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I have found, for me atleast, that i enjoy many solos better with band or orchestral occompanyment better then piano, however, there are some that i like better with piano. Does anyone else have the same feelings?

Depends a lot on the conductor or the colaborative pianist.

It also depends on how effectively the accompaniment is written, no matter what the instrumentation is.

For example, Gregson provided a piano accompaniment for his Tuba Concerto that is reasonable to play for the pianist and makes sense as it ties in with the solo instrument. It also represents fairly well all of the content of the band/orchestra parts. OTOH, the piano reduction of the orchestral accompaniment of the RVW Concerto is a nightmare!

I would rather be accompanied by a 200 piece orchestra than one paltry piano. It'll never happen but being turned loose with a huge orchestra would be sooo cool.

Horses for courses on this one I think.

There are many beautiful moments when just a piano accomp. can be quite haunting. Then Ken (Knuxie) and Joe (Joemis) start scoring for winds and their pieces really come alive!

I'm looking forward to doing the wind versions of both Ken's Concerto and his Daydreams before too long.

Having done the Horovitz with every published combination, I like the '2 as 1' feel of working with the piano and the fantastic powerful drive of the tbn/timpani opening of mov.3 with brass band.

Yet nothing can match the sustained strings playing the opening of mov.2.

CB