Q&A with the Orchestra
Marney O'Sullivan - Principal Timpanist
Marney O’Sullivan gives us an insight into Orchestra rehearsals and tells of how he went from banging forks to Principal Timpanist at Opera North.
Instrument: Timpani, Percussion
Time with Opera North: 18 years
What is your first musical memory?
Banging two forks together in time to a record of the Birdcatcher aria from the Magic Flute, aged about 4.
How did you become involved in classical music?
I was surrounded by it as a child. My father played the piano, harpsichord and organ and my mother wrote about music for the radio. We lived in the centre of Dublin and musicians would often drop in to sing or play duets with my dad. However I first started playing drums in a rock band and only gradually drifted into orchestral playing.
How long have you been part of Opera North?
I joined Opera North from the Hallé Orchestra in 1991 – I was one of (former music director) Paul Daniel’s first appointments.
What do you enjoy most about being part of Opera North?
I enjoy being part of a group that strives for excellence (sometimes successfully!). I also enjoy the variety – for instance getting to play James Bond music, Elektra, Sibelius 2nd Symphony, Tosca and the Christmas Oratorio in the space of the same few weeks.
What is your favourite composer/piece of music to play?
Easily the best thing about being a professional musician is that you get to know an enormous amount of music. There is so much great stuff, from Purcell to Stravinsky, Haydn to Massenet. If forced, I might choose L’Enfant et les Sortilèges (Ravel) to listen to and Otello (Verdi) to play.
Do you play any other instruments?
I play a bit of jazz piano. It’s a good contrast to opera
How long before a performance do you get the music and start rehearsing?
For a concert we start rehearsing 1 or 2 days before, and for an opera it is usually a couple of weeks, depending on the schedule. If it is a new piece or well known for being difficult then we can always go to the music library and look at the music in advance. If there’s an unfamiliar work scheduled I often get the full score and listen to a CD to get an idea of what is involved.
How many hours do you rehearse for?
Rehearsals for a concert can be anywhere from between 3 to 15 hours.
For most operas we have four orchestral rehearsals, two sitzproben (where singers and orchestra rehearse together), four stage rehearsals and the dress rehearsal, adding up to 33 hours. Depending on performances, each week we rehearse for around 12-24 hours.
Is there anything you always do to prepare before a performance?
It is always important to check your instruments and make sure they’re working properly and sounding good, you want to keep things going wrong to a minimum. A few things have gone wrong in rehearsals like dropping a stick or a broken head but luckily never in a performance.
During a performance, how do you know when to play again when you’ve been silent for half an hour?
You have to count, so if it’s 120 bars’ rest you have to count them – but it is easy to lose count so we also have cues and reference points, e.g. changes of key or the entry of a particular character.
What happens if you’re off sick?
For concerts and rehearsals we have a reserve list of people who can be contacted but for an opera, especially on tour, it can be difficult to find someone who knows the piece, so in an emergency we’ve sometimes had to call a colleague from ENO or Covent Garden.
Can you tell us more about Pictures for Percussion and Piano at the Howard Assembly Room? (Wed June 24th, 5.45pm)
Basically it is an introduction to the timpani and other percussion instruments; we will play pieces by 20th century masters Ravel, Stravinsky and Carter and one of the earliest Timpani solos, from 1685.
Reminiscent of the James Blades lecture series, the event will give an insight into what we percussionists do, in the context of some attractive music.
Is it easier/more enjoyable to perform alone or within an orchestra?
It’s certainly different, for Pictures for Percussion and Piano there will only be three of us where as in the orchestra I play with 60 to 70 people. I enjoy playing in an orchestra because of the music and the great operas but it is good to do something different occasionally.
What are you looking forward to most this season?
Definitely Don Carlos, it is a great piece and we also get the chance to record it. I greatly prefer later Verdi to his earlier works.
From past seasons I have most enjoyed Billy Budd and would love to do that again.
What do you do in your free time?
Depends how you interpret free. There’s not much time that isn’t spent performing, rehearsing, practising, preparing repertoire, maintaining instruments, running projects, teaching and travelling. On a free Sunday I enjoy doing ordinary things like cooking and walking down to the local.
