This just reminds me of an old recording I heard a few times (cannot
find it now - though I haven't searched extensively) of Sousa Marches
- played under the direction of his descendants. It was so much
lighter and more transparent than the versions with which we are
familiar that it sounded almost Mozartean. Part of this was a result
of scoring (fewer instruments per section) and part from
interpretation. Mark your score "Non-Bombastico"!
Not only that, Chuck, but the (low) brass instruments were MUCH smaller in Sousa's days than they
are now. I soloed a couple years ago on a double-bell euphonium that used to belong to one of
Sousa's Euphonium players and it was a "pea shooter" of the first order--smaller bore
than today's "student" models! Many of the Eb tubas of that vintage were the same bore
size as my Willson Euphonium pitched a FIFTH higher. Simone Mantia's trombone was smaller bore
than a current King 2B. My experience with high brass is not as extensive, but my guess is that
there were both Cornets and Trumpets in the old bands, which also would have taken some of the edge
off the sound as well. One of Harvey Phillips's biggest gripes with current orchestral brass
playing, esp. in the trombones/tuba, is the sheer SIZE of the instruments and the associated
volume. Have you seen live performances with the plastic shields up isolating the brass? Some of
those things they call 6/4 tubas are scary.!
..more than one famous orchestral player blew their chops out from playing
those things. They need to be licensed.
I would also talk about bass trombones, but Louisville is not far from
Indianapolis, and Mr. Horton might wrap his triple-trigger bi-valve low BBB
XL-bore nitro-cylindrical confabulator around my size 16.5 neck seven or eight
times.
Jim W.
You know what happens when you "assume" don't you? Speaking of Sousa
marches, as an example, I got so tired of waiting for conductors, or
first trumpet players, to do _anything_ toward performance practice,
(brass lay out second strain first time, ditto last strain first time,
etc.) that I just started speaking up, every time we get one, and
suggesting it myself. And, as far as overplaying brass in general - we
used to have a trumpet player like that - but we don't any more. We
shipped him up to teach at a large music-factory/university a few miles
to your southeast. That's all I'll say.
(My bi-valve low BBB XL-bore nitro-cylindrical confabulator only has two
triggers, anyway.)
RBH
Louisville Orchestra
You know you may not have us to kick around for long? This is the worst
contract mess yet - our Board of Directors seems to be hell-bent on
Chapter Seven (full liquidation) and trying to replace it in a year or
so with something smaller and cheaper. They pretended to negotiate for
three sessions, then pulled their "offer" from the table. Our contract
doesn't even expire until August! Right now they say they won't even go
to mediation unless we agree to a smaller orchestra first. They want
something like Owensboro (a small city in Kentucky) that buses in kids
from IU to fill out every concert. Sigh - This orchestra has a 70 year
history, and they seem to be ready to give it up that easily.
http://www.courier-journal.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060121/NEWS01/601210418
http://www.savethelo.org/
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