Gotterdammerung DVD Met.

[Michael Woods]

Who played tuba on the DVD of Gotterdammerung with Levine and the Met. in 1990? Was Toby Hanks still with them?

[ZNC Dandy]

Herb Weksellblatt

[UDELBR]

Was Toby Hanks still with them?

Toby played in the NYC Ballet Orchestra.

[bttmbow]

I am almost certain that Steve Johns played on these. I remember hearing that Mr. Wekselblatt was out for that season, or part of it, for some reason. I will check with Steve when I next talk to him.

Chris Hall

[ZNC Dandy]

I am almost certain that Steve Johns played on these. I remember hearing that Mr. Wekselblatt was out for that season, or part of it, for some reason. I will check with Steve when I next talk to him.

Chris Hall

Can't wait for Otello on the radio Saturday Chris. Some wicked nasty licks in that. Especially for the trombones.

[bttmbow]

I am happy to say that the MET uses 4 trombones for Otello, instead of Cimbasso or the "evil" tuba.

Unless a conductor requests a different instrument, past practice instrumentation is used at the MET.

Verdi used the cimbasso on the bottom voice, not the tuba. You will see cimbasso on most of his parts, except in earlier works such as Rigoletto, which I believe says Serpano. In a letter to a German orchestra, Verdi wrote that upon hearing that the orchestra was using tuba, that if they can't find a cimbasso, please use a bass trombone! It is the sound he was looking for and I believe that only a FEW Verdi works sound right (or even OK!) with a tuba; I would tell you which ones they are, but I gotta go practice!

Till later,
CJH

[finnbogi]

The same applies here. Unless there is a guest conductor that specifically asks for tuba, most Verdi cimbasso parts are played on contrabass trombone in the opera.