of the orchestra and was particularly drawn to the deep, warm sound of the timpani. I remember hearing the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra (conducted by a certain young firebrand with crazy hair, no idea where he is now...) play Carmina Burana when I was eight, and from that moment I was totally hooked on timpani and percussion. Does an orchestral timpanist need to be able to play the full range of percussion as well? Yes, you need to study the whole gamut of timpani and percussion even if you have a preference for timpani. Not all percussionists want to play the timpani; there are many other instruments to cover employing a range of different techniques and as you gain experience you naturally gravitate towards certain instruments. I occasionally play the marimba as part of a percussion duo and still enjoy that challenge, musically and technically. Is playing timpani physically demanding? It certainly can be, particularly in pieces such as the big Shostakovich symphonies where frequently timpani are used as weapons of war (which of course they originally were). I remember rehearsing the big solo in the First Symphony some years ago. After my first attempt, Kurt Masur (for indeed, it was he) looked up, shook his head and bellowed 'You must KILL me!'. For the first time in my life I thrashed the drums literally as hard as I could – I was actually out of breath by the end of the solo. It sounded terrible to me but seemed to provide the dramatic effect that Masur was looking for. What are the biggest challenges for orchestral timpanists? The challenges are many and varied but the main ones are making a clear and articulate sound without being too bright or strident
the biggest challenge, and I'm not just referring to the obvious solo bits in the Scherzo! The timpanists and percussionists are so visible (and audible) on stage – we can't miss you! Is that nervewracking? I try not to think about it! On the rare occasions that I sit and watch a concert I'm always struck by just how visible everybody in the orchestra is, no matter what instrument they play. I think the pressures for everyone on stage are basically self-imposed. The turnover of repertoire is much higher in a British orchestra than in our European or American counterparts, yet the playing standards are phenomenally high all the time, in rehearsals as well as concerts.
– SIMON CARRINGTON – Simon is Principal Timpanist of the London Philharmonic Orchestra. We chatted to him about his role in the Orchestra, the challenges of his instrument and how he lets off steam offstage ... (especially in the LPO, as the Orchestra naturally has such a warm sound), playing perfectly in tune across the enormous dynamic range of the orchestra and when necessary, providing a little rhythmic stability in an environment where the musicians can be up to 25 metres apart. Who are your favourite composers to play? Anything by Richard Strauss – he wrote for timpani so well, everything is effective and rewarding to play. The same goes for Janáček, who wrote magnificent and unusual timpani parts. Nobody makes greater demands of a timpanist than Beethoven and I always look forward to playing any of his symphonies. Every note he wrote needs an exact volume and intensity relative to the sound around it which is, to my mind, simply not open to interpretation. The Ninth Symphony is for me
What are you most looking forward to playing with the Orchestra during the rest of the 2011/12 season? I'm really looking forward to Vladimir Jurowski's Prokofiev festival in January: in particular Ivan the Terrible (28 January), which contains some very colourful and at times incredibly riotous music. I'm also looking forward to the Seventh Symphony (13 January), which is rarely performed but may be the most innocently tuneful and warmest of his symphonies. Finally, I’ll enjoy playing Elgar’s First Symphony (24th March); it's a wonderful symphony that I very much associate with the LPO, but we tend not to play much English music these days. What do you enjoy doing when you’re not playing in the Orchestra? Apart from spending time with my lovely wife Mo and our two young sons, I love playing and especially watching cricket, as well as following Southampton Football Club's inexorable ascent to the Premiership. My main hobby is slalom course waterskiing: I try to go at least three times a week during the summer and even enter the odd competition to keep me honest! It's a highly technical sport: skiers can be travelling upwards of 60mph at times and if you make a mistake and fall badly it can hurt! I have ended up in A&E on occasion but you have to live your life, don’t you? I also love Cuban music and listening to really inventive jazz pianists, and do on occasion tickle the ivories myself (usually after a couple of beers in a hotel foyer on tour!).
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12/14/2011 4:38:15 PM