Posted by John Jones on March 11, 2004 at 14:14:56:
I've been thinking about the Hunsberger adaptation for band, which dates from (I think) the 60s. It's got those supercharged euphonium parts which have now become an audition standard and are quaintly scored for "baritone."
A couple of questions/thoughts:
1) Did Hunsberger expect it would be played at the tempos in use today? Which, unless you have players of the highest ability, makes the ensemble sound of the euphonium section sound like an out of focus murky blur.
2) If so, would the piece actually work better on the older American baritones, which had smaller pistons and therefore smaller distances to travel, especially as you slur through those presto sections. At some point there is a mechanical limit to how fast notes can be produced cleanly.
John Jones