Posted by Rick Denney on April 17, 2001 at 09:47:11:
In Reply to: Quintet Survey: Contrabass or Bass tuba posted by Matt G on April 17, 2001 at 07:02:53:
I've done quintet gigs with both, and I prefer the smaller horn. But it really depends on the sound concept of the group. If I was good, and played with symphony pros, I'd probably need a bigger horn (and someone else's chops). But the groups I've played with preferred the clarity of the F tuba.
For me, there was a practical consideration as well. I play better in the upper register on the small F than on the big contrabass. It isn't so much a matter of range as of sound and security. This should not be an issue for most literature for a pro player.
I have also listened to professional groups of many types. Good players sound good on whatever equipment they bring. I heard a superb symphony pro play with his orchestra buddies during a recital many years ago. He only owned two horns at the time, a German-style F tuba and a 6/4 York-o-phone. He used the F for much of his recital, but for the quintet piece he played the big horn. I thought it sounded indistinct and unclear compared to the crystal clarity of the other players. The point being that the horn that lays a beautiful foundation for a large ensemble might be a little too broad for a chamber group.
The tuba players in the best-sounding quintets I've heard seem to gravitate to a 4/4 tuba that has a reputation for a clearer, more present sound. A Miraphone 186 or 188 fills that image in my mind. When I've played a 186 in quintet, however, I just could not get that clarity--a weakness on my part. The small F tuba (a Yamaha) with a great low register really solved the problem for me. It has another advantage, too, in that it is more adaptable to baroque literature where the other members want more of a bass trombone sound in the fifth part, while still providing a real tuba sound for those more modern works written with a tuba in mind.
Rick "who wishes he was playing in a quintet right now" Denney