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I've been practicing Fountains of Rome lately. It's a really hard excerpt, but essential one to know. The things that make me mad about it is the low E's and the energy you need to put in there as well as keeping the tempo.

Since it is one of the excerpts you are sure to be asked at auditions, and often one of the excerpts that will decide who are the good players and who is the one that will get the job, I would like to know how you guys practice it and play it.

Honestly, when I first started playing around with this excerpt, the only idea I really had of how it should sound was Gene's cd! Feed your ears some good, modern orchestral recordings. This excerpt should be divided up into 3 or 4 chunks and then consolidated. Last bit of advice...record it, your ears won't lie.

Believe it or not, Suisse-Romane (sp?) has a killer recording of this!

It's not as hard as we make it out to be, but you must learn the AIR of the piece. The notes aren't all that hard, in and of themselves. You can obliterate the pannel or the orchestra by using heavy, slow, hot air on the Es. Nail the B, then open up for the E and BLAM!!. Or, should you excercise a little more taste and make more of a line, you can play more smoothly using the same formula.

As for the leapy stuff, learn WHERE to breathe - full breaths -, DON'T rush, and pull the air speed down megga durring the "crash" back down to E.

My only concern, asthma and all, are the really long notes, much as it is in Mahler 1 "solo"... <<sigh>>

Have fun - this is why we play tuba. If you think it's hard, you'll be absolutely correct!

J.c.S.

Learn to play it musically first (Think of it as a waltz. It helps), then ramp up the volume and speed.

Is there a legal way for somebody to bring this excerpt to the eyes of the readers of this thread?

I have played in orchestras. I play the tuba. Some of Respighis music has my great interest. But these three elements never overlapped so far. And rest assured that I will not abuse your kind upload of the music by winning over you at any audition.

Klaus

Very wise, bloke, on all counts.

J.c.

I very much endorse Bloke's suggestion of getting some general excersise.

increase your overall endurance and core strength.

Bob1062 wrote:http://www.boulderbrass.org/pdfs/Tuba%2 ... 20Rome.pdf" target="_blank

MUCH cleaner than my Cherry CD!

I think it's also worth posting this for [some kind of] study

http://imslp.org/wiki/Fountains_of_Rome ... ttorino%29" target="_blank" target="_blank

Go here and look at all the notes in the flute part
http://imslp.org/wiki/Fountains_of_Rome_(Respighi%2C_Ottorino" target="_blank)#Orchestra_Parts

Then look at the tuba part.
Then look at the flute part again.

Now what were you complaining about?

(Honestly, I was really looking for a violin part. The tuba part just isn't that complicated, it just takes work. If you tell yourself it's hard, it will even be harder.)

However, in all seriousness:

bloke wrote: - Sing it as if it is a song...many times...out loud...in your head.

I would take this one step further.
Put the tuba away.
Take your metronome, the part, a pair of drumsticks, and a tuner to someplace you can really practice.

switch on the metronome.
play the rhythm with the drumsticks over and over again until you've got it down. This should be easy.
put the drumsticks away.
Now sing the part like an opera singer would, except in time and in tune .
Pay attention to the tuner to make sure you're singing the proper pitches.
Sing it until you think it sounds good.

Now pick up the tuba. As long as you mash the right buttons, it will be easy.

Thanks for the links for two settings of the tuba part plus an original version of all the other parts also.

No mercy on the tubist, neither when it comes to the ability to move in sharp tonalities also. Which is right so, if the tuba shall be considered a musical instrument.

We have had unlimited numbers of threads on which size of tuba to use for which part.

When reading this part, yes, reading without playing a tuba, I thought about which pitch of tuba this piece was written for.

If we assume that really emphasized notes shall all be possible to bring out with a lot of power, then one of the four standard pitches must be eliminated.

If we assume that even a less emphasized note shall stand out with clarity, then another pitch becomes unlikely.

If we look at pitches being unlikely on continental Europe, if not in all of Europe, at the time of composition, then a third pitch becomes unlikely.

But then how likely will it be to hear this piece played on the original pitch of tuba today?

Klaus

I will not quote Bob's posting due to the length I would end up with.

Your result is the same as mine, but the reason for taking out the F is rather the low F#.

The BBb has a bad B natural right above its pedal Bb, but what is wrong with the B natural right abov the 2nd partial Bb?

I am mostly into Eb and BBb tubas, but have recently acquired a good F, so that together with my lack of knowledge of street English makes me miss the reference to Eb deflection.

Klaus, who also thought about which instrument (type and pitch) the bass trombone part was likely written for

Bob1062 wrote: deflection- leaving behind the Eb, basically; more or less a joke

Joke certainly accepted, but no: that 1999 Besson 981 has some special to it, even it also makes me understand why Fletch would want a CC for those low E's.

But then when I listen to recordings of Mr. Sykes, his 981 has no weak spots in its range. And he doesn't look like running too frequently. Maybe it is the mouthpiece.

Klaus

However reading this thread reminds me, that TubeNet isn't just about joke.

bloke with his new avatar appears to taken upon him warning the youth off from bestiality!

My reading of:



says: Don't date a Boxer!

Klaus

Bob1062 wrote:http://www.boulderbrass.org/pdfs/Tuba%2 ... 20Rome.pdf" target="_blank

MUCH cleaner than my Cherry CD!

OK - I have mastered pages 1 and 4. I'll start work on pages 2-3...tomorrow (and tomorrow, and tomorrow...)

sloan wrote:OK - I have mastered pages 1 and 4. I'll start work on pages 2-3...tomorrow (and tomorrow, and tomorrow...)

Hah, even with my FD, I play the stuffing out of pages 1 and 4. Glad to know I'm in good company.


Chuck"still gets the sweats when THE section comes up when listening to a recording of the piece"Jackson

I think Roman Festivals is more difficult overall. Aside from the Trevi lick not a ton in Fountains to do. Festivals has some wicked counting, and some nasty little technical licks, not to mention the grunt required to support one of the most dense orchestrartions in the repetoire. It is also written for tuba, not cimbasso.Also, you want some fun Respighi check out suite from Belkis; Regina Di Saba No tuba part, 4 trombone parts, but WOW. I have the score for the work, and the 4th trombone is listed as trombone bassa, not sure if that means cimbasso, or not. Check out the Philharmonia/Simon recording of it. Ray Premru on bass trombone. Also Respighi's Sinfonia Drammatica. Respighi was THE master of orchestral colour and orchestration. Not to mention Church Windows of course.

The more low, singing, loud etudes you practice the easier this excerpt gets. Turn on the tuner and recording device and play Snedecor as loud and beautiful as you can while in tune.

Rinse and repeat for a few weeks/months.

This is a fundamentals issue.

ZNC Dandy wrote:....... Not to mention Church Windows of course.

I love this piece!

Wouldn't know the finer details of Italian grammar to tell, but

Fontane Condannate di Morte

has about 2450 returns on Google. Not bad for a wild guess, but of course proving nothing right.

Klaus

Mouthpiece placement might also be good in this excerpt. Tilt "just slightly" inward and down for the low stuff and tilt upward "just a hair" for the higher stuff. Although point taken that the upper notes are in the mid-register. I like to think of it as an excerpt in terms of "flow-ness" that is, grouping sections into phrases in order to comprehend the air of the piece. Hope this helps some.