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Thread: Etudes Appropriate for college auditions.

  1. Etudes Appropriate for college auditions.

    The RVW tuba concerto isn't in Bb major;it is in predominantly Fm, initial key signature four flats with strong modal influences. The second movement is in two sharps.
    If you have a version in Bb, then that isn't the VW. It's something else, an arrangement or simplification; AFAIK the only arrangement approved by the copyright owners OUP is that done of the accompaniment by Denis Wick, in arranging the orchestral parts for wind band. The solo part was not changed.

    I'm also going to have to disagree with you on 'difficulty being an opinon of the player'. Opinions need time and experience, and there are what might be called industry standards, that are created by a wealth of experience of a lot of performers. In this way one can meaningfully say that the Effie Suite is harder than Bill Bell's 'The Spartan'.
    What a young player considers 'difficult' is not necessarily a reflection of actual difficulty, technical challenge, or whatever one wishes to call it. Experience will usually show that 'difficulty' is not a useful criterion. One of the 'hardest' pieces for a solo tubist is 'O Isis und Osiris', from Mozart's Magic Flute,in any arrangement, any key, yet it has nothing more than minims and crotchets! And that's not just my opinion, but that of many players. It's easy to be seduced by a gazillion semiquavers, and to hide behind demisemiquaver triplets, but to convincingly play a simple aria is another thing.....
    I'm not saying difficulty doesn't exist, and there's another thread on this forum discussing difficult parts, but that it is a concept to be considered thoroughly and in depth.

    Thanks for clarifying the arrangement of the Vivaldi: I do not know the Ostrander arrangement and will look out for it. I have a book of rhythm studies by him, great fun.
    Sue

  2. #12

    Etudes Appropriate for college auditions.

    Originally posted by: Richardrichard9
    But then again the difficulty of a piece is an opinion of the player.
    I can't totally agree with that. Obviously it is partly a matter of opinion, but (as SueTuba says) there are accepted standards, ones that have been reached by professionals and teachers over many years. The RVW is considered harder in general because the notes are somewhat more difficult to play musically and because overall it requires more depth of interpretation.

    But that is not to say it's the best piece for you. For a college audition, I would rather hear a student play Vivaldi really well than hear him/her sound awkward in the RVW. You need to find a solo that is a good fit for your level of accomplishment.
    Dave Werden (ASCAP)
    Euphonium Soloist, U.S. Coast Guard Band, retired
    Adams Artist (Adams E3)
    Alliance Mouthpiece (DC3)
    YouTube: dwerden
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  3. Etudes Appropriate for college auditions.

    Sue tuba- I have no clue what I was thinking when I said Bb... sry lol.... I would check out the Ostrander arrangement. It is really nice.

  4. Etudes Appropriate for college auditions.

    I think you had an advance attack of something that usually only happens to 'vintage' tuba players like myself - a 'senior moment'- i.e. complete brain fade!

    Anyways, I am keen to hear of your auditioning and successes. Keep us posted!
    Sue

  5. Etudes Appropriate for college auditions.

    K thanks.. Yah, I went through my solos and I have no clue what I was thinking of. I don't have any solo music in Bb...

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