Boris Grigoriev 50 vs 78

[greenbean]

50 Etudes for Tuba
78 Studies for Tuba

Anyone know how these Grigoriev etudes compare? Also, if you have a copy, how is the typesetting?...

[Mark E. Chachich]

I have both the 50 and the 78 etudes by Grigoriev.

My opinions:
50 and 78 are similar but both are worth having
50 is not selected pieces from 78
I use both on a regular basis for practice (along with Arban, Blazevich, Tyrell and Rouchout).
I bought my copies at a music store in Columbia SC and I think that the typesetting is good (at least on my copies).

best,
Mark

[Mark E. Chachich]

Typical Russian Etudes. Some lyric, and as you progress in the books rhythm, key signatures and leaps of notes. I think that these books are worth owning if for no other reason they give you another thing to practice that is worth while.

Mark

[macbil]

They are both in the "Grigoriev 78 Studies" to which I have to say I have never paid much attention in the past . I'm a Blazhevich devotee and playing them , I found the Grigoriev studies dull,dull.dull until I saw on Tubenet a few years back that the audition list for the Vienna Philharmonic/Symphony (?)(one of the Vienna outfits) specified Grigoriev 50 as one of the audition pieces to be played on F tuba. Relishing the challenge ,I got the book out and had a proper look . Quite a surprise! I don't have an F tuba but I have a compensating EE flat so I got stuck in. It's playable OK but it's not easy. In fact ,it's a bit of a pig. It's a great exercise and if and when you nail it , it's very satisfying . There's a lot of cross fingering but good old fashioned hard work will pay off.
It did prompt me to have another look at the book but with one splendid exception , my initial impression was reinforced.
No 42 is a beauty! Melodic and low , it will take a sustained style of legato playing that will tax anyone to pull it off. It sounds like a Rachmaninoff song . I imagine George London singing when I play it.That's its style. It will lie nicely on a CC instrument. Trickier on a bass tuba.
I have never bothered with No 78. Looking at it again , I think it falls into the dull category so I'll stick to Blazhevich . Not that we should avoid playing dull music but sometimes as tuba players we can have enough of it. It's like certain medicines-- you have to take them because they do you good, just not too much of it.
Lots of Blazevich with some Kopprasch . A little Grigoriev-- not too much. That's a good diet for a tuba player. Not a complete one I know but you'll never starve on it.

[greenbean]

Thanks to you both!

[greenbean]

Just an FYI...

The Grigoriev 50 Etudes will be out of print soon.

https://www.encoremupub.com/grigoriev-5 ... -for-tuba/" target="_blank