by David Griffin
Dale Clevenger and David Griffin together in Salzburg, Austria.
(photo credit Todd Rosenberg)
Many people will remember Dale for his epic Mahler and Strauss horn calls, his fearless rides into the stratosphere, and his endlessly long lyrical lines. Of course, those are all very true and memorable, but I will most remember Dale for his kindness and patience when I was a new member of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra horn section.
Rather than pointing out shortcomings, Dale did whatever he could to encourage and welcome newcomers. Suggestions were few and far between, which greatly helped a new player feel comfortable in an unfamiliar situation. On the rare occasion when Dale addressed the horn section in rehearsal, he always phrased the request in the politest form possible.
After I had been in the CSO for about a year, I mentioned to Dale that he never seemed to be worried about anything. He looked me straight in the eye and said, “David, I’m a very good actor.” I suppose so, because his outwardly carefree attitude, during even the most high-pressure situations, demonstrated to the section that communicating the musical content took precedence over just hitting right notes on the horn. In my lessons with Dale, he spoke about “controlled abandon” as a goal for performances. Later as a colleague, what incredible joy it brought me to hear him up close in the orchestra, performing so fearlessly and with controlled abandon.
Dale’s spot-on imitations of conductors kept us laughing. Speaking of conductors, none ever rattled him. Rather, the occasional inexperienced conductor might quickly learn not to try and fix what wasn’t broken.
Everyone has their own favorite playlist of Dale’s greatest moments, on which I cannot improve. An interesting comparison, though, would be to listen to Mahler’s Third Symphony with then-Music Director Jean Martinon conducting the orchestra in a live performance from 1967, Dale’s “freshman year.” He sounds very good, but in hearing that recording, there’s no way to imagine the type of musician and horn player into which Dale would evolve. Given the chance to serve as CSO’s principal horn, Dale seized the opportunity and performed in a manner that raised expectations for all horn players in ways previously unimagined.
The 20th century is well documented with many commercial and live recordings of the entire orchestral repertoire. No one sounded like Dale prior to his tenure—although not long after establishing himself in the CSO, everyone was trying to sound like him. Dale was a pivotal artist who forever changed orchestral horn playing.
Some have described the first horn role as “either bored to death or scared to death.” Nothing could be further from the truth for Dale who lived for the finest details: smooth, legato lines with a clear sense of forward direction, an infinite variety of articulations, and the most dramatic dynamic level for the moment. He took equal pride in accompanying colleagues in a breathtaking pianissimo as in riding on top of the full brass section in a massive Bruckner chorale.
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| CSO horns section in St. Petersburg, Russia April, 2012. Clevenger, Jim Smelser, David Griffin, Oto Carillo, Sue Gaunt, and Dan Gingrich (photo credit Will Berndt) |
Like his music-making, which was always moving towards a higher level, Dale became his best person in his golden years as evidenced by a selfless devotion to his students and a genuine care for others. I will miss Dale’s unexpected phone call just to check in on me and catch up on the news.
Thank you Dale! Your glorious horn playing and passion for great music making will continue to inspire me forever.
