Posted by Dave on April 17, 2003 at 13:27:21:
I'd like some opinions from experienced orchestra players. Is it better to leave your horn in position throughout a piece or movement, even if not playing? I sometimes feel as if the audience seeing my horn (or trombones coming off stands) "gives away" what is coming up, lessening any impact slightly. For a piece like the Planets, lifting and lowering the horn for tacet passages, while in a well-known work, lets the audience know, "hey, the tuba is going up, Mercury must be over soon", or am I reading too much into an insignificant thing?
Thanks