Brahms German Requiem

[ppalan]

I believe that what is commonly referred to as "cut time" actually is "alla breve", meaning that the unit of pulse is the "breve" or half note.

[T. J. Ricer]

When I did this with the Knoxville Symphony, I used my Old Besson/Boosey "Fletcher-mods" Eb (now owned by Ken Sloan). The director mentioned to me in rehearsal that "tubas in Brahms' day would probably have been smaller" - I took that as a nice way of asking me to play a bit softer and everyone lived happily ever after. This director reportedly later told the bass trombone player, "He's probably thinks I'm an idiot, I just realized that that was a pretty small tuba, it just has a big bell." Nice when directors are paying attention!

--T. J.

[scottw]

I believe that what is commonly referred to as "cut time" actually is "alla breve", meaning that the unit of pulse is the "breve" or half note.

I tried to explain that, but I must not have done a very good job.

Aw, ya done good!
[Still don't like it, though!]

[sloan]

When I did this with the Knoxville Symphony, I used my Old Besson/Boosey "Fletcher-mods" Eb (now owned by Ken Sloan). The director mentioned to me in rehearsal that "tubas in Brahms' day would probably have been smaller" - I took that as a nice way of asking me to play a bit softer and everyone lived happily ever after. This director reportedly later told the bass trombone player, "He's probably thinks I'm an idiot, I just realized that that was a pretty small tuba, it just has a big bell." Nice when directors are paying attention!

--T. J.

It's not how big they *look* - it's how big you make them *sound*.

A loyal Tubenet contributor picked up that horn, played for a few minutes, and then commented "now I understand how Fletcher got that distinctive sound". As usual with him, I'm not completely sure what he meant by that...

Great axe, which I think is even better since I got rid of that silly kicker and had the 3rd valve compensating loop lengthened and the main tuning slide shortened. Of course, my typical ensemble doesn't achieve the same level of micro-tuning as the Knoxville Symphony.

This reminds me that I've let my King 2341 (it was tuned at the factory) hog all the limelight lately - I need to buff up the Eb fingerings and use the Besson on 4 July. Unless, of course, my Conn 36J's surgery is completed in time, and is a success. We usually have 6 tubas, and we don't need 6 4/4 BBb tubas - I'll try to do my bit for "diversity".

[J.c. Sherman]

I just realized that that was a pretty small tuba, it just has a big bell." Nice when directors are paying attention!

--T. J.

My Boosey Eb is very offended... small indeed!

J.c.

[Bob Kolada]

Are the 15" bell versions smaller overall, or just in the bell?

[imperialbari]

Just the bell, and then the leadpipe sort of equals the one of the 982 except for the small, bassbone size, receiver.

Klaus

[J.c. Sherman]

If you're meaning the Imperials, the receiver is smaller but the leadpipe is not... the newer receiver fits right on. And the bell throat (and "waist" if you can think of that) is a bit bigger on the Imperials too.

Basically, they're the same size horn with a different vowel sound.

J.c.S.