Page 1 of 1
Death and Transfiguration. R.Strauss
Posted: Thu Jan 09, 2014 12:17 pm
by ad4m
Big CC or EEb/F?
Re: Death and Transfiguration. R.Strauss
Posted: Thu Jan 09, 2014 12:26 pm
by Ben
I have performed this on C. At the time it was just a 186, but 5/4 or 6/4 would sound good, possibly better. It really isn't terribly high, and the more broad sound of a contrabass seems well suited.
Have a blast!
Re: Death and Transfiguration. R.Strauss
Posted: Thu Jan 09, 2014 1:24 pm
by UDELBR
Written for F (for those care what the composer wanted).
Re: Death and Transfiguration. R.Strauss
Posted: Thu Jan 09, 2014 1:56 pm
by tbn.al
Or what the composer had at his disposal.
Re: Death and Transfiguration. R.Strauss
Posted: Thu Jan 09, 2014 2:20 pm
by UDELBR
tbn.al wrote:Or what the composer had at his disposal.
Since Strauss specifically scored for the contrabass tuba in Elektra, it's fair to conclude he was aware of its existence, and probably wouldn't have had too much trouble rounding up a player.
http://javanese.imslp.info/files/imglnk ... score_.pdf
Or is this a troll ... ?
Re: Death and Transfiguration. R.Strauss
Posted: Thu Jan 09, 2014 2:50 pm
by tbn.al
Nope, no troll, just an off the cuff, unresearched, pop-off. I'll go back to my hole now.
Re: Death and Transfiguration. R.Strauss
Posted: Thu Jan 09, 2014 5:54 pm
by Michael Bush
There is one possible answer, or at least a suggestion from a credible source, at 6:29 here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2hepUvqHIiE
Re: Death and Transfiguration. R.Strauss
Posted: Thu Jan 09, 2014 5:57 pm
by ad4m
If the tubist is who I think it is then I will definately use a C tuba!
Re: Death and Transfiguration. R.Strauss
Posted: Thu Jan 09, 2014 8:54 pm
by MrHidan30
ad4m wrote:If the tubist is who I think it is then I will definately use a C tuba!
I'm pretty sure it is the tubist you think it is. If that's a York he's holding.
Re: Death and Transfiguration. R.Strauss
Posted: Thu Jan 09, 2014 9:15 pm
by Ace
I used my Cerveny 601-5MR CC 5/4 tuba for this work a few years ago. There is an exposed whammo low C in this piece that needs a big horn IMHO.
Ace
Re: Death and Transfiguration. R.Strauss
Posted: Sat Feb 21, 2026 8:59 pm
by rshuster
Resurrecting this topic
I have noticed on YouTube a number of professional tubists are using two tubas when performing this. Maybe CC/Eb or BBb/Eb? They're not switching at the same section, so I wonder what the decision point is. The piece definitely needs a big sound in the first half, and a more lyrical sound when it goes higher. But I noticed that one player didn't switch until after the high E. Maybe because he switched to a C to be better in tune on the final Cs? Any ideas?