Bass tuba? Or tenor tuba?

[jeopardymaster]

I'm preparing the Mendelssohn Midsummer Night's Dream incidental music and have had a bit of a revelation, or brain fart, if you prefer.

Some of those entrances are exposed and require a very delicate touch. I can play the overture on CC, but that is relatively risky, and way too heavy in any event.

Obviously it's way better to do the whole thing on Eb (or F if I trusted myself on mine), but I really think most of the overture sounds best on - (drumroll) - euphonium. Admittedly the low B naturals are a bit problematic, but they sound reasonably OK on my Besson.

I open the floor to your comments on this instrument choice.

[Z-Tuba Dude]

.....You really need a very large French horn concept on this work.....

Does that mean you need to put your hand in the bell, and play a lot of wrong notes?

[Jonathan Fowler]

I would simply do whatever you felt most comfortable and reliable on. When it comes time to actually come in on that high E, I'd much rather feel confident about my accuracy than feel like I was using the right/historical sound.


Jon

[DavidJMills]

I'm also preparing Midsummer , on a wonderful Marzan valve front euphonium on loan from my great friend whatshisname up in Brevard, NC.we're doing both the overture and the wedding march. I'm using a tweener mouthpiece, an old smallish Eb model that I've had custom fitted to the horn.I'll fool everyone but the trombones into thinking it's some kind of tuba and I'll sit up by the bassoons. The low register on this thing is SWEET.I've always used F before, with my herrick wonder mouthpiece.we'll see.DavidMills, Charlotte

[Kevin Hendrick]

I'll fool everyone but the trombones into thinking it's some kind of tuba ...

... a job made easier by the fact that it is, indeed, a tenor tuba ...

(let us know how it turns out!)

[J.c. Sherman]

I would not do it. I have never heard of that being done.

Wade

Now you can't say that anymore

Seriously, I've done a few parts for ophicleide on the euph. On all those occassions, the balance and - more importantly - blend is closer to the scored instrumentation and intended timbre. In many cases, I'll even venture to say it's slightly better than the ophicleide. A tuba is, while "workable", just wrong. A bass clarinet is closer.

BUT...

I wouldn't use euph unless I was also using the "tenor tuba" on it's own terms, with it's own mouthpiece. My own bias. I will say that the Bobo TT mouthpiece is relatively sufficient, but I'll always use my 'tucci 2A, low Bs or not.

ALL that said, I just use ophicleide now - and yes, most people let me... they're usually excited!

Let us know what you decide! There may be a better solution in the future...

J.c.S.

[DavidJMills]

Well this Eb mouthpiece is realy small, think the smallversion of the Besson Eb,sort of a bass alto horn. Rim is the size of Marc. contrabass trb mouthpiece, and it's rather cuppy.And besides, I'll be playing with bassoons, so who cares about intonation....jst kidding.As to the low C and B, both the main slide and 4th slide are back there with easy access and plenty of pull, so no excuses .dm

[Jeff Miller]

I recorded this piece on ophicleide last year with Charles Hazelwood's period performance orchestra.

I've never played the piece with a modern group, but I have to say I would never dream of using anything bigger than a euphonium for this part. The scoring for the first movement in particular (without any trombones) means the entry of a full sized modern tuba would be like somebody marching an elephant into the middle of a Viennese ballroom. Even on the ophicleide it felt a bit like I was firing off Gene Prokorny's proverbial cannon when I made the first entry.

Certainly the tone of the ophicleide is more similar to a euphonium than to any other modern brass orchestral instrument. Even with the difference in tone color and weight found in a modern orchestra, I think the euphonium would be far more appropriate than a bass tuba.

Anyway, if you want to see what it sounds like on an ophicleide, the show will be broadcast in May on the BBC - it's the Mendelsohn episode of the series "The Birth of British Music". I haven't heard it yet, and it was all recorded in one or two unrehearsed takes, so it might be worth it for comedy value if nothing else. It was particularly fun making my first entrance of the piece (and the day) with two burly guys blocking my view of the conductor while they argued about how to mic an ophicleide.

[Todd S. Malicoate]

I'll play it on ophicleide on the same day the rest of the orchestra performs on authentic "period" instruments found at the time of Mendelssohn.

But, every time this issue comes up I find myself in disagreement with many who prefer smaller instruments for earlier works. I'm just not convinced it's at all difficult to adjust one's tone quality, volume, and "presence" with a larger instrument (with the exception, of course, of a properly-selected mouthpiece to ease the transition).

That said, I also wouldn't begrudge anyone their choice of a euphonium or ophicleide for this particular piece. Just don't tell me a "full sized modern tuba" is by definition too large. I can play softer and lighter, thank you very much.

[J.c. Sherman]

Just don't tell me a "full sized modern tuba" is by definition too large. I can play softer and lighter, thank you very much.

Okay I won't... I'l just say it's the WRONG instrument. You might as well substitute a Bass Sarrusophone. That can be played quietly too.

J.c.S.