TubeNet

I just found out that I am supposed to play the fourth of Britten's Sea Interludes from Peter Grimes a week from now.
The first rehearsal is on Tuesday, but the music isn't in yet.
Does anybody remember this part? Is it sight reading material or will I need to get a copy somewhere and practise?

That is the storm scene. Make sure you have a rock solid low F, 4 ledger lines down. That's all I remember from about a million years ago. Other than hyperventilation and temporary deafness, there is not a lot to worry about in this movement.

Good luck - it's a fun piece.
Roger

Cast off the bow lines! Ready the depth charges! I did it a year or two ago, Bass Trombone of course. The tuba part is pretty much an octave down throughout. I believe it goes to the low D if memory serves. There is nothing to worry about from a sight reading standpoint. You had better bring your huge lungs though.

Ok, everyone remembers the loud fracking stuff in this piece. If you practice that way before you go to your first rehearsal, you may have egg on your face if you can't play the first ppppp note that you play. It is a very touchy entrance, far more exposed than the rest . Good Luck, nice piece for what it is.

Chuck

Ah...Good ol' Grimey.

Chuck Jackson wrote:Ok, everyone remembers the loud fracking stuff in this piece. If you practice that way before you go to your first rehearsal, you may have egg on your face if you can't play the first ppppp note that you play. It is a very touchy entrance, far more exposed than the rest . Good Luck, nice piece for what it is.

Chuck

The loud stuff is all the fun! Low brass creed and all. You are right though. Our guy nailed the ppp note in performance after whiffing in rehearsal. Egg is yellow if I remember correctly.

The loud stuff is all the fun! Low brass creed and all.

May be fun, but it won't keep you in a paying job.

Chuck"Captain Obvious"Jackson

Hi finnbogi--

Am looking right now at my copy of the part for this and, per usual, Chuck J is almost right. The 1st mvmt ["Dawn"] has a tuba entrance on a low A @ ppp, sostenuto. That mvmt doesn't get loud till 10 measures from 4 -- mostly low, sustained background-type colorings.

Even "Moonlight" [Mvmt III] has that strong low F -- but it's f. Mostly quarter notes/ half notes & soft.

The "Storm" [Mvmt IV], as mentioned by Roger, etc -- does have several low F's -- marked @ f or sf -- along with some low E's -- same dynamic. Tempo here is Presto con fuoco. The mid-section of this might have the biggest technical demand -- which isn't much [some eighth-quarters ...], but then you slow WAAYYY down to largamente with a low E @ ppp , and Chuck is right on the money with some "sound" advice on the coloring issue. You have to be strong down there, but by no means crass -- and watch out for the land mines that are the soft sections. Certainly do-able ... your best friends in prepping for this might be long tones, and thinking about placement and timing.

Hope this helps ... best of luck with this.

Bob1062 wrote:

Besson 981 Eb
Melton 195 BBb (Fafner)

Which one are you planning on using?

Whenever I have seen this work performed, even in this land of the Eb (England), it has always been a contrabass tuba!

Jonathan "who has the Sea Interludes on his want to play list"

Thanks for the answers everyone! It looks like I don't have to worry too much about the part itself, but I still hope it arrives before the first rehearsal.

And Bob, since most of the programme is arias by Verdi, Puccini, Donizetti et al. (essentially cimbasso parts) and the other orchestral piece I get to play in is the overture to La forza del destino, I was planning on using my Besson for the entire concert. I may have to reconsider this, though.

Thanks again,
Finnbogi

For the record, the concert was last week, went quite well and I used the Fafner for Britten and the Besson for the Italian stuff.
Thanks for the tips, especially regarding the long tones and dynamics.

finnbogi wrote:I used the Fafner for Britten

I bet it sounded good on the Fafner