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Next year we have a concert performance of Saint Saens' "Samson & Delilah". The instrumentation lists 2 ophecleides, is anyone familiar with this work, and is there much in these parts?

Many thanks,

The ophecleides play melodic material together in octaves during one first act aria... along with a singer (a creepy bad guy). It’s very exposed, can be soft (depending on the conductor) and basically a solo part.

The opheclides do not play at the same time as the regular tuba part... at the Metropolitan Opera, the 1st ophecleide part is covered by the tuba player.

It’s a very interesting orchestration, and pretty fun and challenging to play.

Bove wrote:
The opheclides do not play at the same time as the regular tuba part... at the Metropolitan Opera, the 1st ophecleide part is covered by the tuba player.

So there are two independent opheclide parts in addition to the tuba part?

Interesting to hear that the MET Opera Orchestra wouldn't have the tuba cover the tuba part, but intead the opheclide I part.

Bove wrote:
The ophecleides play melodic material together in octaves during one first act aria...

Isn't the concept of ophecleides playing melodic material an oxymoron?

Tom wrote: So there are two independent opheclide parts in addition to the tuba part?

Yes, there are three parts: tuba, opheclide I, and opheclide II.

Tom wrote: Interesting to hear that the MET Opera Orchestra wouldn't have the tuba cover the tuba part, but intead the opheclide I part.

Just to clarify, in their performances, one tuba player plays the tuba and opheclide I parts, while another tuba player plays the opheclide II part. No opheclides are harmed during the performance.

I've found ophecleides to be like saxes; a bad one in the wrong hands certainly is a Weapon of Mass Destruction. But, given the chance to perform on a decent one, I found them to be worthy of the conical heritage; easy to play out of tune, but in tune: very forgiving, warm, and a wonderful sound. Not at all Dies Irae

I played this opera in June and 1 tuba works just fine. The most important part is a big solo in the first movement that´s with the singers then the trumpets. It is for 2 awfulclides in octaves and I played the bottom octave. I played the whole opera on my Yamaha 822 F-tuba which worked GREAT. There´s not alot to play but it´s nice music and it´s not too long. Good luck.
Eric Fritz
Principal Tubist, Orquesta Sinfónica de Xalapa
www.sinfonicadexalapa.com