three informal poll questions regarding Dvorak 9

[bloke]

1. What is your preferred vape juice flavor used when performing this piece ?

2. Do you correctly understand that - if your music director tells you that "You're welcome to play any appropriate passages" - that the only two appropriate passages are those two in the slow movement ?

3. Hopefully avoiding being judged as stupid as this poll, were you aware (prior to this question being asked) that Ann Dvorak was neither her real first nor last name ?

[Colby Fahrenbacher]

I once saw the score to an arrangement of a Beethoven Symphony (5 I think) for modern instrumentation by Gustav Mahler. Musicians adapt, arrange, re-orchestrate other people's music all the time, so changing Dvorak 9 isn't a novel concept. "Appropriate" is a far more flexible term than "what a composer might have thought at one point in their life" would suggest.

[UncleBeer]

I once saw the score to an arrangement of a Beethoven Symphony (5 I think) for modern instrumentation by Gustav Mahler. Musicians adapt, arrange, re-orchestrate other people's music all the time, so changing Dvorak 9 isn't a novel concept. "Appropriate" is a far more flexible term than "what a composer might have thought at one point in their life" would suggest.

Sure with there was a 'downvote' option on this board.

[gocsick]

So @bloke does that mean you don't like the Robert Ryker arrangement if the tuba part?

[bloke]

If that's the one I think it is, it's hilarious.
It looks like what would be the 4th or fifth part in a tuba quintet version.

[tclements]

From YEARS ago. Old San Jose Symphony, George Cleve conducting. This was the only work on the program that included tuba. At the first rehearsal, Maestro Cleve told me, "Just come to the dress rehearsal," or something LIKE that. We were salaried then (not per service like we are now). I was happy to get a few nights off (with pay!). I get to dress rehearsal, Cleve goes RIGHT for the tuba movement, and I'm out the back door in under 15 minutes. Concert goes as planned, "New World" on the second half, closes the concert. Audience loves this piece, Standing O. Before I know it, Cleve motions to ME to take a solo bow, even before the English Horn player! GREAT moment in San Jose Symphony history.

[russiantuba]

I have had two students get their first orchestral tuba experience on Dvorak 9, one college and one youth orchestra.

College—I emailed the conductor with the Ryker part and told them that this is the student’s first orchestral experience and to not ruin it.

Youth Orchestra—very responsible, on top of it student I gave the Ryker part to give to the conductor.

As these are educational experiences, as well as the ability to learn how to play in an orchestra (plus they are paying for these), I see no harm. Both conductors accepted and made their changes. In the real world, it’s OK to have a light week, and if I have to be there as the conductor didn’t study the score, I will gladly sit there and get paid. Though I doubt this would happen now.

Related—I was doing a performance a few weeks ago where Copland’s Outdoor Overture was programmed. I had done the band version ages ago, and this was an orchestral version. I had a handwritten part, so I wasn’t sure if the main one got lost. I started playing and it didn’t feel like Copland in terms of orchestration and feel, and I’ve done a bit of Copland over the years. The bassoon sixteenth solo that started a passage was scored in the tuba. However the conductor kept saying listen to tuba there and lock in. I did a quick search on original instrumentation and saw it had no tuba, so I went to her and asked. I told her it seemed like a youth orchestra arrangement and she said it was, but she wanted me on it because apparently I play in tune and it helped. I wasn’t a fan.

When people go to hear a piece, at least me, they want to go and hear the piece, not some modernized version for the same ensemble (there are exceptions like the Rimsky Korsakov orchestrations of the Mussorgsky works where there was historical reasoning during the lifetime of the composer).

The first actual “real” concert I attended was at the spring concert series at Disney in the Epcot American Pavilion. I don’t listen to this type of music, but my wife does and is a fan of Simple Plan. She has started listening to them again, and their concert was very much what she plays on the radio, but they had more energy live. The only change was one song (something about addiction) where they change the syllabic emphasis which they didn’t do, because it’s Disney, but the crowd yelled it.

I wouldn’t want to hear that with an electric banjo added . It was good as they sang and wrote it.