Posted by Klaus on May 24, 2002 at 11:38:43:
In Reply to: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Basses and Contra B. posted by Alex C on May 24, 2002 at 10:28:03:
As you might read from the last paragraph in my previous posting, I acclaimed your very asking. Finding such thinking and asking important.
Where my old teachers mind shone through was in the question about which types of instruments to compare. I might have used some word indicating critic, but I most certainly did not want to cut off your legs, brasswise.
Somehow you are touching a very fundamental brass question.
We want to to have brass families to form sub-choirs in orchestras and bands.
We consider trumpets and trombones more or less being one family. Rightfully so in my eyes. But the original bass instrument of that family was in G, F, or Eb. All pitches with very clumsy slide due to their length.
Our present day bass trombone really is a hybridised tenor trombone with added valves and enlarged bore and bell. Giving some problems with the clarity in the lower dynamic ranges. There are different solutions to that problem.
I have two "modern" bass trombones. My 30 years old Besson Sovereign can take immense amounts of air without breaking up. But it is very tubalike in ppp. My King 7B is much clearer in the low dynamics. But then it does a fine act of doubling as a 12HP chainsaw in fff.
Within the family of conical brasses listed in the previous posting there also are differences. For me the superb member of that family is the euphonium, because its palette of expressions is the most diversified one. And it can act expressively within a much wider range of dynamics. The flugel horn and the alto horn are lyrical, but they hardly can tell the story of "Daddy being back in town".
I love tubas, but let us be honest. But for the very best artist, and even for some of them, the favourite tuba song would be "King Kong rattles his cage". Where the sentimental piano level song would be "Eat sugarbombs till you vomit".
Of course this is not true in the case of the elevated congregation of TubeNet readers. So flaming does not apply. But we probably all could produce a list of relevant samples.
Klaus