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OK, I have decided to ask this at the risk of smart-alek answers from Joe or others. How big a sound is really necessary on a recital? The ones I have heard in the past (albeit many of then a decade or more ago) were of a more lighter and compact sound.
However, I was recently reamed out by a suppossed former tuba player at a recital hearing on Friday. In addition to the "I should be shifting and pivoting" stuff, he went on and on that I need to be playing with a much bigger sound for a recital. I was under the impression that solo material, particularly with only a piano, is the time not push the uppermost limits dynamically but to focus on lyricism, musicality, and even lightness when appropriate. Granted I am also playing it on medium sized equipment for the most part, an MW2145 and a medium sized F tuba, and it requires some effort to "move earth" on those horns that would be inappropriate for much of my literature. Should the Vaughan Williams be played like Bruckner 7?????????
Am I just behind the times, should a recital be played the same as orchestral excerpts in the CSO tradition? The last time I was in college was in the post Holton and pre 2165 era before the latest round of the arms race so is this a legitimate trend to bury the Steinway the way we once buried violas?
--Half asking, half venting--

A big sound is not the same thing as the style of Bruckner. Apples and oranges there.

Most of the time you should play with a big sound. Ignore the "tips" to pivot and the such. Focus on the product.

A sure fire way to know if you sound good is to record yourself. Then you will have less need of your resident expert.

A great tubist once told me that dynamics are not necessarily a matter of decibels, but of perception. Have you considered the possibility that it isn't the volume of sound so much as the impression you leave the audience of how loud you're playing? I frequently have to prod my students to play with much more confidence. It is this free feeling, when they convey a total command of the instrument and the music, that makes me feel like they play with exactly the right dynamics. In this "zone", even soft playing can be pretty loud but it still is perceived as soft.

Maybe recording yourself and then evaluating what you did will show how your playing is being perceived. In any event, I find it hard to imagine that you can't put out enough sound with the equipment you've listed. We all know that smaller equipment can be made to sound incredibly huge (think Roger Bobo) so I really don't think the "arms race" has anything to do with solving your problem. You may just need to be a bit more aggressive with your approach.

Good luck with your recital.

Thanks, LV. Technically, this was the recital hearing. It allows the soloist and accompanist a dry run to shake things out, and a critical panel to make constructive criticism 2-3 weeks before the actual recital. Unfortunately, it is in a large dead rehearsal room instead of our new acoustically live recital hall. The actual recital is Nov 16 at 6:00 PM at Lee University in CLeveland, TN. Would love to have you there, LV and anyone elso who can make it, PM me for more info.

I have yet to hear a tuba player "bury the viola section" and I have heard some pretty loud tuba playing from some pretty good players. My question to those who think this is the going trend.....How many of you assume this trend because of CDs and how many assume this because of live playing? Also how many of you who make these claims have ever even heard one of the "top ten" orchestras?! Most orchestras/low brass sound much different live than they do on CD. To answer your questions though, most pro tuba playrs I have talked to/studied with approach any music with the same sound concept no matter what. The things that change are obvious....articulations, length of notes, use of vibrato, etc. My suggestion would be to play the recital tunes in the hall you'll be giving the recital and have someone you trust listen to you. However, the stereotypes folllowing orchestra playing is becoming quite rediculous and for the most part simply untrue. Remember people, these orchestra committees aren't looking for a meat head low brass player to sit back and blow the walls down.

Something that hasn't been mentioned is taking into account the space where you'll be playing. If it's an empty hall with acoustics like a whispering gallery, you'll have to throttle back some just to keep the volume below the threshold of pain.

After all, you don't want the members of the jury to say "Anything, but make him stop before I go deaf!"


...or so it seems to me.

I believe there have been many good comments in reply to the original post. One mentions the hall itself. I believe it is always important to consider the acoustics of the room. My approach is to always listen as carefully as possible to the sound that is coming BACK to me from the walls of the room. Using this as a part of the picture helps me to know how loud to play, and how well I am doing in general.