Re: Ragtime


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Posted by Joe S. on February 11, 2001 at 00:36:22:

In Reply to: Ragtime posted by gs on February 10, 2001 at 20:28:39:

Very early in the show is an exposed baritone solo (the main ragtime theme melody of the show), but not hard. Late in the show is a more difficult solo involving tight harmony with the french horn, fairly high range, and a fistful of sharps - but that one is not quite as exposed - some 16th note triplets at a moderate tempo, and again: pretty high. If you have the music a week in advance, look at it. Both of the baritone solos that I mentioned involve moderate tempi. The early one is somewhere around 120 beats per, and the late one is about 80-something.

There is a dramatic place in the show where you have been playing the baritone, you have to jam in on the floor, grab the tuba, and sock out a very loud and low low D with a diminuendo (Thank Jesus). I figured out that I had to have the tuba mouthpiece in the palm of my left hand when I was playing the baritone, and buzz the tuba low D into the tuba mouthpiece while I was setting the baritone down on the floor, if I expected to really rattle the low D into the theater.

If you get a xerox practice book a week ahead, you can scan and fax excerpts to me, if you have any questions. I did an edit on many of the parts (performance book) when I played it - defining octaves, marking tacets when the tuba and bass were playing together and the tuba was too heavy for the mood, changed some dynamics, fixed some notes...all with the permission of the guy who was to take over as the new conductor. He said, "Whatever you have been doing would be great to mark in the parts."

You will need a baritone MUTE.

On opening night, many of us in the band had eaten at a downtown restaurant between the (one) rehearsal and the sound check. Whatever I ordered must have gone bad, and I had severe abdominal distress. At intermission, I asked if anyone in the troupe had any diarrhea pills. Someone said "yes" and handed me one. I said, "Give me two." They did. I took two. My stomach cramps got worse and worse, and I had to work harder and harder to keep my guts from exploding (while playing a show for the first time), but I kept getting sleepier and sleepier - not helping my already-taxed concentration...The guy had given me two very strong ANTIHISTAMINES.
:-/
You'll have better luck than that. Just look at the music and practice the instrument SWITCHING as much as the parts themselves, if you aren't the most confident baritone player.

Duct tape some foam rubber strips to the left side and the right side of your chair, so you don't put new dents in your instruments on the fast changes.



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