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It looks like I may be playing the tenor tuba part for the Planets in April. The part is in treble clef. Not a problem since I'll just read it like it was tenor clef, or better yet trumpet. I can't help but wonder, however, if this is normal for TT music in general. I thought that Holst might have done this because of the brass band history in GB, but then I realized this is the only TT music I have ever seen so it might be standard. Any thoughts?

MOST of the TT literature is in treble, Bb. There are many transpositions out there, the most notable are the Torchinsky books. The original Strauss parts are in bass clef, but written UP a step, in bass clef Bb, which is really weird. If you read off these parts, you have to play a Bb euph, but use C (not CC) tuba fingerings. I got a beautiful part sent to me of "The Planets" in bass clef, at pitch that I use. If one prepares adequately, it doesn't really matter what notes are on the page. The Planets part is a gas! Have fun!!!

Would you rather have it in bass clef? No problem. Michael Allen of The Boulder Brass has done a nice service by typesetting the part nicely in the bass clef. He also has a nice typset of Fountains and the tenor tuba part to Ein Heldenleben in bass clef (non-transposed) on the server there.

I could pop it into Sibelius and redo it myself, but so much of it is so high it will really be easier to read it in treble. I was really just surprised to find it in treble and wondered if that was the original or if someone had transposed it for ease of reading. From the responses, I suspect treble is what Holst published.

Holst certainly knew what he did, but a brief reading of The Planets’ premiere history doesn’t tell why he chose the brass band style of writing for the tenor tuba, which in England was bound to be a euphonium.

It may be less known, but there was a tradition of using military players as extras in orchestras, and the military style of writing for euphonium and tuba was (and still is) in bass clef concerts as seen in another well known Holst score.

Klaus

imperialbari wrote:It may be less known, but there was a tradition of using military players as extras in orchestras, and the military style of writing for euphonium and tuba was (and still is) in bass clef concerts as seen in another well known Holst score.

That is what surprises me too. Bass clef for playing by a military band musician would be expected.

All I can think is that a brass band player was used for the première? Maybe a friend of Holst, or quite likely there was no military euphoniumist available remembering the first performance was in September 1918, while most the British military was in France fighting World War 1 (bandsmen were used as stretcher bearers and a lot never came back)?

Jonathan’s taking the time of the premiere into consideration reminds me of a story very often told when I was quite a bit younger 45 or so years ago.

To keep up the spirit of the population the British strived to keep their orchestras going during WWII also despite the drain of musicians going to war. The Hallé orchestra was said to have employed a not especially young female Salvation Army player as 1st trombonist. She could play the parts, but her extremely wide vibrato had been quite remarkable in the classical context.

Klaus

I fully understand. Some of those trombone habits die hard. I still have a hard time with slurred passages on tuba. I want to use my well developed legato tongue from trombone.

Isn't there also a bass clef part on the Cherry CD? I haven't looked at mine in a wile but seem to recall such.
Al, make sure you use your tenor tuba mouthpiece on the tenor tuba part.

Sure! My Euph happened to have my 1 1/2 G in it when I was reading the part and I've already decided that the 4G is my piece of choice. It should be a fun part. I don't get much of a chance to play my Euph but will make every opportunity count now. For instance I'm going to play the trombone parts for the hymns in church tomorrow and every chance I get on Euph instead of trombone. The TT mp is out. No chance.

Well, I got through it Saturday night. I must say that it was one of the most enjoyable musical evenings I have had. Great music. Great part. Extremely challenging for me. I can now mark that off my bucket list. The solos and the range, which I thought in the beginning would be my challenge, went well. What didn't go very well was the chromatic section in 6. In fact it ate my lunch. Would have been so very easy on a slide. I may have changed my long held belief that it is easier to go from a slide to valves than vice versa. I think it may be easier on the surface but when the going gets tough valve technique is just as difficult to master. Anyway it's done and I had a ball!