Orchestral Auditions and the Vaughan Williams

[Chris]

For you veterans out there (or list collectors), to your knowledge has there ever been a solo asked in an American audition that was something other then the Vaughan Williams.

Do tell.

[ubq]

As long as I know, in Boston they asked for the Bach Cello Suites!

Cheers

[MartyNeilan]

There was a small chamber orchestra in NY a little while back that asked for the "Strauss, R Horn concerto No. 1 in Eb (arranged for tuba by ted cox) First movement." in addition to the VW 1st movement cadenza.

[ASTuba]

Kraft Encounters has been on several auditions as well.

[Uncle Buck]

in 1996, the Arkansas Symphony Orchestra (a part-time gig) allowed a choice between either the Vaughan Williams or the Hindemith.

[Todd S. Malicoate]

Most professional tuba auditions I've taken have either not required a solo at all, or required a solo "of the applicant's choice." The latest big audition (Detroit) also says "concerto of your choice."

But I've never been involved in an audition that specified a solo piece that wasn't the Vaughan Williams.

[CC]

I seem to remember that at the recent New York Philharmonic audition that Alan Baer won, they asked for the Ted Cox arrangement of the Strauss Horn Concerto No. 1, and the 4th movement from the Morley Calvert Brass Quintet Suite from the Monteregian hills.

[Chris]

Thank you all for your responses.

Kraft Encounters has been on several auditions as well.

Can you pull you the lists that asked for Encounters and pass along that information as well?

[ASTuba]

Someone on here will correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe it was on the list for the New York Phil when Warren Deck won.

[Jay Young]

I've seen the Broughton on a list or two. I can't remember what lists they were.

[Bill Troiano]

Yes, Encounters Two was asked for in the 1979 NY Phil audition. I was there. I spent a lot of time trying to learn to play it well. When we arrived at the audition, the audition spokesperson alpologized for asking us to play such a difficult piece. So, we didn't have to play it or any solo.

[Rick Denney]

Yes, Encounters Two was asked for in the 1979 NY Phil audition. I was there. I spent a lot of time trying to learn to play it well. When we arrived at the audition, the audition spokesperson alpologized for asking us to play such a difficult piece. So, we didn't have to play it or any solo.

That's hilarious. So, it had the effect of weeding out a bunch of pretenders for whom it was an unscalable wall without forcing the audition committee to actually sit through 30 performances of the Kraft.

Rick "apology, my ***" Denney

[hbcrandy]

I got cut in the preliminary's of the 1979 NYP audition so I cannot speak to the final rounds. I studied with Warren Deck for two years after he won the audition and moved to New York. I asked him if he was required to play "Encounters II"? He told me that he was required to play it.

[grahamroese]

There is an article my teacher gave me that had a list of excerpts and how often they have showed up on past orchestral auditions.

From the article:

"As far as solos go, the Vaughan-Williams Tuba Concerto appeared on these audition lists 35 percent of the time. A solo of your choice was asked on 25 percent of these auditions. Sight reading is always a possibility, but was listed on only half of these audition lists. It is always a good idea to have a "go to" solo that you can play memorized anytime, anywhere and sound great ... If an audition committee wants to hear you play more than what they listed, you certainly don't want to disappoint them. There is no such thing as being overly prepared."

Hope this helps!

[Toobist]

There is an article my teacher gave me that had a list of excerpts and how often they have showed up on past orchestral auditions.

From the article:

"As far as solos go, the Vaughan-Williams Tuba Concerto appeared on these audition lists 35 percent of the time. A solo of your choice was asked on 25 percent of these auditions. Sight reading is always a possibility, but was listed on only half of these audition lists. It is always a good idea to have a "go to" solo that you can play memorized anytime, anywhere and sound great ... If an audition committee wants to hear you play more than what they listed, you certainly don't want to disappoint them. There is no such thing as being overly prepared."

Hope this helps!

I don't suppose you have the rest of that article or could set us up with a link to where we can acquire a copy? Sounds like a good read.

[tubasound]

I can remember that in the audition in Leipzig for the vacancy in the "gewandhausorchester", the one which David Cribb now owns, the A Minor piece of A. Lebedjew was asked. Plus the Williams concerto...

And in July there will be an audition for the Bavarian Broadcasting Orchestra (where Janssons is the "chief"). For that audition one has to prepare both the Williams and the Strauss 1. Horn Concerto....

On all the other auditions I've taken part just the Williams Concerto was asked....

[Nick Pierce]

I can remember that in the audition in Leipzig for the vacancy in the "gewandhausorchester", the one which David Cribb now owns, the A Minor piece of A. Lebedjew was asked. Plus the Williams concerto...

And in July there will be an audition for the Bavarian Broadcasting Orchestra (where Janssons is the "chief"). For that audition one has to prepare both the Williams and the Strauss 1. Horn Concerto....

On all the other auditions I've taken part just the Williams Concerto was asked....

"Williams" meaning "John Williams," which I would normally assume, or "Ralph Vaughn Williams?" Sorry if this is a stupid question.

[MikeMason]

I think he means the Vaughn Williams,but Williams should mean John Williams and Vaughn Williams should always use both names.Yeah,I think I just made a new rule

[tubasound]

my fault, sorry!

Of course I mean the Vaughan Williams Concerto

my bad!

On the other hand, anyone played the John williams concerto at an audition yet?

so long

[Rick Denney]

I think he means the Vaughn Williams,but Williams should mean John Williams and Vaughn Williams should always use both names.Yeah,I think I just made a new rule

Vaughan Williams is his last name, which his biographer Michael Kennedy described as "double-barreled". RVW apparently bristled when someone used a hyphen.

Ralph is his first name, and apparently he really did want it pronounced "Rafe". He though "Ralf" sounded American. He was born in 1872, so his preferences there would have been formed over 130 years ago--lots of time for the usual pronunciations to shift.

Rick "also a frequent victim of leaving off the final vowel" Denney