A tuba and oboe duet sounds like the setup line for a music joke. Have you tried arranging any of the flute and tuba duets that are out there. OR try a violin or flute piece that has a basso continuo part. My wife and I have performed flute and tuba duets that were simply flute and continuo parts. I believe we have a whole book of Handel that sounds great on flute and F tuba. To make those pieces sound truly musical the tuba player must match the sustain of the flute through all phrases. I had no idea how horribly I clipped phrases until I started practicing the flute and continuo parts. It was a very QUICK (and easy) way to help improve my phrasing.
In short....I don't know of any tuba and oboe specific duets.
Tuba/oboe duet
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SplatterTone
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Perhaps bassoon and oboe duets with some occasional octave shifting?
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windshieldbug
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SplatterTone
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imperialbari
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Any baroque sonata not going too low for the oboe will be legal prey for the set-up discussed. Some violin sonatas will go below Bb. Some flute- and recorder-stuff will take the oboe up in high ranges, where it will sound strained.
There is a wonderful sonata for soprano recorder and BC by Bigaglia. The oboe will play it an octave down, and that still is fully within the tradition, as long as the bass line does not cross the solo line. It is several years since I saw the score, but I don’t remember dangers in that direction.
The non-written rule was, that when the soloist was a string instrument, then the bass line should be taken by a string bass instrument in either the 8’ or 16’ range.
If the soloist is a wind instrument, then the bass line shall be played by a bassoon or in some rare cases by a trombone (slower triumphal or solemn music).
The music may be played by the solo and the bass alone, but a chord instrument is highly recommended. An organ always can replace other bass instruments. If the soloist is not a recorder or a traverso, then a real bass instrument is recommended as a supplement for the harpsichord.
Personally I do not like the modern grand piano used as a BC instrument. The lute is too soft for accompanying modern instruments. The modern nylon-string guitar is much better. I have a wonderful Ovation with nylon strings, which even can be adequately amplified. Very few modern non-professional guitarists can play directly from the ciphered bassline. But an transcription to modern chord symbols is quite easy, if you know the style.
Then there is the strategy about which tuba to choose: bass or contrabass. Both are fine as are euph and bassbone if played in the style of a mellow organ stop.
The bass tuba will play in the cello range and may be taken up in a range, where it may sound a bit strained.
The contrabass tuba will play in the string bass range. It may be commandeered into some fast runs in the low range, but it probably sound more relaxed than the bass. But there is a problem, if there is no chord instrument: it takes terribly good ears to hold the intonation together, when there will occur intervals of 3+ octaves between the instruments.
Just heard a Fux opera with organ on some of the BC parts. Sounded very good. I have used bass trombone as a BC instrument myself. But then I could play very soft below the recorders and singers.
Sorry for the rant, but the topic has my personal interest. I have a large project of this nature almost finished. But I am not able to work at it for now.
Klaus Smedegaard Bjerre
There is a wonderful sonata for soprano recorder and BC by Bigaglia. The oboe will play it an octave down, and that still is fully within the tradition, as long as the bass line does not cross the solo line. It is several years since I saw the score, but I don’t remember dangers in that direction.
The non-written rule was, that when the soloist was a string instrument, then the bass line should be taken by a string bass instrument in either the 8’ or 16’ range.
If the soloist is a wind instrument, then the bass line shall be played by a bassoon or in some rare cases by a trombone (slower triumphal or solemn music).
The music may be played by the solo and the bass alone, but a chord instrument is highly recommended. An organ always can replace other bass instruments. If the soloist is not a recorder or a traverso, then a real bass instrument is recommended as a supplement for the harpsichord.
Personally I do not like the modern grand piano used as a BC instrument. The lute is too soft for accompanying modern instruments. The modern nylon-string guitar is much better. I have a wonderful Ovation with nylon strings, which even can be adequately amplified. Very few modern non-professional guitarists can play directly from the ciphered bassline. But an transcription to modern chord symbols is quite easy, if you know the style.
Then there is the strategy about which tuba to choose: bass or contrabass. Both are fine as are euph and bassbone if played in the style of a mellow organ stop.
The bass tuba will play in the cello range and may be taken up in a range, where it may sound a bit strained.
The contrabass tuba will play in the string bass range. It may be commandeered into some fast runs in the low range, but it probably sound more relaxed than the bass. But there is a problem, if there is no chord instrument: it takes terribly good ears to hold the intonation together, when there will occur intervals of 3+ octaves between the instruments.
Just heard a Fux opera with organ on some of the BC parts. Sounded very good. I have used bass trombone as a BC instrument myself. But then I could play very soft below the recorders and singers.
Sorry for the rant, but the topic has my personal interest. I have a large project of this nature almost finished. But I am not able to work at it for now.
Klaus Smedegaard Bjerre