In Monday’s (4/15) Chicago Tribune, John von Rhein reports, “He was by general consent the most respected and influential orchestral trumpeter of the last half-century, and very probably the greatest. He was an inspiration to generations of brass players. He was a hero to any musician who ever struggled to master what he once called ‘the most strenuous of instruments.’ For more than a half-century, Adolph Herseth’s distinctive sound and playing style were the bulwark of a brass section whose fabled power and brilliance have long been the sonic hallmark of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. He was a legend, in the finest sense of that much-abused word. Herseth, whose 53 years as principal trumpet of the CSO remain unequalled in orchestral history, died Saturday at the Oak Park home he and his family have lived in from the time he joined the orchestra in 1948. The cause of death was not disclosed. He was 91. Herseth played under five CSO music directors, from Rafael Kubelik through Daniel Barenboim. He stepped down as first trumpet in 2001 and served as principal trumpet emeritus from 2001 until his retirement in 2004.”
Posted April 15, 2013
