POLL: Holst - Suite #2 for Military Band - measure 1

[Michael Bush]

lol yes, and the approach of my Retired Army trumpet playing conductor/band leader as well...where the "PP" tuba solo at the end of movement #2 that lands on the Pedal F "Volume was only a suggestion, I want you to play it crescendo into FF".

I got that too, or pretty close. It's not going to be FF, but MF anyway.

[Mark]

You left out the obvious choice: tacet baritone sax, & contrabass clarinet. Since, these two instruments appear to be incapable of playing in tune.

In this range, baritone horns sound like, "rugga-rugga-rugg".

Maybe I'm biased. This was the euphonium player sitting next to me the last time I played the Holst: http://www.dannyhelseth.net/.

[bort]

...and here I thought that Suite #1 was the one with the cluster-F intro...

[Donn]

- There will be some fine euphoniums who are less likely to sound "great" (on the first five notes of the piece) playing fast down in the cellar as compared to one fine tuba player in the middle range.
- There just aren't that many single reed players who can double tongue very well, and contrabass clarinet players, often are those clarinetists who just aren't quite good enough to either play 6th-chair 3rd-clarinet part or 2nd-chair bass clarinet.
- Baritone saxophones sound buzzy - no matter what.
- There's a chance - if the band is good enough to tackle this work - that there is ONE tuba player who can play it clean, in time, and land on the c in tune.

Now we're getting to it. Some euphoniums, not that many single reed players, might be one tuba player ... in summary, the scoring you get out of the box is for an ideal band. You're looking for an adaptation for non-ideal band, and ideally that will depend on the band.

I think I have played this, but so long ago I don't even remember what instrument. Three impressions from quick survey of bands playing it on youtube:
- it always sounds like tubas, so either that's how everyone's doing it or the other instruments are at worst not causing much trouble
- it never sounds very good, scoring probably can't overcome a certain comic quality
- if you're going to do it solo tuba, better overplay it

[eeflattuba]

Here is an idea. Maybe play the parts as Holst wrote them. Let the chips fall as they may. Live music.It is a wonderful thing.

[Steve Marcus]

It's either too slow or too fast. For a conductor, the more people he/she includes should be proportional to the prep measures he/she gives.

Except in high calibre ensembles, it's amazing how the bass instruments can steal the tempo from a conductor before the ictus of the second beat (usually slower than the conductor intended).

Bloke suggested:

The suite ENDS with one tuba. START it with one tuba as well...

I agree.

lowbrassmaniac added:

Have each person do a snap test on it and if doesn't sound like "Digga Digga Dut" with all the right notes, have them sit out.

Indeed, these 5 notes have been one of the criteria for membership in certain bands/wind ensembles.

[Mark]

Have each person do a snap test on it and if doesn't sound like "Digga Digga Dut" with all the right notes, have them sit out.

Or, have everyone play it with pedal tones.

[Michael Bush]

FWIW, this afternoon everyone who had the lick played it. It was not the worst thing that happened in the concert.

[roweenie]

"Digga Digga Dut"

Close.

https://youtu.be/Tx5mqdPdkG4" target="_blank

[Will Jones]

It's actually pretty easy on euphonium if you don't take the dynamic literally and stop trying to play it staccatisimo. Just nice and light and it speaks just fine. It's not like you have to play over anyone to be heard.

And the bit about the conductor is correct also.

[Biggs]

By asking for one tuba only and tacet the others including low woodwinds and Euphonium, does that violate the ink the composer wanted?

it's the conductor's job to make that call.it's not all about flapping your arms up on the podium

I'd love to print this quote out and leave it anonymously on my conductor's podium.

So, you agree it is the conductor's job to make the call on how faithfully the ensemble mirrors the printed material, yet spent four pages in another thread disputing the conductor's authority to make that call?

It's probably petty of me to cross threads like this, but I don't get to witness this level of cognitive dissonance very often.

[Three Valves]

It's probably petty of me to cross threads like this, but I don't get to witness this level of cognitive dissonance very often.

That's why I come here!!