Another EUR0.02: 1. Many orchestral brass players lament the current trend towards 6/4 tubas, huge-bore bass trombones, and large-bore "tenor-bass" trombones. I've rehearsed with at least one group where there were reflecting devices to deflect the brass sounds away from the rest of the group. (I do not consider myself [tenor tuba] to have been part of the problem). Of course, this "equipment problem" is primarily a "performer problem" but my sense is that many younger conductors have grown up with that sound and don't know anything else. My teacher, Harvey Phillips, had no trouble BLENDING with an orchestra or soloing with it, on what we would call today a 3/4 CC tuba. He simply does not understand the need for such huge equipment or why it has to be played by some individuals "full-bore." 2. In the band realm, I attended an interesting presentation about Sousa's scoring...it worked in his day because the trombones, euphoniums, and tubas (and to some extent the trumpets) in that band were peashooters compared to today's equipment. A solo and band performance I gave at the Great American Brass Band Festival, on an instrument owned by one of Sousa's euphoniumists, really hammered that home to me. It's no wonder that Sousa's original scoring sounds so odd today... 3. The cimbasso is also coming back, esp. in the LA studios. That's a valved bass trombone, pitched usually in F, though CC and BBb versions exist...performer sits, with valves in front and bell looping around back before pointing front.
And of course, in the 20th-21st centuries, "tenor trombone" really means tenor-bass trombone, w. a trigger. I know a lot of first-trombonists prefer the old simplex tenor, because it is lighter in weight and 1st trb. parts almost never need the trigger, but it seems to me that most composers these days assume that even the first trombone can and will play down to low C, not to mention the pedals. Another inst. more frequently seen nowadays is the Cbtrb, especially the one in non-transposing F w. 2 or 3 low triggers. Now *there's* an instrument that really sounds different from the tenor trombone, and to me the ideal trb. section (for new works, of course) would be 2 trb and 1 cbtrb. An interesting case is Berg's 1929 _Three Pieces for Orchestra_. Berg asks for 3 tenors and one bass trombone, but in a footnote to the instrument list, Heinz Erich Apostel says that the first trombone part was originally written in alto clef, but changed to tenor clef in the published part w. the composer's blessing. Apostel goes on to say that the part lies so high that it might be better played on an alto trombone or an Eb tenor trumpet--but then at reh. no. 155 Berg asks the first trombone (also the 2d and 3d) to play a louder-than-ff D below the bass staff. Berg specifically expects a "Pedalton," but I don't think any trombonist at all these days would play it that way, but would use the F trigger. Meanwhile the bass trombone is asked to play the D below that--the bottom D on the piano. I heard a performance of this w. the Buffalo Philharmonic where the most amazing blat came out there--just what I think Berg wanted; but to get it that loud, the 4th trb. player was using a contrabass trb. for the whole part. Andrew Stiller Kallisti Music Press http://home.netcom.com/~kallisti/ _______________________________________________ Finale mailing list [email protected] http://lists.shsu.edu/mailman/listinfo/finale
Another EUR0.02: 1. Many orchestral brass players lament the current trend towards 6/4 tubas, huge-bore bass trombones, and large-bore "tenor-bass" trombones. I've rehearsed with at least one group where there were reflecting devices to deflect the brass sounds away from the rest of the group. (I do not consider myself [tenor tuba] to have been part of the problem). Of course, this "equipment problem" is primarily a "performer problem" but my sense is that many younger conductors have grown up with that sound and don't know anything else. My teacher, Harvey Phillips, had no trouble BLENDING with an orchestra or soloing with it, on what we would call today a 3/4 CC tuba. He simply does not understand the need for such huge equipment or why it has to be played by some individuals "full-bore." 2. In the band realm, I attended an interesting presentation about Sousa's scoring...it worked in his day because the trombones, euphoniums, and tubas (and to some extent the trumpets) in that band were peashooters compared to today's equipment. A solo and band performance I gave at the Great American Brass Band Festival, on an instrument owned by one of Sousa's euphoniumists, really hammered that home to me. It's no wonder that Sousa's original scoring sounds so odd today... 3. The cimbasso is also coming back, esp. in the LA studios. That's a valved bass trombone, pitched usually in F, though CC and BBb versions exist...performer sits, with valves in front and bell looping around back before pointing front. And of course, in the 20th-21st centuries, "tenor trombone" really means tenor-bass trombone, w. a trigger. I know a lot of first-trombonists prefer the old simplex tenor, because it is lighter in weight and 1st trb. parts almost never need the trigger, but it seems to me that most composers these days assume that even the first trombone can and will play down to low C, not to mention the pedals. Another inst. more frequently seen nowadays is the Cbtrb, especially the one in non-transposing F w. 2 or 3 low triggers. Now *there's* an instrument that really sounds different from the tenor trombone, and to me the ideal trb. section (for new works, of course) would be 2 trb and 1 cbtrb. An interesting case is Berg's 1929 _Three Pieces for Orchestra_. Berg asks for 3 tenors and one bass trombone, but in a footnote to the instrument list, Heinz Erich Apostel says that the first trombone part was originally written in alto clef, but changed to tenor clef in the published part w. the composer's blessing. Apostel goes on to say that the part lies so high that it might be better played on an alto trombone or an Eb tenor trumpet--but then at reh. no. 155 Berg asks the first trombone (also the 2d and 3d) to play a louder-than-ff D below the bass staff. Berg specifically expects a "Pedalton," but I don't think any trombonist at all these days would play it that way, but would use the F trigger. Meanwhile the bass trombone is asked to play the D below that--the bottom D on the piano. I heard a performance of this w. the Buffalo Philharmonic where the most amazing blat came out there--just what I think Berg wanted; but to get it that loud, the 4th trb. player was using a contrabass trb. for the whole part. Andrew Stiller Kallisti Music Press http://home.netcom.com/~kallisti/ _______________________________________________ Finale mailing list [email protected] http://lists.shsu.edu/mailman/listinfo/finale
_______________________________________________ Finale mailing list [email protected] http://lists.shsu.edu/mailman/listinfo/finale
