Ive been seeing a lot more ophecleides pop up here and there for these past few months, and I think videos like this coming to light years after release are a big part of it. Its such a unique instrument and I think a niche for it may exist in small brass ensembles where the generally weaker sound of the instrument may shine out, and I think people are finally realizing that.
This is a beautiful piece of music, and the ophicleides sound good playing it. I guess if you have 4 ophicleidists sitting around waiting for a gig, the best thing to do is to form a quartet. The repertoire written exclusively for such a quartet is probably limited, but adaptations like this could move the instrument from non-mainstream to slightly less non-mainstream. I'm sure there are a couple of ondes Martenot players out there who could add an extra dimension to the group ... but in spite of my facetious comments, I like it!
I'd suspect they play other brass instruments too. I can't think of a single situation where somebody actively took up the ophicleide first over any other instrument. The skills of playing a brass instrument translate well across most of them, even french horns and ophicleides to a lesser extent. These are definitely an oddball instrument, and they weren't exactly favoured in their earlier years for being dependable or predictable sounding. Putting them in a quartet definitely sounds pleasant though!
I don't think Handel wrote for this instrument. Much better to stick with composers who did. Remember the modern instrument may not match exactly the 19th century instrument valve design.
Of course Händel did not write for the ophicleide, as it didn't exist in his day. What's your beef with this wonderful recording? Better to stick to the small range of composers who DID write exclusively for the ophicleide in such a melodious way? Now that's limiting the capabilities of the players and the instrument. Goodness, just imagine if we extrapolated that mentality to everything else. No! Don't play Bruckner with a huge contrabass tuba, since the tubas in his time, whereas big, were not AS big (and in tune). Come now, purism has it's place, sorta...but with the ophicleide? Nah...this group is amazing.
Firat, these instruments have no valves they are a keyed bugle. Which is why you get all the mechanical clicks in the fast section. Second there is absolutely zero literature written for these except as an instrument within the orcheatra immediately preceeding the invention of the Tuba. Third. People have played music written for other instruments for centuries. The virtuositu of these four players on these unforgiving instruments is pure gold. The ophecleid is diffucult at the best of times.
