Is that a type of ophicleide?
- Wyvern
- Wessex Tubas
- Posts: 5033
- Joined: Fri Sep 01, 2006 7:00 pm
- Location: Hampshire, England when not travelling around the world on Wessex business
- Contact:
Is that a type of ophicleide?
I have just bought the books 'The History of British Military bands' (by Gordon Turner & Alwyn Turner) which are very interesting indeed! In one photo is the Band of the Green Howards in 1908. As well as a couple of normal top valve tubas there is a helicon and a brass bass instrument which looks keyed like an ophicleide, but seems to have too much piping to be one, unless it is lower pitch than the normal C or Bb. Anyone can identify? It is top left in photo.
-
- 6 valves
- Posts: 2632
- Joined: Sun Jul 19, 2009 1:57 pm
- Location: Chicago
Re: Is that a type of ophicleide?
Contrabass sarrusophone, I think.
- bisontuba
- 6 valves
- Posts: 4319
- Joined: Sat Mar 20, 2004 8:55 am
- Location: Bottom of Lake Erie
Re: Is that a type of ophicleide?
+1KiltieTuba wrote:Sarrousaphone indeed.
Look at the key work for the left hand.
Mark
- bort
- 6 valves
- Posts: 11222
- Joined: Wed Sep 22, 2004 11:08 pm
- Location: Minneapolis, Minnesota
Re: Is that a type of ophicleide?
Here's a photo I just found of the University of Illinois Sarrusophone section. Image... this group, plus Ian's EEb tuba, plus... man, that must have been something. Think there are any old recordings of the full instrumentation of this band?
- Donn
- 6 valves
- Posts: 5977
- Joined: Fri Aug 19, 2005 3:58 pm
- Location: Seattle, ☯
Re: Is that a type of ophicleide?
Or could be a "reed contrabass."
Similar idea, but kind of like tuba vs. saxhorns - no family, just the contrabass, and its proportions are a bit more generous. And the keywork is less complex.
Similar idea, but kind of like tuba vs. saxhorns - no family, just the contrabass, and its proportions are a bit more generous. And the keywork is less complex.
- hbcrandy
- 4 valves
- Posts: 653
- Joined: Wed Apr 21, 2004 10:28 pm
- Location: Baltimore, Maryland USA
- Contact:
Re: Is that a type of ophicleide?
A sarrousaphone was a reed instrument to the best of my knowledge.Donn wrote:Or could be a "reed contrabass."
Randy Harrison
Proprietor,
Harrison Brass
Baltimore, Maryland USA
http://www.harrisonbrass.com
Instructor of Applied Brass Performance
Maryland Conservatory of Music
Bel Air and Havre de Grace, Maryland USA
http://www.musicismagic.com
Proprietor,
Harrison Brass
Baltimore, Maryland USA
http://www.harrisonbrass.com
Instructor of Applied Brass Performance
Maryland Conservatory of Music
Bel Air and Havre de Grace, Maryland USA
http://www.musicismagic.com
- Wyvern
- Wessex Tubas
- Posts: 5033
- Joined: Fri Sep 01, 2006 7:00 pm
- Location: Hampshire, England when not travelling around the world on Wessex business
- Contact:
Re: Is that a type of ophicleide?
I've learnt something - thanks guys! That is a new instrument on me I have never seen before!
- Donn
- 6 valves
- Posts: 5977
- Joined: Fri Aug 19, 2005 3:58 pm
- Location: Seattle, ☯
Re: Is that a type of ophicleide?
Yes, and so is a bass saxophone, so "reed contrabass" probably wasn't the best name for it, but that's all we have, unless it helps to translate the same phrase into Italian or French. http://www.contrabass.com/pages/anche.htmlhbcrandy wrote:A sarrusophone was a reed instrument to the best of my knowledge.Donn wrote:Or could be a "reed contrabass."
- imperialbari
- 6 valves
- Posts: 7461
- Joined: Fri Mar 19, 2004 3:47 am
Re: Is that a type of ophicleide?
Good link!
I have seen 1 or 2 reed basses surface on eBay over the last 12 years.
Klaus
I have seen 1 or 2 reed basses surface on eBay over the last 12 years.
Klaus
- J.c. Sherman
- 6 valves
- Posts: 2116
- Joined: Mon Apr 11, 2005 1:11 pm
- Location: Cleveland
- Contact:
Re: Is that a type of ophicleide?
A "reed contrabass" (contrabass a anche) is a different instrument than the contrabass sarrusophone. It has closed-standing keyed and a wider bore. The picture is of a contrabass sarrusophone
J.c.S.
J.c.S.
Instructor of Tuba & Euphonium, Cleveland State University
Principal Tuba, Firelands Symphony Orchestra
President, Variations in Brass
http://www.jcsherman.net
Principal Tuba, Firelands Symphony Orchestra
President, Variations in Brass
http://www.jcsherman.net
- Donn
- 6 valves
- Posts: 5977
- Joined: Fri Aug 19, 2005 3:58 pm
- Location: Seattle, ☯
Re: Is that a type of ophicleide?
Here's article on Kaiser Wilhelm's Musikcorps I. Garde-Regiment zu Fuss, as seen in a souvenir postcard that sort of features the instrument front and center. The author made the same error but corrects himself in an update.J.c. Sherman wrote:A "reed contrabass" (contrabass a anche) is a different instrument than the contrabass sarrusophone. It has closed-standing keyed and a wider bore. The picture is of a contrabass sarrusophone
In an image search, I was surprised to see a Besson contrebasse a anche that apparently was for sale at Dillon's years ago. I copy it here from Google's cache. Not that there's enough detail to see anything interesting, but just thought it was interesting that Besson was making these things (also Boosey.)
You do not have the required permissions to view the files attached to this post.
- imperialbari
- 6 valves
- Posts: 7461
- Joined: Fri Mar 19, 2004 3:47 am
Re: Is that a type of ophicleide?
As for the Besson reed contrabass it could have been made by the original French branch of the Besson family.
-
- lurker
- Posts: 11
- Joined: Fri Mar 19, 2004 7:15 pm
- Location: Ann Arbor, MI
- Contact:
Re: Is that a type of ophicleide?
When I was in high school I played in a community band where one of the sax players occasionally brought a sarrusophone. (I believe it was a bass.) One of the other band members described it as sounding like you should say "excuse me" after every note.
-------------------
Miraphone 191 5-valve BBb, 1291 CC, 181 6-valve F
Weidlich 4-valve F
Boosey BBb compensating helicon,1906
Besson New Standard 4-valve Euph
Miraphone 191 5-valve BBb, 1291 CC, 181 6-valve F
Weidlich 4-valve F
Boosey BBb compensating helicon,1906
Besson New Standard 4-valve Euph
- imperialbari
- 6 valves
- Posts: 7461
- Joined: Fri Mar 19, 2004 3:47 am