Symphonie Fantastique Dies Irae down an octave (or two)?

[Bob Kolada]

Just cut the bell flare off of your (Swiss-or-Danish-made compensating) Euphonium and pull the tuning slide out to make up for the lost length...
You'll REALLY impress your M.D.

I'd try something like that.

[tubapress]

There was a live broadcast in about 82' of Mehta conducting the NY Phil, Tch. Romeo and Juliet, and Isreal The Miraculous Mandarin, then both combined for Fantastique.They played octaves Wow! I believe warren Deck was on the higher octave and the guy in Isreal, Yuri?, was on the bottom. Again, Wow! I have stumbled upon it on YouTube over the years. Well worth a listen. Ed

Do you know if this is still on youtube? I did a search but didn't see anything. I would be interested in hearing it.

I remember happening to turn PBS on the day this was aired.I had played tuba for a little over a year andm while I knew Tchaikovsky might have a tuba part, I'd never heard the Berlioz and had never even heard of Bartok! Ha! I listened to Israel play the Tchaikovsky Romeo & Juliet. The when the Mandiarin started, my unaccustomed ears revolted. So I turned the freakin' TV off (cringing even now at the very words)!! I came back later and heard the Berlioz and, although I grew impatient as movement after movement went by without a peep from the tubas, I was of course rewarded in the end.

I've looked for a video of this from time to time over the years and began to wonder if I hadn't just imagined it all.

I found this today: http://www.watchseries.ac/episode/live_ ... s7_e5.html" target="_blank. The site is blocvked at my work, so haven't been able to "register for free". Anyone know fi this watchseries website is legit?

Thaks!
Gary

[tclements]

There have been so many discussions about this. I have played this every which way. I might suggest this: Play what you want, and if the conductor doesn't like it (or even NOTICES!), he or she will fix it. JUST food for thought and discussion. The general rule of thumb is: It has to sound GREAT!

[doublebuzzing]

Play it as-written until instructed otherwise.

[barry grrr-ero]

I agree. To me, it sounds best with two smaller tubas in the upper octave, especially if you have four bassoons who can truly honk out the lower octave in tune. Don't blast on it unless the conductor wants you to blast on it.