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This series of articles expands on notes taken by Nicholas Smith in lessons with Roland Berger in 1977. This is the concluding article.
Most players would probably not believe that I could remember the above experience from almost 40 years ago. For me, the experience working with Berger will be burned into my psyche until I die. That, plus all the notes I took after each lesson allowed me to have such vivid recall. I still feel working with Professor Berger all those years ago, to be one of the most, if not the most influential experience of my musical life. I only hope anyone reading this narrative might have a similar experience in their own musical lives.
Sooooo, I can hear people wanting to know if I always used Prof. Berger’s suggestions in my own playing and the answer is both yes and no. There is no way I could get away with telling any conductor that I wouldn’t do the acceleration in the opening calls of Till Eulenspiegel. Besides, that accel. Is almost a universal technique. I did incorporate some of his musical ideas into the Tschaikowsky 5th solo which weren’t a terribly big change from what I had already been taught.
Berger’s use of an assistant on Ein Heldenleben, especially from Reh. # 107 was especially helpful when I had to play the work less than a year after his coaching. And then there are the Brahms excerpts. Even when I was in the “prime” of my playing years, I never had the lung capacity to follow his directions for the extended phrases he recommended for the solo in the third movement of the Third Symphony. I continued to use the breathing directions of Mr. Farkas for that one and the other Brahms works as well as for some things in the Tschaikowsky 5th Symphony solo. While I have never advocated for students to work with as many different teachers as possible, I do believe an occasional lesson beyond their regular teacher can often open the student to new “break-throughs” in their playing. However, students should be advanced and mature enough to be able to make a judgement as to which suggestions work for them and which won’t. Hopefully, readers of the above narrative will be able to use at least some of Professor Berger’s ideas for their own playing.
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Many thanks to Dr. Nicholas Smith for sharing this article with Horn Matters readers.
For a bit more, there is a very nice video on YouTube where Berger talks about Vienna horns and more, it may be viewed here.
Author’s Biography
In 2016, Nicholas Smith retired after a forty-five year career teaching and playing at the university level. Forty-two years were spent at Wichita State University where he was Professor of Horn, as well as Principal Horn of the Wichita Symphony. He was also a member of WSU’s Wichita Brass Quintet and Lieurance Woodwind Quintet producing that ensemble’s highly regarded three CD’s for the Summit Label. He also held the Principal Horn positions of the Oklahoma City Symphony, the Madison (WI) Symphony, and the forty piece American Sinfonietta. He has also performed with the Kansas City Symphony, and as Assistant Principal Horn of the Rochester Philharmonic. His summer festival activities include the American Institute of Musical Studies in Graz, Austria, Brevard Music Festival, the Bay View (MI) Music Festival and the Bellingham (WA) Music Festival. He has been a frequent soloist and lecturer at regional and international conferences of the International Horn Society and hosted three regional conferences for the society in 1991, 1996, and 2006. Publishing includes several articles in music education journals as well as a historical contribution to the Horn Society’s former juried publication, The Horn Call Journal. His book “Don’t Miss!” was written to help improve accuracy on the horn and has had world-wide sales. Dr. Smith’s former students occupy positions in many orchestras and military bands throughout the US, Europe, and the orient. Several former students occupy teaching positions at the university level including the editor of Horn Matters/Horn Notes, John Ericson. In recognition of his teaching accomplishments, Wichita State University named Dr. Smith to its Academy of Effective Teaching in May of 2004. He also served WSU in several administrative positions including a five year stint as the Associate Dean for the College of Fine Arts. A native Kansan, he earned degrees at Pittsburg State University (BM) and the Eastman School of Music (MM, DMA, and Performer’s Certificate). Principal teachers include Verne Reynolds, Philip Farkas, and Roland Berger. Smith shares his retirement with his wife Cheryl in mid-Michigan where they continue to serve music performance and teaching as members of several area musical ensembles.
Return to Part I of Lessons in Vienna series.
