1972 LA Planets

phoenix · Post by **phoenix** » Wed Nov 23, 2005 2:23 pm

I have the 1972 Los Angeles recording of the Planets by Zubin Mehta. I've heard that it's both Tommy Johnson and Roger Bobo playing tuba, but there seems to be some disagreement here. Some people say it was just Bobo or just Johnson. It sounds like one tuba in some spots, and like two in other places. For instance, if you have that recording, you've probably heard the low E at the end of the Uranus movement

I can't imagine that is just one tuba putting out a sound like that! If you don't know what I'm talking about, get your hands on this recording and listen to it. What do you guys think?

tubacdk · Post by **tubacdk** » Wed Nov 23, 2005 4:49 pm

it's definitely both Mr. Bobo and Mr. Johnson on the recording, but I expect some of the more solo-ish stuff was just Mr. Bobo.

-ck

Aco · Post by **Aco** » Sat Nov 26, 2005 6:42 pm

Where I could I find such a recording these days?

poomshanka · Post by **poomshanka** » Sat Nov 26, 2005 9:55 pm

Aco wrote:Where I could I find such a recording these days?

I can't believe this thing is so cheap!

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/de ... l&n=507846

This one's a little spendier, but apparently "souped up" stereo-wise:

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/de ... c&n=507846

But this is the one I'd buy (and did, actually):

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/de ... c&n=507846

Nowhere will you find a more intense recorded tuba sound, although some may take exception to it being a little "out on the edge". To hear Tommy and Roger (on Miraphones, a 184 and 185) FRY the low E on the end of Uranus is - for me, anyway - more than worth the price of admission.

Buy it, if for no other reason than sheer, jaw-dropping shock value...

...Dave

phoenix · Post by **phoenix** » Mon Nov 28, 2005 2:01 am

I unfortunately have not heard this recording, but according to the score, that low E is also played by the double basses, contrabassoon and organ, so not all tuba sound

I know all those instruments are playing there, but just listen to that recording and you'll know what i'm talking about. when my friend and i first heard it, all we did was laugh and listen to it like 5 times. Non tuba players also laugh when we played it for them

Where I could I find such a recording these days?

As for getting a recording, just drop me a line on AIM or email and i'll send it to you. the file may be too big for my email program however, so AIM is preferable.

phoenix · Post by **phoenix** » Mon Nov 28, 2005 2:05 am

I can't believe this thing is so cheap!

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/de ... l&n=507846

This one's a little spendier, but apparently "souped up" stereo-wise:

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/de ... c&n=507846

But this is the one I'd buy (and did, actually):

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/de ... c&n=507846

Nowhere will you find a more intense recorded tuba sound, although some may take exception to it being a little "out on the edge". To hear Tommy and Roger (on Miraphones, a 184 and 185) FRY the low E on the end of Uranus is - for me, anyway - more than worth the price of admission.

Buy it, if for no other reason than sheer, jaw-dropping shock value...

what he said...
i have the first recording listed there

Michael Woods · Post by **Michael Woods** » Tue Dec 13, 2005 6:02 pm

If you have ever heard this recording, the low E is as clear as day and tuba is definitely the most pronounced sound that is being produced.

aaahhhhh . . . . . . I love that recording.

Although some I have spoken to think that the recording is ludicrous.

I disagree.

WoodSheddin · Post by **WoodSheddin** » Tue Dec 13, 2005 6:17 pm

Michael Woods wrote:aaahhhhh . . . . . . I love that recording.

Although some I have spoken to think that the recording is ludicrous.

I disagree.

I don't like the recording either. It is very poorly edited and not all that well performed either. There are MUCH MUCH MUCH better recordings of The Planets. Gene Pokorny mentions it on his Orchestra Pro CD for the shear effect given by the tuba pairing and also out of deep respect for two of the industry giants who also happen to be teachers of his.

But, the recording is NOT very good overall, IMO.

Tubaguy56 · Post by **Tubaguy56** » Thu Mar 23, 2006 12:21 am

Another thing to take into account is most smart Euphonium players will forget the High Eb they have written and go down to a pedal E with the tubas, so, you gotta figure, if Bobo and Johnson are playing the tuba, who's playing the Euph? I only have the Uranus recording, but I think its also quite probable that one of them is pulling the Euph part on high tuba....

tubacdk · Post by **tubacdk** » Thu Mar 23, 2006 9:52 am

there is definitely a separate euphonium player on this recording. Mr. Bobo and Mr. Johnson are playing the bass tuba part on a Miraphone 184 and 185 CC, respectively. I think it might have been Robert Marstellar on euph, but I'm really not sure.

-ck

Norm Pearson · Post by **Norm Pearson** » Fri Mar 24, 2006 12:22 am

tubacdk wrote:I think it might have been Robert Marstellar on euph, but I'm really not sure.

-ck

It was Robert Marsteller

Norm

Tubaguy56 · Post by **Tubaguy56** » Wed Oct 04, 2006 1:02 am

Clarification:

MOST SMART euphonium players will FORGET the WRITTEN EB (the one above the staff 2 lines) and go down to a low E (5th space) because the whole orchestra (minus bassoons, bass clarinet, string basses, and tuba and bass trombone) are playing that Eb. Sorry, it was my mistake to put the word high before Eb, I play the tuba after all, so for me, that IS a high eb.

windshieldbug · Post by **windshieldbug** » Wed Oct 04, 2006 12:05 pm

SpartanContra wrote:Whats a half step between friends?

ZNC Dandy · Post by **ZNC Dandy** » Wed Oct 04, 2006 1:46 pm

[quote="SpartanContra"]This topic suddenly confused me. I have that recording of the planets (mainly because i got it when we were doing the planets in high school, and it was the cheap recording at FYE) and i always thought of the low Eb at the end of uranus as one of the worst parts of the recording. its loud yes, and low yes, but very blatty and just not a pleasant thing to listen too IMHO. now if it had had that coveted massive organ quality to it, and it was just a wall of sound instead of a wall of crass, i would've been considerably more impressed...........is my internal tuba sound the wrong thing now?........... :cry:[/quote]

Crass is a relative term...I would never call anything done by Roger Bobo and Tommy Johnson crass...apparently thats the sound Zubin Mehta wanted...and a sound quality I very much like...for that piece. Bruckner it wouldn't work for, different sound for Wagner also, Prokofiev different yet again still, Shostakovich yet again...different. Different sounds for different pieces. There is nothing worse to me than a big nebulous woofy type of sound with no color in it. Different sounds for different pieces.

Tubaguy56 · Post by **Tubaguy56** » Mon Oct 16, 2006 7:59 pm

o man, when I did the tenor tuba part and I looked at uranus, I was just like, you want me to play THAT?! your nuts! I play the tuba.....

windshieldbug · Post by **windshieldbug** » Mon Oct 16, 2006 9:28 pm

Tubaguy56 wrote:I looked at uranus, I was just like, you want me to play THAT?! your nuts!

Odd; Uranus and Urnuts are not that far apart...

ai698 · Post by **ai698** » Mon Oct 16, 2006 11:47 pm

All your base are belong to us!

LoyalTubist · Post by **LoyalTubist** » Wed Dec 13, 2006 1:32 am

The Planets is scored for one tenor tuba (euphonium or baritone) and one bass tuba (or contrabass tuba, the last few measures of "Jupiter" get pretty darned low!) Some orchestras use a trombonist playing the top part. Others use a tuba player. It just depends.