Szell's reputation as a perfectionist was well-known, but his knowledge of instruments was deep and in-depth. The Cleveland trumpeter Bernard Adelstein recounted Szell's knowledge of the trumpet: “ He knew all the fingerings on the trumpet. For example, on the C-trumpet, the "E" on the fourth space is played open, with no valve, and it's a flat note. But there are two other options on the C-trumpet. You can play the same note with the first and...
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Szell's reputation as a perfectionist was well-known, but his knowledge of instruments was deep and in-depth. The Cleveland trumpeter Bernard Adelstein recounted Szell's knowledge of the trumpet: “ He knew all the fingerings on the trumpet. For example, on the C-trumpet, the "E" on the fourth space is played open, with no valve, and it's a flat note. But there are two other options on the C-trumpet. You can play the same note with the first and...