Posted by Larry Zaidan on August 21, 2001 at 08:09:49:
Well, the last post dissappeared, so I'll try again!
Last night, I saw a performance, on cable, of Berlioz's "Symphonie Fantastique", conducted by John Elliot Gardiner, with an "original" instrument orchestra.
It was a very good performance. The thing that made it special was that it used 2 opheclides. When it came to the "Dies Irae", the second opheclidist(?) switched to a serpent! The combination of opheclide/serpent/bassoons created a very bizarre, trnsparent tone color, that tubas/bassoons don't quite produce. I wondered afterwards, would using a mute in one or both of the tubas, emulate the opheclide effect, has anyone ever tried that idea?
For anyone in the New York City area, the performance will be rebroadcast on Friday, 2:00 AM (if you are allowed to stay up!), on WLIW 21.
Check it out!
Larry Zaidan