Klarinet Archive - Posting 000109.txt from 2001/01

From: MVinquist@-----.com
Subj: [kl] Frank Miller
Date: Wed, 3 Jan 2001 07:13:32 -0500

Don Hatfield asks whether the cellist Frank Miller, who recorded the Brahms
trio (and also the Beethoven trio, by the way) with Reginald Kell was the
same Frank Miller who played in the NBC Symphony under Toscanini.

The answer is yes. Frank Miller was principal cello in the NBC Symphony
under Toscanini for most of the orchestra's existence. He then became
principal cello in the Chicago Symphony during the glory years under Reiner
and then Martinon and Solti.

I think one reason he never had a solo career was that he was enormously fat
- close to 400 lb. in his later years.

He was a marvelous player, with a big, resonant tone and elegant,
warm-hearted musicianship. In my opinion, his recording of the Brahms Double
Concerto with Mischa Mischakoff (the NBC Symphony concertmaster) and
Toscanini is the best ever.

Cellists who studied with him have told me that he was an indifferent
teacher. Everything came so easily to him that he had never had to think
through what he did, and so was not good at explaining how to do it. (I have
heard the same about Reginald Kell.)

Michael Bryant can undoubtedly give us a list of all the recordings Miller
made.

Best regards.

Ken Shaw

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