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Re: In defence of the repiano:

In regards to defence of the repiano, in most of the bands that I have
played in (on soprano) the rep player has been a young female of short
skirt wearing qualities, what better reason to defend and keep rep players
?
			      Mark T.

----------
> From: Adrian Drover <saxhorn@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
> To: brass-band@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
> Subject: Re: In defence of the repiano:
> Date: 27 April 1998 15:18
> 
> I am quoting most of Alastair Wheeler's <alastair@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
> message of 25 April, as my reply will not mean much without it.
> 
> On Fri, 24 Apr 1998, I wrote:
> 
> > > I have however never understood the need for a Repiano. It has no
more
> > > range than the other 8 players. It has no different colour to the
> > > other 8. As a solo instrument, it can only do what one of the other 8
> > > might do just as well. It's only useful function is to double up the
> > > melody, which the soprano does anyway, or counterpoint line.
> 
> Alistair replied:
> 
> > I find this sentence very bizare, Adrian, particularly as you say you
> > have arranged for bands, by the sound of things at a very high level. 
> > I'll try and take your points in order:
> 
> > 1) Range    
> > In all but the best bands, players aren't up to the same standard.  The
> > rep will be as good as many on the front row, perhaps better - the rep
> > is a soloist, men down are supporters.  Rangewise, the rep will have a
> > better compass than at least the 2nds and 3rds, Cs and Ds are written
> > with impunity these days (a the top level) at alower level, the
contrast
> > in range is more marked.
> 
> > 2) Tone 
> >   As a soloist, the rep should cultivate a soloistic tone.  We're very
> > lucky with Tom in that respect at Oxford (Tom also played in
Fundamental
> > Brass, with better tone than James, our leader)  I believe it is common
> > for when a principal leaves for the rep p[layer to move forward.
> 
> > 3) Ability
> >   Already covered:  the rep is better than (at least) 2nds and 3rds.
> 
> > 4) Function
> 
> >   You sound like you're well rooted in the past - not even the Denis
> > Wright 'Scoring for Brass Band' is this limited in scope.  Examine the
> > scores of big modern works, and you'll find many instances.  I'll give
> > you examples if you give me time to think, this is all off the top of
my
> > head.
> 
> > The reps main tasks are to
> 
> > * Aid the solos, 2nds, flugel, sop, at pitch
> > * provide harmony notes betwwen solo and sop octaves
> 
> > so far, so traditional
> 
> > * Work with the sop as a team - dovetailed runs, high trumpet fanfares,
> > contrast with the front row.  This will be at the unison, octave, 3rd
> > mainly.
> > * alternate solos with the front row, especially is one is muted - echo
> > effects work well.
> > * lead the back row, contrasting them to the front - especially when
they
> > are also spatially seperated. 
> > * offstage solos - something I have used recently in an arrangment,
which
> > needed full front row and back row on their parts.
> 
> > All this seems common sense?  Now, admittedly, you could use one player
> > from somewhere else in the cornet section to do some of these things,
> > but the spacial position would be wrong - the rep really is the
lynchpin
> > of the cornet section, holding everything together.  Because there is a
> > player in the middle of the section who can work with anyone else
> > arround him as need, he is utilised - unless you want to junk all
> > published music, and restrict your writting, we need a rep part.
> 
> Hi Alastair,
> 
> I respect your views in defence of the Repiano Cornet, but I am still not
> convinced that all these functions cannot be covered by the other 9
> cornets. To me the repiano is merely an odd job man and the arranger's
> task is to find something useful for him to do. It is almost as ludicrous
> as having a solitary violinist sitting in between the 16 1st's and 14
> 2nd's just in case any of them need a little help.
> 
> The repiano has no range that the solo or 2nd cornets can't cover. It has
> no special style or tone that one of the other player's can't achieve. I
> see no point in using it as a 1st Cornet as there would be an imbalance
of
> weight on the 2nd voice of a chord (4, 1, 2, 2). The 9 cornets would be
> very much better split 3, 2, 2, 2 on a 4 part chord. Better still, give
up
> the rep position altogether in favour of a 2nd flugelhorn.
> 
> There probably was a good case to create the position of repiano in the
> early days of banding, but I see no useful purpose for it in the modern
> band. 
> 
> There are other outdated labels for brass band instrumentation. I'm sure
> there would be many more writers interested in brass band scoring if they
> could understand its curious instrumentation.
> 
> For instance, why are the 4 guys who sit at the conductor's left called
> Solo Cornets? Most of the time they are all playing the same unison part.
> When ever are they *all* used as soloists? Why are there no 1st Cornets?
> Why can the 2nd or 3rd cornet not play solo? Don't tell me they are not
> strong enough, I have already covered that argument on another thread.
> 
> Why is there a Solo Horn, when playing solo is not its sole function. In
> fact, it seems to be fashionable these days to give the solo hornist the
> 2nd part in a 4 part flugel and tenor horn voicing.
> 
> <BTW, my spell checker just told me "hornist" should be spelt "horniest">
> :-)
> 
> The euphonium probably plays more solos than anyone else, yet there is no
> "Solo Euphonium". Why is there no "Solo" position for Trombone or Bass
> Trombone or Bass or Flugel? Oops, I forgot the poor old baritones. What
> function are they supposed to fill? Don't answer that!
> 
> Earlier on today, I was trying to provide some help to a frustrated
> arranger on another part of the internet who was really confused about
the
> brass band set-up. He was lost as how to create any contrast in an
> ensemble that had practically no difference in timbre. I had to tell him
> that that was the way the traditionalists liked it. Trumpets and French
> Horns were taboo. The only contrast he was going to get is with dynamics,
> voicing, counterpoint etc. The only timbre variation he would get would
be
> with mutes, and many bands are severely lacking in that department.
> 
> ..apart from that, I really dig writing for brass band. It's a challenge.
> 
> Adrian :-)
> 
> 
> -- 
>   ____    _ _
>  /    \ _| (_)___   _____ ADRIAN DROVER 
> |  ()  / _ | / _ \_( ___/ INNOVATIVE ORCHESTRAL SERVICES
> |__/\__\___|_\___/____)   http://www.gemscore.demon.co.uk/   
> Business:  adios@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx		     
> Personal: adrian@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx  (Glasgow, Scotland)
> 
> 
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