Interesting discussion. One of the bands I'm a member of presents "period-correct" (or close to it) performances from the middle 1800's. We use period instruments and play the music of the day. Most of us use period mouthpieces, too, and the sound from these old brass and German silver instruments is unlike anything you hear today. No edge to the sound at all, just a reserved, rich, slightly diffused sound. Of course, they're harder to play in tune, the accuracy suffers slightly, and they wear you out much faster, but that's the tradeoff for historical accuracy. BTW, I learned to play part of the Haydn on an Eb keyed bugle (I know, it should be a keyed trumpet
) a few years ago and it was really a different sound than what the modern audience is accustomed to hearing. I'm all for using the correct instrumentation for a period performance, but generally, that's not feasable. I think it's OK to present a featured soloist on a period instrument accompanied by a modern orchestra, but mixing period and non-period instruments in an ensemble or orchestra is a no-no, in my opinion.
Olde Towne Brass 