Ewald Quintet Article Response

• What did you know about Ewald and his brass quintet before reading this article? 
• Before reading the article I knew that the amount of research was very limited. I also was aware that the editions I had performed from had been edited significantly from the original to allow for performance with a modern ensemble. Lastly I knew that the instruments and instrumentation of the modern brass quintet was likely quite different from what Ewald had written for.
• What did this article teach you about proper research?
• This article teaches the importance of being relentless when chasing down leads. it also demonstrates the importance of maintaining a consistent plan, and making sure that the research is truly complete before it goes to a publisher.
• What questions did this article raise?
• I wonder what other works from pre revolution Russia have been potentially lost to time or exist in the personal archives of people throughout the world who may have traveled to the Soviet Union.
• What are your thoughts on rotary vs. piston valve preferences mentioned in the article?
• I appreciate the lengths to which the Smith goes to seek out the valve preference in Russia during the time of composition and early performance. I found it interesting that he found that there was no real preference, if any there was preference for the valve, and how occasionally the tow designs mix in ensembles.
• Do you agree with Forsyth who wrote, "There is in general no true legato on the trombone"
• No, I disagree. In my opinion some of the most beautiful legato I've heard comes from trombonists. In my mind I liken the trombone slide to a cello string. So with this thought in mind I believe the trombone offers a truer opportunity for legato rather than a valved instrument.
• What are your thoughts about Smith's ideas on instrumentation mentioned on page 13.
• To me it seems that Smith may be thinking it's likely Ewald would have written for valved trombones, which may have been easier for apertures to learn and play. I wonder if apertures may have been more likely to play the slide trombone that they likely would have observed in the orchestras of the time.
• In regards to the modern revival of Ewald's brass quintets, what roles did the following people play? Froides Werke, the American Brass Quintet, the Empire Brass Quintet?
• Froides Werke passed along copies of Ewald Quinet's 2 and 3 to the Empire Brass Quintet
• The Empire Brass Quintet recorded and performed those quintets, which made the music part of the modern cannon
• The American Brass Quintet worked with Smith to create and perform the most accurate modern editions possible.
• What has been your experience both playing and listening to the Ewald quintets? 
• My experience performing these works has been exciting because romantic music gives us so much more room to flex our musical muscles in the ensemble. Interestingly the relative lack of definitive historical information leaves the door open for interpretation which makes every recording and performance even more different than those of other works. Also, when preparing these works, it allows the ensembles I've played to make musical decisions that differ from other groups while having the ability to back those decisions up with historical evidence we have the ability to research ourselves. This makes the performance of these works particularly exciting despite the frequency of their performance and notoriety overall.