Posted by Jay Bertolet on August 29, 1999 at 21:13:02:
In Reply to: Try-out posted by Jason Tacker on August 29, 1999 at 18:17:03:
Ouch! Why on earth would an orchestra require the Mendelssohn 5th, which is a serpent part, in an audition??? I've played this work before and, to be completely candid, it works best on a euphonium which plays in the same octave as the instrument the part was written for. Even a small F tuba can give way too much power and projection to the sound. This part is so inconsequential musically but lays very awkwardly because of the tessitura. My advice to you, if you have to play this on F, is to find the smallest F tuba and the smallest F tuba mouthpiece and practice with a tuner! As with most Mendelssohn, even the slightest bit of intonation problems can be instantly heard. Try to imagine what the part would have originally sounded like played on a serpent. Good luck!