Cimbasso and contra-bone auditions?

[windshieldbug]

I think you would find cimbasso parts in opera music, though I don't know if it is a REQUIRED double.

[sc_curtis]

Do most modern operas use tuba, cimbasso, both, or neither?

How many opera orchestras are there in the U.S.?

I know for sure: The Houston Grand Opera uses cimbasso on Verdi. I think it has been used on something else, but I could be wrong. So, I guess the answer is both for that particular group.

[windshieldbug]

Do most modern operas use tuba, cimbasso, both, or neither?

I think that you will find that modern operas generally use tuba, while modern opera companies have both available to use when appropriate.

I do not think you will find both tuba and cimbasso used at the same time in the same opera, and cimbasso parts are pretty well limited to a particular period and certain composers in that period.

[KiwiTuba]

Do most modern operas use tuba, cimbasso, both, or neither?

I do not think you will find both tuba and cimbasso used at the same time in the same opera, and cimbasso parts are pretty well limited to a particular period and certain composers in that period.

I'm pretty sure some of the Verdi Operas (Rigoletto and Aida maybe?) have bombardon (tuba) parts for the onstage bands and a cimbasso part for the pit orchestra - I think Clifford Bevan says in The Tuba Family that Verdi thought of the tuba as a band instrument and that it wrecked the sound of the trombone section when it was used in the orchestra to play the cimbasso part.

As an interesting aside, the film score for Happy Feet used cimbasso, however I had to play the part on tuba because we couldn't find a cimbasso for the session (there are about three or four in Australasia, and they were all unavailable that day for various reasons). There's also a little trio for two euphoniums and tuba near the end of the leopard seal chase scene (It's completely covered up by the sound effects and dialogue though)

Also, the contrabass trombone is used in the Ring Music-dramas and I believe in Salome and/or Elektra (?). Most professional orchestras, in Australasia at least, own one nowadays. The New Zealand Symphony Orchestra's is called Excalibur. You'll sometimes see one pulled out for the Gliss in the Bartok concerto for Orchestra as well. (Apparently it works better on contra) I believe that for some positions in Europe, Cimbasso is a required double, although whether this means you have to play it in the audition I don't know.k

[RyanSchultz]

For Seattle Opera the "Cimbasso" (valved Contrabass Trombone in F) duties go to the Tuba Player and Contrabass Trombone duties go to the Bass Trombonist. I have never heard of an audition soley on these instruments but do recall seeing some opera jobs advertise that some "cimbasso" work is involved.