Posted by Rick Denney on December 02, 2003 at 15:48:52:
In Reply to: Re: Re: Re: London SO Trom/Tuba section 1922 posted by Hmm... on November 29, 2003 at 08:44:31:
Harry Barlow established the popularity of the F tuba for orchestral use in England, and his dates are around the turn of the century or a bit before. The F would have been the standard instrument in 1922. I'm not at all convinced that this instrument isn't an F, but it would be hard to tell it from an Eb in a photograph.
What surprises me is that it is a compensator. Many of the orchestral F's were five-valved (3 top + 2 side) and uncompensated--the classic Barlow F tuba. They also had tiny bells--something like 12 inches. A Yamaha 621 would be on the big side of that class of instrument. I have seen four-valve compensated Boosey F tubas. Jay Rozen used to own one that I tooted on for a few minutes many years ago. It had a bigger bell than a Barlow F, and maybe it is similar to the one pictured here.
Rick "who wishes we had many pictures like this from American orchestras" Denney