Posted by Rick Denney on September 16, 2002 at 12:51:14:
In Reply to: Re: Re: bydlo posted by Ron Pokryska on September 14, 2002 at 16:41:56:
As I understand it, he played it on an Alexander tenor tuba on his excerpts recording. It was beautifully played on that CD. The Alex is an upright, rotary Bb euphonium with a largish bore, no compensation, a large bell and bell throat, and four valves, based on the picture that I have seen. For someone who wants to play it on a euphonium, but who hears the work with a tuba-like tone (which seems to be a Bad Thing on euphonium, judging from the comments I hear from euphoniumists), the Alex or an instrument like it seems the ideal choice. With the right mouthpiece, it would do pretty well on the middle section, which is not well-placed to sound good on a regular euphonium, it seems to me.
I've heard Bydlo performed several times by tuba players of renowned skills, and I've yet to hear a perfect rendition in an actual performance. For some reason, the gap between what can be done in the practice room and in rehearsal and what can be done on stage is larger with this work than with other key solos. That piano high-G# entrance in the closing bars seems to be the most likely spot for an accident.
If someone was every stupid enough to ask me to play it, I'd do it on a euphonium in a heartbeat. Nobody admires good sound or wonderful musicianship if you splatter the note all over half an octave.
Rick "who thinks this is a bit different than missing a note in the middle of a fast, technical work" Denney