Posted by Mark Heter on March 20, 2004 at 23:29:57:
In Reply to: Re: Tuba Part for "Ragtime" posted by bloke on March 20, 2004 at 22:18:37:
I subbed it (once) on Broadway (it was Earl McIntyre's gig), and played it last summer for two weeks with an outdoor summer theatre company.
There are some dumb segues in the book (the rental book is nearly identical to the original Broadway book for the tuba/euphonium); it's really not possible to change those horns in one 4/4 measure. You can actually play some of the stuff marked for euphonium on tuba (it's not that high - in the staff) and make the segues easier.
The one pain in the butt is the part referred to in the previous post, where you are in four or five sharps, and ledger lines above the staff as a pseudo french horn. It's a miserable part, and the horns had their problems with it every show as well. Even when you make it it sounds crummy.
The tuba parts are LOW, and in unison with the piano and the bass - the original guy did it on a CC in Toronto, and Earl plays EEb (an old King). I was much more comfortable doing it on my BBb King (and a Yamaha euphonium). Very little of the youff parts are actually what I would call euphonium parts - more like a third horn. You do get a few little solos in this overly long show. Hopefully they'll make some CUTS!