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For those of you that are auditioning in the 2010 Falcone Artist Tuba competition, one of the only recordings of the Halsey Stevens Sonatina is on An die Musik, Robert Brewer, tuba. The recording is still available from Walking Frog and from Dr. Brewer at Colorado State University.

There is also a recording of the Halsey Stevens Sonatina on Jim Self's solo CD.

David Randolph also recorded it on his first CD.

It's on Charlie Vernon's solo CD as well.

<----21 and highly considering it.

If Stevens wrote the piece today, he would just insert the odd meters. The straight meter and funky barring was the style back then. Bernstein even wrote out Rite of Spring in 4-4 just to make it easier, or so I was told.

Alex C wrote:If Stevens wrote the piece today, he would just insert the odd meters. The straight meter and funky barring was the style back then. Bernstein even wrote out Rite of Spring in 4-4 just to make it easier, or so I was told.

Urban legend, and untrue. Can you imagine the monumental task of doing that by hand, including all the parts? Why would professional musicians need such a "crutch" in the first place? It certainly doesn't make it any easier to play, and it doesn't "fit" into a 4-4 meter well at all.

It was Nicolas Slominsky who rebarred the score only (in blue pencil), and both Bernstein and Serge Koussevitzky used the pencil markings. I still don't get that, though...did they just wave four beats while the orchestra played 3/16, 2/8, 1/16, and 4/8? What's the point? Perhaps it just shows how little attention the players give the baton aside from starting the beat.

Too bad there's not a Snopes.com specifically for music rumors, legends, and innuendo!