Posted by Joe S. on March 06, 2001 at 00:46:35:
This post is probably borderline delete-able, and at Mr. Chisham's discretion I am posing a question. Perhaps a year ago, there was quite a thread of posts regarding the appropriateness of the use of sousaphones (regardless of how well they might sound) in symphony orchestras. Mention was made of the sousaphone-in-the-orchestra silhouette in the movie "Fantasia", the use of one on someone's "American in Paris" solo, and several other things. I believe that such a thread today would go in predictable ways.
Here's a similar (but not the same) question:
How appropriate would a HELICON be in a concert hall (assuming fine instrument/fine player/etc.)? It seems to me that a helicon points in such a direction as to "miss" the "rigging" (lights, overhead curtains, presidium) found in many of todays "multi-purpose" theater-concert hall-s, yet the bells of helicons still point UP (perhaps in the direction of the "peanut gallery" [2nd balcony]).