Re: Hodie, Vaughan Willaims


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Posted by Rick Denney on November 20, 2001 at 11:35:10:

In Reply to: Hodie, Vaughan Willaims posted by David McRoberts on November 19, 2001 at 20:07:47:

Who is performing Hodie? If it's within easy reach, I'd like to come see it. Vaughan Williams's opera doesn't get performed often.

As to using an EEb for most of RVW's works, I would say that doing so is only appropriate if the trumpets and trombones are using older, narrow-bore instruments. If they are playing their usual monster stuff, then I'd play a large tuba to balance the sound. Vaughan Williams's brass writing is wonderful, and his tuba parts both demanding and rewarding. And some of the parts are huge. I would want a BAT for the opening chords (and closing chords, and most of what's in between) of the fourth symphony, for example. And the second symphony has some loud brass writing that needs a substantial instrument to balance the rest of the brass without sounding ugly.

But I can't recall the brass parts of Hodie, so what works in the symphonies and in big works like Job might not work in that opera. I'm just refuting the notion that RVW's stuff should be played on EEb just because it is a "British tradition."

Rick "who recalls Bevan's picture of George Wall holding an Alexander BBb kaiserbass" Denney


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