Maner Plays Strauss
Orchestral Excerpt Insights • 05-Apr-2021
“Richard Strauss' opera Salome is a twisted and terrifying tale," says CSO contrabassoon Miles Maner. "And I think of the story when I'm playing the excerpt.” Maner is a master at depicting the drama of an emotionally intense story through the sounds of his instrument. He does this by focusing on the characters he’s trying to convey, and searching for a method and style of playing that best suits the music he’s making. “You have to be creative and independent and always curious — how can I make this better?”
Up Next in Orchestral Excerpt Insights
-
Buncke Plays Shostakovich
The process of preparing orchestral excerpts for an audition is both challenging and rewarding. For CSO Principal Bassoon Keith Buncke, an important part of the journey is giving himself the freedom to try new approaches to figure out what serves the player and the music. “The thing that's really...
-
Höskuldsson Plays Rossini
CSO Principal Flute Stefán Ragnar Höskuldsson guides listeners through his interpretation of the famous melodies from Rossini's William Tell Overture and shares his wisdom about how to prepare these multifaceted orchestral excerpts. “Auditions are difficult because of the context they'r...
-
Hanna Plays Beethoven
For CSO Principal Bass Alexander Hanna, Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 is one of the most important pieces in the history of music, and the recitativo from the work’s fourth movement presents an opportunity to convey profound emotions on the bass. “There's a real feeling of optimism,” Hanna said. “Th...
