So much to unpack - I've been asked to play Tenor Tuba for the YPSO's performance of The Planets next month, woohoo! First time ever with orchestra although I've played band transcriptions many times. I've been listening to recordings trying to get an idea of how different players interpret this part and have come across an interesting conundrum.
First - let's discuss what I would call "Common Performance Practice" regarding Tenor Tuba with The Planets - that is, I would assume that any Euphonium player with a BA in performance or music education would know these:
1. Holst was aware of the Euphonium while composing The Planets and wrote the part for Tenor Tuba
2. The solo parts are to be projected and played WITHOUT vibrato because of this
3. The horn to be used should be a large bore Euphonium
Maybe we could argue about some of these points but I feel like, generally, most people would mostly agree with the above. Then, I come across the following recording - Zubin Mehta and LA Phil 1972:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l10ibGxSXGg
From the research I've been able to compile, the Tenor Tuba player is Robert Marsteller and the Bass Tuba players are his students, Roger Bobo and Tommy Johnson. NOBODY would argue with the pedigree of these three people yet the LA Phil recording featuring all three players contains Mars solos featuring a small sounding horn with COPIOUS amounts of vibrato - not even American vibrato as we commonly understand it but fast, vibrating British Brass Band vibrato. It almost sounds like Robert Marsteller is auditioning to be Solo Euphonium or 1st Baritone in Black Dyke!
How are we to rectify this? Is this recording an outlier and Robert Marsteller didn't understand or care about Holst's intentions? Or is our understanding of Holst wrong and somehow we've missed out? I don't think I'm doing "paralysis by analysis" - simply wondering what IS the performance practice supposed to be and, knowing that, how can we put this recording in the proper context? Of course, I also want to know whether I should emulate Robert Marsteller or go with the "tried and true" performance practice I've been aware of.
What do other people think?