Hello Bob,
I have a question...I don't expect to ever have to play the Doctor Atomic solo, but I'm curious why you wouldn't use the D, A (and E) harmonics around the neck instead of the hassle of the thumb up higher? I'm sure you have a good reason....
All the best…
Interesting comment about the fingering...well, I think there were a few reasons I didn't put much effort into playing the harmonics (and closed F) in the lower positions. (I should note first that Adams didn't write those notes as harmonics, but one can't avoid some A and D harmonics.) For one thing, I think the string crossings and fingerings are a bit less intuitive in the lower positions, which might take more time to learn and be less comfortable under pressure. The F certainly sounds clearer there. But for me it's more natural to have the fingering (and string crossing) follow the direction of the written line where possible. You'd also have the problem of jumping up to finger a succession of notes from 633 on, coming back down, then jumping back up, etc., which is not without risk and considerable effort. (Every time there's a B, B flat, and after the C sharp in 640 it could get dicey.) I found that if I treated most of it as one extended position higher up it flowed pretty well in both the left and right hands. (The left hand creeps around, reaching rather than shifting, as the notes are all accessible.) True, the thumb has to dance a bit, but it's not more than a half-step in any direction.
I didn't practice it any other way, but there are doubtless some viable alternatives...
Thanks, Robert Oppelt