From: kaf8f@faraday.clas.Virginia.EDU (Keith Andrew Falconer)
Subject: Re: Wagner's Ring: Solti still unrivalled?
Summary: Only a little to do with Wagner
Keywords: wagner ring solti
Organization: University of Virginia
Distribution: rec
Date: Fri, 31 Jul 1992 06:36:41 GMT

In article <1992Jul30.140049.18839@tellab5.tellabs.com> young@tellabs.com (Craig Young) writes:
>In the current thread discussing the extant recordings of Wagner's Ring
>cycle, the idea of "original" versus "modern" brass instruments has been
>used to explain differences in sound quality between the various orchestras
>involved. 

Yes, and you are right in thinking that the distinction isn't
entirely appropriate.

>I believe that what is being referred to here are effects caused
>primarily by two things:
>
>First, most European orchestra trumpet sections use rotary-valve trumpets of
>several different makes. This has changed somewhat over the last 30 years. The
>Vienna Philharmonic / Vienna State Opera Orchestra is probably the most
>striking example of this type of sound. The VPO trombone section also contri-
>butes to this because of the type of instruments that they play, combined with
>their concept of proper sound quality, which is characterized by a brighter,
>less focused or "spready" sound quality than is found in most American
>orchestras. 

Yes, these are the usual trumpets in German-speaking countries. Some of
the British orchestras have also adopted them for some of the
repertoire, mostly Wagner, Mahler and Bruckner, though not Strauss
or Schoenberg. Most other European players favour the piston-valve
instruments with which we are familiar in this country.
   In addition to this, some of the instruments played in the Vienna
Philharmonic are unusually old and belong to the orchestra, not the
players individually. This applies particularly to the horns. I can't
tell you how old they are (I suspect little more than fifty years),
but I do know they are very difficult to play. This is probably
why people speak of the VPO's brass section as playing on
'original instruments'.

>
>Second, the bore size of the instruments contributes to their overall sound
>quality, with smaller bore instruments sounding more spready and less focused,
>particularly when played at loud volumes.

The Vienna Philharmonic may be exceptional in this case, but the rotary-
valve trumpets I've seen have medium-large to large bores and produce
a somewhat heavy sound. I think moGerman-speaking trombonists, a play
instruments with a fairly large bore,  do most players elsewhere in
Europe. The truly extraordinary exceptions are in Russia, particularly
in Leningrad, where the old 'peashooter' trombones are still in use
(or they were ten years ago). Some French players may also still use
relatively narrow-bore instruments, though I think American influence
has changed much of this.
>
>Therefore, orchestras such as the VPO and Concertgebouw, which also use rotary
>valve trumpets sound much different than English or American orchestras that
>use piston valve instruments.

I wasn't aware that the Concertgebouw regularly used rotary-valve 
trumpets - it doesn't sound at all 'teutonic' to my ears. I would
also say that American players are far less inclined than the
British to pick up a piccolo trumpet for some nineteenth and
twentieth century music (I do this myself). I am also surprised
sometimes by the differences between orchestras, even when national
boundaries are not in question: compare the (heavily teutonic)
Cleveland Orchestra with the (simply heavy) Chicago Symphony or
the (opulent) Philadelphians. Or compare the London Symphony with
the London Philharmonic. In cases like these the differences in
'house style' seem to me every bit as significant as the 'regional'
differences.
>
>As I stated earlier, this has changed somewhat over the years, with the 
>general trend being that orchestras sound more alike today than years ago.
>

Very probably. Now that the 'original instruments' movement has
reached the nineteenth century, a growing literature has appeared
to docment some of the changes, thh in my view the he problems
are greater than most people realise, particularly with respect
to matters such as bowing or tonguing. I look forward to the day
when I can buy an 'original instruments' recording of the 
original version of the planets - sarrusophones and everything!
K

>Craig Young


--
Keith Falconer                kaf8f@virginia.EDU    Anybody got a
McIntire Department of Music  Tel: (804) 296-0926   green card they'd
University of Virginia                              care to lend me?
Charlottesville VA 22903     
Newsgroups: rec.music.classical