Buy this DVD!

[ZNC Dandy]

I saw this advertised in Grammaphone and ordered it from Amazon.

http://www.amazon.com/Wagner-Orchestral ... im/tubenet

Klaus Tennstedt with the London Philharmonic. Playing Wagner Overtures, and some pieces from The Ring. The tuba playing on this DVD will blow your mind. Owen Slade, is UNREAL. I also think I saw Dick Tyack from Covent Garden playing contrabass trombone on the Ring selections, and this is jaw dropping as well. Slade uses his Besson 981 throughout. There is never a doubt of his prescence in the orchestral texture. Plus, its hard to go wrong with Klaus Tennstedt doing Wagner!

[ZNC Dandy]

I also think I saw Dick Tyack from Covent Garden playing contrabass trombone on the Ring selections, and this is jaw dropping as well.

If you haven't seen this horn online before, you're missing out. It's a custom double slide Thein Eb with a Bb valve and a slide to put the valve into Ab (for low E). Wicked cool! Conn also made a few Eb contras like this (not sure how many, but I have seen a picture of one and my friend played one with a Minick valve, was it Floyd Cooley's? That may be completely wrong, but it's sticking in my head for some reason). It's like a grown up quadro-bone!
I assume the slide is alto length and has 7 positions (8 would have been even cooler!) on the Thein, but the Conns may have had a longer slide.


http://youtube.com/watch?v=OJqc_Z_0G0E
Is this on the above DVD?

I am familiar with his Thein contra. And yes, that is on the DVD. Owen Slade is from another planet. What an ENORMOUS sound!

[Wyvern]

Owen Slade is from another planet. What an ENORMOUS sound!

I regularly heard Owen Slade live at the Royal Festival Hall in London in the 1990's and the sound he produced from a Besson 981 was the best ever promotion for using an EEb in orchestra. One particular performance of Prokofiev Alexander Nevsky particularly comes to mine, where I cannot image a 6/4 CC sounding better - and that using only a Bach 24AW mouthpiece.

A good illustration that the most important component in the sound is the tuba player and a mega tuba is not essential to make a mega sound.

Owen Slade...with PT6P.

In more recent years (since leaving the LPO), I believe Owen has been persuaded to use a PT6P - but still plays Besson 981 predominantly.

Jonathan "who has found Owen Slade's playing an inspiration"

[finnbogi]

I picked up a copy of this DVD in Germany last weekend and what a wonderful recording. The tuba playing is absolutely phenomenal.

Thanks for the recommendation.

[Wyvern]

..were played on his Besson 981 before it was written off !

Does that mean some unfortunate accident befell his 981?

I think this Bruckner 5 is my personal favorite recording to hear Owen's incredible sound on the 981 http://www.amazon.com/Symphony-No-5-Bru ... B000083GOS

[ZNC Dandy]

Stuart Roebuck formerly of the Halle Orchestra used a 5 valve Barlow F in a 3+2 configuration. He was an absolute monster of a player!

[Wyvern]

Are there any tuba players in England who play a 5 valve (not a comp Besson/B&H/...)?

Well, I know of a couple of UK amateurs who just play 5 valve non-comp tubas (CC, rather than Eb), but would be interested myself if there are yet any such professionals.

BTW I am often disappointed when I go to professional concerts by UK orchestras to see the tubist come on stage with their Besson EEb when I know they have a CC and the work being performed would (in my opinion) be ideal for the larger tuba (e.g. Tchaikovsky)

I remember reading that the 2040/5 was selling well in England

No doubt 99% of tubas sold in the UK are still 3+1 compensators

FWIW: Personally, although the 2040/5 is a great Eb in my opinion, its F tuba like qualities of tone means that realistically I feel it needs to be used in harness with a CC, unless the tubist only plays in small ensembles.

Besides Jonathan of course!

I like to be different!

Jonathan