Big? Small? Audible?
Posted: Thu Oct 05, 2017 3:43 pm
There is one thread in particular right now, and several in the past several months/year discussing going back to smaller horns, or at least discussing the benefits of smaller horns. The discussions seem to reduce down to a general consensus that smaller horns work in many situations, but some specific orchestral situations require the 6/4 York copies.
I'll say right now: I am not questioning anyone's conclusion on this. The conclusions seem to come from people from whom I should be learning, not lecturing. Everyone finds their right answer for their situation.
My question is a variation on one that rears its head occasionally, and it is based on the fact that I am, quite simply, too young to know the answer. Great players in the past didn't play 6/4 York copies (Arnold Jacobs playing the actual Yorks notwithstanding). They played other horns, almost universally smaller and almost universally of a size that modern players deem unworkable in certain situations. So the question is:
How was their presence in live situations?
Were they great players who you couldn't hear live because of the limitation of equipment? Or were they audible because the rest of the brass (especially low brass) was also playing smaller instruments?
This isn't intended to bring about any judgment. Just honest curiosity, since I wasn't around to hear Bell, Bobo, Novotny, Torchinsky, etc...live.
I'll say right now: I am not questioning anyone's conclusion on this. The conclusions seem to come from people from whom I should be learning, not lecturing. Everyone finds their right answer for their situation.
My question is a variation on one that rears its head occasionally, and it is based on the fact that I am, quite simply, too young to know the answer. Great players in the past didn't play 6/4 York copies (Arnold Jacobs playing the actual Yorks notwithstanding). They played other horns, almost universally smaller and almost universally of a size that modern players deem unworkable in certain situations. So the question is:
How was their presence in live situations?
Were they great players who you couldn't hear live because of the limitation of equipment? Or were they audible because the rest of the brass (especially low brass) was also playing smaller instruments?
This isn't intended to bring about any judgment. Just honest curiosity, since I wasn't around to hear Bell, Bobo, Novotny, Torchinsky, etc...live.