BY STEPHANIE ESLAKE
Have you ever wondered what life is really like in the orchestra? Welcome to EXPOSED!
Throughout 2017, we’re teaming up with musicians and arts administrators from the Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra to take you behind the scenes, and show you what it means to pursue a career in a challenging and fulfilling industry.
In this interview, we welcome cellist Brett Rutherford who is about to play his final official performances before retiring from the TSO!
Brett studied cello at the New South Wales Conservatorium of Music and played in the Sydney Youth Orchestras before spending a year of study in London. He soon joined the TSO, and has since performed on ABC and across the state with Virtuosi Tasmania, Tasmanian Symphony Chamber Players, Trigon Ensemble, Backgammon, and Nuove Musiche.
How did you make your way into a position with the Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra?
I was spending a year studying in London when I had word that a cello position had come up in the TSO. [My wife] Janet and I both had permanent positions in the Australian Opera and Ballet Orchestra from which we had taken a year’s leave.
Just prior to finding out about the cello position in Tasmania, we had the lovely news that our first baby was on the way. We had a tiny semi-detached house in Balmain and imagined a new, more spacious life in Tasmania. So, one day, towards the end of our year, I made my way into a BBC studio in Abbey Road and recorded an audition tape for the job in the TSO.
On returning to Sydney, I had the good news that I had won the position and that the principal cellist Christian Wojtowicz would be in Sydney then, and we met up for an afternoon where I played for him and we played duets. We moved to Hobart in January 1986 and our new baby daughter Clare was only 10 days old.
What did you imagine life would be like with the orchestra – and how have you found the experience in reality?
My professional orchestral life began with several years playing opera and ballet. These performances were, on average, three hours long, but sometimes much longer and the performance felt like travelling on a journey. We felt somewhat removed from the audience down in the orchestra pit, but the orchestral colours were wonderful and the voices, inspiring.
On joining the TSO, I found that the art of performance was quite different, with the orchestra now on show and the main event.
How would you describe your typical day backstage and in the rehearsal room?
You need a fair bit of energy for a typical day of rehearsal. The first day begins with the first read-through of all the repertoire; sometimes with a new conductor the orchestra hasn’t played with before. Each player has prepared their part, but there are constant adjustments to be made to create the conductor’s interpretation. The second day is when all the concepts start to firm up and by the time of the dress rehearsal, everything is in place for the evening performance.
Playing all the right notes is just the beginning. There is so much more that happens during the rehearsal, such as achieving unanimous articulation, intonation, and blending of the section sound. It all requires a high level of concentration.
Was there ever a time you thought the challenge of your role inside the orchestra would be too great?
Giving up is never an option, so any strategies you can use to help are important. Visualisation is a great device to make you feel that you have been there before. I once had to step up at very short notice to play the solo from William Tell, and I think this technique helped me feel more in control.
What do you feel are the strongest expectations placed on you in the orchestra?
To be a supportive member of the section and to be well prepared.
How do you cope with live performance pressure?
Coping with live performance pressure is a bit of [the above], as well as looking after your health, fitness and stamina.
How would you describe the chemistry in your instrumental section, and how do you work to support each other in your team?
Our section has played together for quite a long time, and over the years we have developed a good rapport and a cohesive sense of sound and style.
What do you wish audiences could understand about what it means to play in the orchestra?
I would hope that the audience appreciates the team work and passion that comes from every player who combines to bring a great work of art to life right there in front of them. And to think that what they are hearing is the cumulative result of individually, and collectively, a lot of work behind the scenes.
What is the thing you love most about life in the orchestra?
I love the idea of working together with my colleagues to produce an exciting listening experience for the audience, and to be part of keeping alive that wonderful connection with the past and present of the most creative minds that have ever lived.
What is one piece of advice you can offer young musicians looking to commence their orchestral career?
For a young musician just starting out, I would recommend that they look for every opportunity to learn and keep an open mind. A lot of the most useful things can come from different instrumentalists other than your own, and from listening to singers and conductors. Enjoy the ride!
See Brett Rutherford in his final performances with the orchestra this 13 and 15 July with the Rachmaninov Piano Concertos (1-4) under the batons of Howard Shelley and son Alexander Shelley, Federation Concert Hall.
And a congratulations to all members of the TSO for their Helpmann Award nomination for Best Symphony Orchestra Concert! The 17th annual awards ceremony takes place in Sydney on July 24.
Do you have a burning question about what life is really like in the orchestra?
Image supplied.
