Bruckner 9th-Berlin-Barenboim (1991 Teldec)

[Aco]

Anybody know who played tuba on this recording?

[finnbogi]

Anybody know who played tuba on this recording?

Probably Paul Hümpel.

[LoyalTubist]

The music of Anton Bruckner (1824-96) is an acquired taste, for sure. I first became acquainted with his music when I was stationed in Berlin, Germany, with the U.S. Army. The local radio stations (on both sides of the Wall) played his music all the time.

I helped to start an expatriate orchestra when I was there and we played Symphonies 8 and 9, along with Te Deum. All of these have wonderful, melodic tuba parts. Remember that Bruckner's background was being a church organist, which involved a lot of improvisation. He incorporated this improvising in his compositions.

Going on further discussing Bruckner, it helps to know something about his background: He had some emotional problems and, although the final symphony he wrote was Symphony No. 9, he actually wrote 11 symphonies. He discarded two symphonies (now listed as Nos. 00 and 0) which were discovered and performed many years after his death.

For us as tuba players, the music we should know by Bruckner include:
Symphony No. 4 in Eb Major ("Romantic")
Symphony No. 5 in Bb Major
Symphony No. 6 in A Major
Symphony No. 7 in E Major (most popular of his symphonies)
Symphony No. 8 in C Minor ("Apocalyptic Symphony"--arguably has the best tuba part)
Symphony No. 9 in D Minor ("Unfinished Symphony")
Te Deum in D Minor for Orchestra and Chorus (generally used as the last movement of the Ninth Symphony)

IMHO, the best symphonies for the audience are 4, 8, and 9. The only problem is that 8 and 9 are so darned long.

When I lived in Europe I took a trip to his hometown of Ansfelden, Austria. It has the Bruckner Museum and a fascinating museum of musical instruments.

Oh, as far as I know, the works listed above are the only ones which feature a tuba part. Ironically, Symphony No. 3 in D Minor was originally titled the "Wagner Symphony," even though it doesn't have a tuba part (what could be so Wagner about that?)