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Hi all,

Just in case anyone is interested:

11/20: 3pm in Washington Irving Auditorium

Barbara Yahr, conductor
Pierre Vallet, guest conductor*
Jennifer Johnson Cano, mezzo-soprano (Metropolitan Opera)


Humperdinck — Hansel and Gretel Overture*
Elgar — Sea Pictures*
Mussorgsky/Ravel — Pictures at an Exhibition


Pictures personally poses 3 challenges to me:
1. The muted slur up to F# in Gnomus on the 164, tempted to do this on the 155 and forget about it
2. pp G# entrance in Bydlo (very close in ideal situations, but still risky when nervous)
3. Judgement in determining the volume/length of note hold in Catacombs Bnat entrance. I don't feel a breath in the middle of the note appropriate, and diminuendos will not be tolerated

The Gnomus entrance can catch you off guard but don't sweat it. You'll be fine.

Re: Bydlo. If you can, play it on Euph. Don't be a hero and play it on tuba. Nobody in the audience (with the exception of maybe a couple tuba players) will notice or care.

Catacombs: Yeah, loud, long, and no decay. That sounds about right!

Kory- Thanks! It is going to be a really wonderful concert as long as I don't have any dog pile moments. Clarification - its not the Gnomus entrance that is the problem, its that particular slur on the large C to a note that doesn't slot terribly well (2nd valve is flat, 123 is in tune, but less stable than I'd like, and the mute color is bland with the Balu mute. I'm going to try the F tonight with an H&B for that section, switch over to the large C for the creepy section, and the back to the F for the last note)

As for Bydlo - I no longer own a euph, maybe I am too proud to pass it down the line, and I think it sounds great on F... I do have MUCH more respect for this solo for those who's paycheck is under fire every time this comes up!

Ben wrote:As for Bydlo - I no longer own a euph, maybe I am too proud to pass it down the line, and I think it sounds great on F...

Do it on the 164!

Sounds like a fun concert, I'll try to be there for it!

Ben wrote: Pictures personally poses 3 challenges to me:
1. The muted slur up to F# in Gnomus on the 164, tempted to do this on the 155 and forget about it
2. pp G# entrance in Bydlo (very close in ideal situations, but still risky when nervous)
3. Judgement in determining the volume/length of note hold in Catacombs Bnat entrance. I don't feel a breath in the middle of the note appropriate, and diminuendos will not be tolerated

1 - Since it only goes up to the F# in the staff, shouldn't be too hard. It's not very noticeable since it is muted and others are playing. Don't be afraid of it - just think faster/more focused air.

2 - You have to remember, your solo "pp" is different than the orchestras "pp". You are the soloist there - it's OK to bring it out a little more. It's all in context.

3 - Take a deeper breath and don't play it quite as loud.

1. The muted slur up to F# in Gnomus on the 164, tempted to do this on the 155 and forget about it

I actually noticed when I used the normal fingerings it was sharp. I ended up using 1+5(Eb), 3 (A), 2 (F#) knowing that all the fingerings were flat, but with my slightly undercorked mute it puts them right in the pocket.

BAtlas wrote: I actually noticed when I used the normal fingerings it was sharp. I ended up using 1+5(Eb), 3 (A), 2 (F#) knowing that all the fingerings were flat, but with my slightly undercorked mute it puts them right in the pocket.

This is very smart! Not something I've tried either, thanks for the helpful hint. Thankyou!

Make sure to go for that Hammond B-3 sound....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h_XUhoAt ... re=related" target="_blank

Mojo workin' wrote:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h_XUhoAt ... re=related

never heard it that way before... I'll try it out tonight in rehearsal and see how it flies...

This'll be my last Bump pre-concert: I will most likely post the results of this concert here when I get my hands on the recording, either my own if it sounds good, or the one that is distributed to members a few weeks after the concert. My gut tells me the other guy's will be better as he has access to prime aural real estate, unfortunately he does not set his microphones (dual omni) high enough to capture an even sound and the lack of a shell on the stage allows the brass sound to be trapped behind the stage. I believe an X-Y cardioid (120degree or more angle) combined with one omni mic (to pick up room splash/reverb) would be a better setup - I can't set my booms up on the stage and therefore do not have the elevation (8-10' above) to pull this off.

Regardless - come out:
Hear a great mezzo-soprano from the Metropolitan Opera
Maestro Vallet's work with the ensemble is wonderful - We are so lucky he had time away from his busy schedule with the Metropolitan Opera!
Hear some guy play a monster Alex 164 for the majority of the concert, and switch to a little F tuba on some obscure solo that few will care about!

Then let's meet up for a beer afterwards!

http://www.mediafire.com/?lc5jt5auzc510

Yes, our favorite hosting site... but its free, if anyone has better recommendations, I can post it there and then link it later if you prefer.

Overall this was a wonderful concert. Maestro Vallet found me after the entire concert and gave me wonderful compliments. I find that very humbling.

The big solo - stumbled a little at the start, but everything was fine after I got into it a bit. I found the horn to be not only cold, but the orchestra had shifted upwards and I had to do a quick tuning adjustment in the middle of the line. Things were much better afterwards.

Thanks for listening!

What horn(s) did you use on Pictures?

Alexander F - Hansel & Gretel, muted parts of Gnomus, & Bydlo
Alexander 164C - Sea Pictures and everything else in Pictures

I am very pleased with the Humperdink & Sea Pictures. Pictures was good but just not at the same level.

Nice job, really sounds great! Sorry I couldn't make it out, but thanks for posting the recordings.

(Also, the child's scream in the audience at 21:25 in Pictures actually seemed to *add* to the general "creepy" mood... was that your kid? )

bort wrote:was that your kid?

Nope - she was taking a nap and was not present for the concert. There were a few 1 year olds in the concert, it may have been the 2nd chair 2nd violinist's child. I liked the effect too, its much more acceptable than the cell phone that went off at one point.

Thanks for listening! I am fortunate to be able/allowed to make music with some giants. Our first trombone is one of the first call subs for the NYPO...

Did you like the 164? Baba Yaga and Great Gate will be on the Xmas concert on 12/11 and I plan on only bringing one tuba for it, the 163, so I will get a chance to record a nice comparison Silly, that I am excited about that, but fun.

The 164 sounded great! That's also you get to do an A/B test -- besides, you can't let your 163 just sit there and get jealous.

Oh, and I didn't know that about your 1st trombone player, but I do remember when I subbed a rehearsal for you thinking that both the trombone and horn sections were VERY good!