Re: Mr. Jacobs OTHER tubas


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Posted by Richard on March 02, 2000 at 20:51:19:

In Reply to: Mr. Jacobs OTHER tubas posted by Steve Dedman on March 02, 2000 at 19:38:37:

The big York was his all-round instrument of choice. He endorsed Holton for a period in the late '50's when they sponsored appearances by the CSO brass quintet, and introduced their version of the 6/4 York. He gave the Holton a good road test at Ravinia in 1959, but the York was always close at hand. The photos of Jacobs in Farkas' the Art of the Brass Instrument were taken at Ravinia and posed with the Holton.

In 1957, Fritz Reiner ordered a Daiml F tuba from Vienna, and when it arrived, ordered Jacobs to begin using it right away. I just happened to be at the Daiml debut. The tuba piece was Vaughan Williams Pastoral Symphony. Not a lot to play and no velocity licks, but everything is very exposed, there are some powerful foundational passages, and one magnificant solo beginning high in the staff, and working it's way downward to a two octave compass. He sounded a little different but he still lifted me out of my seat.

The Daiml was a real drag for him. He admitted to it's interesting tonal possibilities, but was plagued by keeping track of its unorthodox fingering system, and it's intonation problems. He recorded Tchaik 6 with Reiner on this instrument (RCA Living Stereo CD). A little light in the big tuttis, but he still makes his presence felt. He asked Reiner if it would be OK for him to find another F tuba himself, and Fritz, always willing to accommodate, agreed. Mr. Jacobs bought a 4 valve Alex F from his predecessor, George Hamburg, and had it reworked by Carl Geyer. Three valves were added in the left hand, and with the right-hand 4th down, gave CC tuba fingerings. He sounded fantastic on this tuba, I don't know why he ever sold it. This is the tuba he used for the Stravinsky Fairy's Kiss recording. The Albeniz/Falla stuff on Spain were also done on this tuba.

He occassionally tried smaller Cs during this period. There was a Sanders, same model as the BB played by Herb Wekselblatt at the Met. That one's in Bartok's Hungarian Sketches. In the following season is when Alexander Nevsky came up, and by then Reiner was satisfied that Jacobs could play the F, and left the choice of instrument for him to decide.

After Reiner was gone, Jean Martinon gave a performance of Berlioz Damnation of Faust. Mr. Jacobs played this on a Mirafone 184. This was one of those very rare occasions where it wasn't really like Arnold Jacobs was playing. He certainly played the part, but he did not find his voice on the Mirafone as he had done on other alternative tubas he had used. He thought Martinon, because of his French background and experience with Parisian orchestras, would prefer a small tuba, but Martinon called him aside one day. What happened to that BAT? the maestro asked.

But the point was made. For the remainder of his career, Mr. Jacobs decided on his own judgement which tuba he would play. The Petrouchka solo, Berlioz Romeo and Juliet, and VW Tuba Concerto were F tuba no-brainers. But there were some odd choices. Mendelssohn Midsummer Night's Dream and Berlioz Corsair Overture were played on the York, I believe because he COULD. But for me, the defining renditions of these pieces, are the ones I heard him play on that Alex F. Whatever became of THAT instrument?


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