Klarinet Archive - Posting 000048.txt from 2011/01

From: "Doug Sears" <dsears@-----.net>
Subj: Re: [kl] Tuba mirum - K.626 (off-topic)
Date: Sun, 09 Jan 2011 12:27:31 -0500

> That aside, is a trombone (whether a modern or period instrument)
> the instrument that is specified in the earliest sources (as it is in my
> Dover score)? If so was it because the slide allowed more pitches than the
> natural trumpets of the period would?

In the German-speaking world, the instrument that ushers in the day of
judgement is known as "die letzte Posaune", the last trombone, rather than
the last trumpet, I guess because that's how Luther's translation of the
Bible has it. That seems like a plausible reason for Mozart to use trombone,
but since he was setting the Latin text and wasn't Lutheran one might want
some confirmation of this idea.

--Doug Sears

----- Original Message -----
From: "Karl Krelove" <karlkrelove@-----.com>
To: "'The Klarinet Mailing List'" <klarinet@-----.com>
Sent: Sunday, January 09, 2011 7:29 AM
Subject: [kl] Tuba mirum - K.626 (off-topic)

My wife and I attended a Philadelphia Orchestra performance last night
conducted by the music director designate, Yannick Nezet-Seguin, of the
Mozart Requiem. I've heard the Requiem on recordings any number of times but
have only seen it performed live, maybe, once or twice and performed it a
couple of times, all before I was aware enough of historical issues to have
noticed what was being used to play the Tuba mirum. Last night it was played
on a standard looking F-attachment tenor trombone by the nervous and
uncomfortable sounding 2nd trombonist of the orchestra. Several questions
came to mind as I listened.

. One that no one here may be able to answer (unless some tradition
has evolved over the centuries) is, why the 2nd player played it instead of
the principal player, who was sitting idle next to him?
. That aside, is a trombone (whether a modern or period instrument)
the instrument that is specified in the earliest sources (as it is in my
Dover score)? If so was it because the slide allowed more pitches than the
natural trumpets of the period would? I'm certain the last time I saw the
Requiem performed a euphonium was used. Obviously, that wouldn't have been
an option in 1791.
. Which leads to my other question, why would Mozart (or Sussmayr or
Eybler or someone else) have chosen a trombone to play a solo part in "The
trumpet shall sound.?" Trumpets, if you put them high enough in their range,
could play lyrical step-wise passages even without valves - Handel managed
nicely, and according to the program notes Mozart was well aware of Bach's
and Handel's work. Would the choice have been considered the best one at the
time because of the slide?

TIA for any insight or reference to anything written in English on this
topic.

Karl

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