Mark E. Chachich wrote:In my opinion, use the tuba (that you own) that best suits your orchestra. Now orchestra string sections mostly use steel strings (more powerful than gut strings, I know because I am also a professional string bass player and have used both). Orchestra brass, woodwind and percussion sections also generally use more powerful instruments than in Bruckner's time (and not that long ago). An example, when I was playing in the Palm Beach Symphony (late 1970s) the bass trombone player was Warren Burkhart (retired from the Cleveland Orchestra, a great person and a great musician) used a bass trombone that was the size that many tenor trombone players in today's orchestras play.
have fun with Bruckner!
Mark
Best comment so far.
Use the best tuba you own for this performance.
Why should the tuba use an F tuba when the string players are not playing 19th century strings or bows? The woodwinds are not using albert system instruments and the other brass are using instrument bigger than anything seen in the 1800s. St. Martin in the Fields used to produce period correct recordings where old instruments were used, the best I can say of those marvelous players if that "the performance was... interesting."
It will probably be cancelled anyway, covid isn't going away.
City Intonation Inspector - Dallas Texas "Holding the Bordognian Fabric of the Universe together through better pitch, one note at a time."
Practicing results in increased atmospheric CO2 thus causing global warming.
On the Metropolitan Montreal Orchestra recording of the 4th symphony, the tuba player uses a F tuba (a Firebird) for the whole piece and it sounds awesome. Very solid low range. Of course, the player is also very strong. I think some German orchestras also use a bass tuba.
You'll get a trillion opinions, of course. Ask yourself what the hall is like (?). How many double basses are there in the orchestra, and are they any good (can they produce enough sound)? If there are enough double basses to carry their end, then think of yourself more as a bass to the trombone section, than as a 'super bass' to the entire orchestra a la Mahler or Shostakovich. To me, the ideal instrument is a 6/4 F with a good low register, or a CC - not bigger than 5/4 - that has plenty of core and some punch to the sound. That's the sound I like in Bruckner 4. That's just me.
When I listen to recordings of Bruckner 4 the tuba almost always seems to be a CC or BBb. I can't imagine using an F. I admit Bruckner may have written for F (Bass tuba) but everybody plays louder and heavier than they did in the 1870s.
Years ago, a friend of mine played Bruckner 8 on a Miraphone 184 CC. I was complimentary but it just did not sound right to my ears. Neither would an F tuba on Bruckner 4.
City Intonation Inspector - Dallas Texas "Holding the Bordognian Fabric of the Universe together through better pitch, one note at a time."
Practicing results in increased atmospheric CO2 thus causing global warming.
I have found that following Bruckner's own instructions usually work pretty well. Eb tuba works very well on #4, 6 and the first and third movements of #7. A few years ago I played Bruckner 7 on F tuba and CC tuba. The conductor was very happy. Years ago Bob Tucci wrote an excellent article: The Tuba in Europe. His main point, confirmed by contemporary practice in Germany, is that the tuba is usually seen there as a low BRASS instrument, and not always as a low BASS instrument. Therefore the blend with the brass is more important than adding more weight to the bass sound. Tastes vary, but if you listen to a German or English orchestra you will be hearing an Eb or F tuba more often than not, even in repertoire in which you would expect to hear a large instrument.
Interesting point of consideration, Bruckner's 4th was originally published in 1874 without a tuba, and It wasn't until his second revision that he chose to add a bass tuba part. Since Bruckner didn't originally conceive this work with a tuba in mind and likely only added the tuba to double the bass trombone as extra weight, a rotary F would probably be the best choice for this work because of its ability to blend with the trombones.
But in the end play which tuba is the easiest for you to play it on, because if it's easier it will likely sound better
