Cerminaro Impresses with Strauss

Cerminaro has had an extraordinary career, serving as principal French horn in the New York Philharmonic in the glory days of Leonard Bernstein, and Los Angeles Philharmonic, when Carlo Maria Giulani was music director. He has taught at noted institutions and festivals and made superb recordings. His arrival at the Seattle Symphony began a revitalization of the French horn section, at one time among the worst in the orchestra.

Cerminaro is accustomed to solo appearances, and so the Strauss First Horn Concerto held no particular terrors for him. He also knows the piece profoundly, having first performed in 1971, when he was a member of the New York Philharmonic. Cerminaro made the most of what Strauss gave him.

His command of the instrument, notoriously difficult, is remarkable. Period. He seemingly can do anything, and that can be thrilling to a listener. He possesses an uncommonly wide dynamic range and phrases with immense sophistication. This tone is burnished and reminds one why Wagner chose the instrument as a musical symbol for his hero Siegfried in the "Ring" cycle.

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