Posted by Jay Bertolet on February 21, 2003 at 17:35:16:
In Reply to: 8va heros posted by JS on February 20, 2003 at 23:02:11:
Well, I don't know what to say. I just came home from a rehearsal of Bruckner 4 and there on the music stand was the version (Haas) that has the pedal C in the second movement chorale. Bizarre.
I am very cautious about taking notes down an octave. In the orchestra it almost never happens. In fact, the only times I can think of when that happens with any regularity are during pops concerts where the music warrants it (the Jackie Mason arrangement of West Side Story has a really nice spot for a pedal D at the end of a big chorale, just before "One Hand, One Heart"). Mostly, I'm thrilled that I'm rendering the ink with any legitimate level of competence.
Band music is a bit more open for octave dropping but only slightly. I've previously relayed the story of when I dropped the final two notes of "Irish Tune from County Derry" during a Sousa Band performance. That resulted in a double-pedal F on the last note. I only did that because Don Harry (whose opinion I respect a LOT) encouraged me to do it and the overall effect was pleasing to the group. I have to consider myself very lucky that I consistently work with really accomplished groups and what I've learned is that if something sounds good to them, it is sure to be accepted by the audiences. Only after I spoke with several members of the Sousa Band and got their positive reactions to doing this did I ever consider doing something like that in a concert.
I think a lot of this depends on the conductor. I play a conductors workshop every summer at FIU and one of the regular attendees, a bassoon playing band director who is a graduate of Florida State, always asks me to take everything I can down an octave. She absolutely loves it. Playing the middle strain of the march "Seventeen Comes Sunday" down an octave will give you a new appreciation of the term air! Thankfully I don't play too often for her because I think the effect (and I use that word "effect" specifically when referring to dropping octaves) loses its appeal with overuse.
I think the problem comes when players have the wrong attitude when dropping octaves. Showing off is an obvious one. Not being able to do it well is another. Someone else said it better than me. Just because we can do a thing doesn't mean we should do it. As long as quality and common sense are the primary criteria, I don't think there is a problem with very limited use of dropped octaves. Just don't have too much fun doing it, you might not want to stop!
My opinion for what it's worth...