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This morning I as usual turned on classical radio during the commercials in the TV-news. I always try to identify the music, and suddenly that became easy.

It was the second movement of VW’s tuba concert. The tempo was a bit faster than my liking, but the soloist played very musically. The sound was very full and there were no odd overtones to be heard, so I was of course convinced that it was a piston tuba.

After the end of the movement the soloist was announced: Øystein Baadsvik playing with an orchestra from Singapore.

I never knew that ØB played piston instruments, so after all it must be possible to play beautifully on rotor tubas.

Klaus

Interesting way to start up the old "Piston versus Rotary" debate...

imperialbari wrote:... it must be possible to play beautifully on rotor tubas.

It can be done!

imperialbari wrote:there were no odd overtones to be heard, so I was of course convinced that it was a piston tuba.

How would the type of valve, unless leaking, create odd overtones?

Jonathan "who does not understand the statement"

By any objective standard rotor valves create a much more distorted passage geometry than the better (American style) piston blocks.

If the playing doesn’t display extreme air control, the turbulences will be heard especially when fingerings are shifted during legatos.

The rotor-generated turbulences may add to the chiff in march-style music. And even be considered desirable in that context

On a side note, literally:

Could general Lee ever have been born in Galesburg?

Klaus