Re: Re: Re: Eb / F and CC


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Posted by Jay Bertolet on February 27, 2000 at 20:58:20:

In Reply to: Re: Re: Eb / F and CC posted by Steve Dedman on February 27, 2000 at 15:47:06:

I apologize to anyone reading this that's read what I've written about this subject before. It is not my intention to bore people with the specifics of the tubas I use or to brag about the equipment I've managed to acquire. But all of my instruments serve very specific purposes and I own them all for a reason. I own 2 CC tubas and 2 Eb tubas. My approach with equipment is to vary the tuba, not so much the mouthpieces. Several well respected professionals do the opposite and I'm glad it works for them. What I do works for me so that is the road I've taken. Here is the rundown:

Nirschl York Copy CC - This is my most recent acquisition and I am still establishing exactly how I'll use it. The horn it is replacing, a Cervany ACB-601, was my "howitzer" tuba that I used on very large scale orchestral works and any time I played a large band concert. I've already used the Nirschl in our orchestra's recent performances of Prokofiev's Romeo & Juliet and I'll be using this horn on the upcoming New Sousa Band tour. I use this type of tuba whenever I want a sound that is very large and powerful but also blends well with the string basses. It works great in bands because it can sound so much like a string bass section. When I am deciding what horn to use I look very carefully at what the orchestration is like in a given piece. If a piece looks to me like I'm basically functioning as another string bass or 5th horn rather than as a 4th trombone, I'll be inclined to pull out the Nirschl. It is also more appropriate for those pieces where the tuba part may have originally been written for a BBb tuba. But like I said, I'm still establishing how I'll use the Nirschl. This horn plays so easily that I'm considering using it much more frequently than I used the Cervany.

Rudolph Meinl RM-10 4/4 CC - This has been my main tuba. I have used it probably 80%-90% of the time in all of the playing I've done. I use this horn so much because it has a great sound, it is a very flexible instrument, and I am very comfortable with it. This tuba is great for those "rip and snort" orchestral works by the likes of Stravinsky, Bartok, and others. It is also a great quintet horn though I have to work extra hard for the soft stuff. And it a wonderful solo tuba. Ask anybody who's heard me play either the Kraft or the Penderecki on it. For years I never understood why people worked on either of those pieces on an F or Eb tuba because I was spoiled with how well these types of solos lay on my Rudy. For many years, I used the Rudy almost exclusively for all my playing, only occasionally pulling out an Eb.

Willson Eb - This is my "large sound on a smaller tuba" horn. This tuba can sound as loud as a medium sized CC tuba, but it has a better high range and the capacity to more easily play softly. It also can have a real sweet, solo quality to the sound if needed. I especially like to use this tuba when we do operas here because Verdi operas in particular have sections where you have to play very loudly. Verdi hated the tuba so most of his parts were written for Cimbasso and the sound needs to be a little more focused and with the capacity to play loudly when called for. I find the Willson to be the perfect match for those situations, small enough to blend in a pit-sized orchestra but big enough to respond to "the fist". This horn is also a great "Dancing Bear" horn and I used it last year when we played Mahler 1st. I'll probably use it next year when we do Berlioz's Symphony Fantastique.

Cervany AEB641 Eb - This is the smallest of my tubas, with a truly F tuba type sound. It is wonderful for Berlioz overtures that were written for ophicleide. It is also a really nice tuba for very light orchestrations like the Brahm's Requiem. I have also used this tuba in the pit for smaller operas like Bellini's Norma. The trombone players like it because it has a much more focused sound and really blends well with a cylindrical brass sound.

I hope that wasn't more information than you were looking for!


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