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A conductor has suggested I use my 6/4 CC to play Verdi Requiem. I rather thought, this was a cimbasso part, so wonder if using the BAT would work.

Anyone have experience of playing it with big tuba?

Neptune wrote:A conductor has suggested I use my 6/4 CC to play Verdi Requiem. I rather thought, this was a cimbasso part, so wonder if using the BAT would work.

Anyone have experience of playing it with big tuba?

I've only ever done it on a Sovereign BBb(!), not really a BAT but neither a Cimbasso. Seems to sit well though.

Elephant is correct about swapping notes with the bass bone. it's doubtful anyone will notice. last time I did this, i played the first rehearsal on a 5/4 cc tuba. the 2nd rehearsal i played it on f tuba, and it worked SOOOOOO much better. Verdi's music is a little lighter in color than say Bruckner/Wagner, kind of like Berlioz. The F tuba matches the rest of the orchestra best. Maybe the conductor will be OK with a large F tuba?

I always thought this was the only part Verdi ever wrote for tuba? I know he hated the tuba, but I thought he used it for the Requiem. I could be wrong, but thats never happened before...

Clifford Bevan; 'The Tuba Family' wrote:"Verdi's two major sacred works for voices and orchestra were not intended for production in the opera house. Consequently, in the Requiem he uses the accepted Italian symphonic quartet of three trombones and ophicleide." (page 491)

Since most parts written for ophicleide are now played on tuba I think you're on pretty firm ground playing the Verdi Requiem on tuba.

I've done it on a 184 CC and a big Cerveny BBb, in both cases doing as the Elephant did, swapping out the "strays." I thought I got a much better result on the Mirafone, but nobody else said a word other than "good job." If you show up with your 4/4 and say your 6/4 is laid up but you can have it back in time for the performance, query whether your conductor will say "oh, never mind, this one will be just fine." Because it probably will.

If you get a chance Neptune, and anyone else for that matter, check out the Vienna Philharmonic recording under Fritz Reiner. Its an awe inspiring performance.

My personal philosophy has always been: Unless everyone else in the performance is taking pains to sound exactly as Verdi's audiences would have experienced (including gut strings and fingerboards), do what you think sounds best NOW.

And if the Maestro is displeased, remember, you work for them!

I've always done it on the Sovereign EEb - plenty of weight - so in essence choose which ever of your tubas you feel like. Also depends on what the trombones are playing on.

I played this piece about 10 years ago on the only tuba I had available at that time----a Meinl Weston "Wm Bell" model CC with a Bruno Tilz mouthpiece. The conductor liked it, but I really had to put the brakes on this set up. I think the part cries out for a cimbasso or a bass tuba.

Here's a second for Elephant's well reasoned comments re the Verdi. I've played it many times using a Mirafone 184, and some years later, using a Conn 56J. Both were entirely workable for the job at hand -- different, but workable. The specific equipment is far less important than playing the tuba (ophicleide, cimbasso, whatever it is) part in a way that is appropriate to the content of the music. That's our job, regardless of what instrument we are using. Sometimes we make too much of the "historical accuracy" notion and lose track of the music itself.