Orchestral Works Requiring Two Tubas

[DavidJMills]

Saint-saens- Samson and delilah-opera has 2 parts- when we played it with 1 tuba, conductor had written some of 1st part into 1st trombone .DMills

[Alex C]

Ophicleides had holes. They were not powerful instruments. When Hector Berlioz wrote two tuba parts for Symphonie fantasique, he knew what he was doing, it wasn't the drugs talking. The two tubas have a few times in which they play in unison and in octaves.

Check the ophicleide part for Mendelssohn's Midsummer Night's Dream or Elijah. Then explain what you were trying to say. (I understand what you are trying to say; it's just not true.)

Because Berlioz was high on drugs when he was writing much of his music, I doubt he was giving harmonics much thought. (This is a little more history: Hector Berlioz was a opium addict.)

Not to belabor the point but Berlioz did not write two tuba parts. When Berlioz took the piece out of Paris to perform, he supposedly used whatever "low brass" instruments were available but it's composition pre-dates the accepted appearance of tubas.

Also, it's not good form to bang another's post with "not true" on a BB. It might not be your opinion or your educational background but "not true" is very pedantic.

For example, my educational background did not include the "fact" that Berlioz was an opium addict. Berlioz's depth of involvement with drugs (I was told by my music history prof) grew in the 60's and 70's from, "he used drugs" to "he was addicted to drugs."

To indicate that he wrote the piece while actually "on drugs" requires first-hand information that none of us have. How much is true is known only by a very few other people who are long dead.

With that in mind I could say your statements about Berlioz's drug use and addiction are not true... what I will say is that some scholars would question those statements.

Lastly, I don't think such confrontational language ("Then explain what you were trying to say.") is appropriate to the collegial nature of this board. There are a lot of boards where any statement gets the writer bashed; this bulletin board seems to have avoided that and I hope it continues.

I did not see this piece, using two tubas mentioned by anyone:

Edgard Varese - Arcana (this is almost a trivia game now)

Has any major orchestra played Arcana in the last 15 years?