Top of page: Black and white photograph by Robert Biddlecome, 1994. Color portrait, upper right corner by Yuen Lui. Color action photograph, upper right corner by Seattle Times newspaper staff photographer.
Album Covers top to bottom: "John Cerminaro" (cover photo by Charles Abbott); "Cerminaro Plays Mozart" (cover photo by Charles Abbott); "Tchaikovsky and Brahms" (cover photo by Bernard Vidal); "John Cerminaro, Horn" (cover photo by William Burlingham); "Screamers" (back cover photo by Ellen M. Banner).
Photographs
and Album Covers
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John's three triple horns. (Above) Paxman/wConn 8D pipe and bell, seen during a Mozart's Horn Concerto No. 2 performance; (Above right) Schmid triple/wPaxman sleeve and 8D bell flair, after a concert of Mahler's Seventh Symphony; (Right) Finke triple/w8D pipe and bell, playing the Strauss Horn Concerto at Carnegie Hall, New York. |
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The Inside Story The latest CD contains rare photos of John at the ages of 16, 36, 56, and somewhat over 56 (!) and it contains live performances spanning 25 years. John's mouthpiece use changed from a Giardinelli-Chamber's C1 to a Ross Taylor style cup with a #1 bore. His rim was an expanded Brain type, but with a slightly wider inside diameter to accommodate John's "Ansetzen" type lip position. His embouchure is detailed in Philip Farkas' Book, "A Photographic Study of 40 Virtuoso Horn Players' Embouchures." John now uses his own custom model mouthpiece, produced exclusively by Marcinkeiwicz. |
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The Inside Story This composite of John sitting on a chair entirely made out of horns and a sky over Aspen, was meant to give the impression of a horn-player's Valhallah. John insisted upon two things at the recording session. That there be only one microphone placed in front of the orchestra for everybody -- no special mike near his bell -- and, that the takes for each phrase be of one piece, not edited together from many takes. These requests were strictly observed.
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The Inside Story John, seen here with his close friends during the Brahms horn trio photo shoot, was asked by the photographer if he might light up a cigar and peer through the smoke for one of the shots, to give it an exotic flavor. John agreed, but was amused when it was discovered that nobody had any cigars on the set, not even a matchbook. So, they scrambled to run out and buy some just for the photograph! The cigar cover photo was categorically a success and everybody was happy--including the tobacconist around the corner, who sold a box of Montecristo's just for the use of one cigar! |
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The Inside Story Called "The Blue Album," this CD is one of John's all time favorites and includes his landmark recordings of Bozza's "En Foret" and Hindemith's Sonata for horn and piano, among many other fascinating solo works. The Bozza nearly did not get recorded because of outside sounds audible in the studio. As it turned out, they had to use the first take of "En Foret" with only two small patches because all the other takes were spoiled by street noises. |
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The Inside Story The "Screamers" album contains the most difficult solo pieces ever written for the horn. It was so complicated and exhausting to record, that both John and Charlotte rewarded themselves with a trip to their longtime friend Vincent DeRosa's condo in Maui afterwards. Interestingly, Peter Christ of Crystal Records had to fly to Oslo to get permission to use Munch's painting "The Scream" on the jacket cover, and the result has been one of the most striking and memorable cover photos ever. |
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The Inside Story This picture of John was used for the back cover of the "Screamers" CD. John is standing on a rooftop of another building with the Space Needle in the background. It was taken early in the morning on a day when the sun was so bright that John could barely keep his eyes open! What is more, the crowd of people forming in the street below were treated to several famous horn excerpts including "Til Eulenspiegel" and Siegfried's "Long Call." |
Photography Credits
Updated October 22, 2009