Posted by Rick Denney on June 20, 2003 at 10:20:25:
The threads further down that brought up the various recordings of the Vaughan Williams encouraged me to dig mine up and listen to them again. I listened to the original Catelinet recording, the Fletcher recording, and the Lind recording, and did a few close comparisons.
I now know what people mean when they say "this tuba sounds like a euphonium." Catelinet made euphonium sounds, similar to the sound I get when I put a tuba mouthpiece in a euphonium. Also, in response to the comment that the Barlow F was loud, I can only say that the microphone placement must have been terrible, because for big parts of the second movement I could hardly hear the soloist.
The difference between the Fletcher and the Lind is interesting. Fletcher's performance is drier, with less romance and more bluff. It sounds more like Vaughan Williams to me. Lind's rendition is more romantic, and his tone is rounder, but in some places I thought it a bit too smooth. Fletcher's tone has more harmonic stuff in it and a little more tonal character. But it may be the recording. The Lind recording has less room reverberation, and his sound is louder with respect to the orchestra. They may have had the microphone too close.
Here's the "is it me" part. Is it me, or is Fletcher's dynamic range--despite his straightforward interpretation--much greater than Lind's? Fletcher's soft seem barely audible (but always audible, while Catelinet sometimes disappeared altogether), while Lind was always front and center. Fletcher had less romance, but more mystery.
And the big one: Is it me, or is Lind's choice of pitch temperament much different than Fletcher's? The low C's or thereabouts in particular sounded different. Play the opening bars of the first movement of each, and you'll see what I mean. Neither sounds bad, they just sound different, and I wonder why.
Then, just for fun, I listened to Roger Bobo playing the Hindemith. By comparison, his sound has trombone elements in it. Talk about the power sound! Makes my hair stand on end. But it's not the smooth, round tuba tone of Lind by any means.
Rick "not talking about instruments" Denney