Posted by Steve Dedman on May 12, 2001 at 14:28:08:
In Reply to: Re: Re: Re: THE horn for Bydlo???? posted by Mike on May 12, 2001 at 10:13:54:
Because it might not be the best musical chioce.
Who's going to get the gig? The guy that pulls out the custom-made G# Euph (that he had made specifically for the Bydlo solo) and plays the best rendition anyone has ever heard, or the guy who can get that g# on a CC tuba, but sounds like an elephant with a toothache doing it, and has no way to give a soft attack later?
There is no doubt that Ravel had the French 6-valve "tuba" in C in mind when he scored Pictures. That puts it in the tessitura of a Euph, and is why the solo is generally played on a Euph. It's a nice convenience that what is generally the better choice musically also happens to be the easier choice technically. If Ravel had wanted the timbre of a contrbass tuba, he would have scored the solo in the best range for that instrument.
Should the principal trumpet play the opening Promenade on Flugel?
All said cheerfully and with absence of malice...
Steve