Posted by Rick Denney on July 16, 2000 at 20:44:25:
In Reply to: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: American brass playing and ethnocentrism posted by Richard on July 15, 2000 at 19:43:54:
I have a remastered recording originally made in the 30's containing the Vaughan Williams 4th Symphony, conducted (spectacularly) by the composer. As electric and powerful as that performance is, the quality of the brass playing would not pass muster these days. Cracked notes, poor intonation, and sloppy entrances abound, and more than can be excused by the pressures of making direct-cut 78's in that era. The recording was with the London Philharmonic in 1937.
Even the 1952 recording of his 2nd Symphony, recording in his presence and for his 80th birthday, shows a startling gap between the LSO (I think it was) and, say, Chicago.
Things have changes a lot since then.
The quality of an ensemble is no better than the worst player. Where I think the greatest improvement has been in the last few decades has been in the depth of quality, right down to the last chair. It shows up with tuba players in that even marginal semi-pro orchestras get really first-class tuba players because of the abundant supply. And perhaps that points to yet another phenomenon. Consider the advances in brass pedagogy in the last 75 years, where even 2nd-rate amateurs like me can learn under some of the best players in the world, without being either rich or part of the aristocracy.
Rick "Sometimes we are negative, but really it's a good time to be a fan of orchestral music" Denney