TPT81

Tom-

Good to see you on here, I haven't been to the site in a while. I wanted to ask you about how you play excerpts like Schmuyle or American in Paris (to name a couple) that have a wide range of interpretation. To be more specific, do you recommend, in Schmuyle, that in an audition, one should play the 32nd notes straight, or a little late and compressed, in order to show some knowledge of the way it is sometimes performed? I guess another example would be if the committee was asking to hear the end of Academic Festival Overture, would you play it as written, or play the octave A's to show that you were aware of tradition? Also, since the faster solo in American in Paris is sometimes swung, would you play it swung, or Charleston style. (I prefer it straight, but have been asked to swing it as well)

I know this doesn't apply to most excerpts, but it does to some. I guess what I'm really asking is should we play it safe, so as not to offend, or try and show that we know the variations in performance practice.

Thanks for any ideas,

Zeb