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The Bellophone
Posted: Thu Dec 08, 2016 5:53 pm
by bisontuba
Re: The Bellophone
Posted: Thu Dec 08, 2016 7:18 pm
by bort
Neat!
Glad that never caught on, what a freak of an instrument!
The Bellophone celebrates TubaChristmas in New York
Posted: Fri Dec 09, 2016 4:59 am
by enewberger
The curator of historic brass instruments at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Bradley Strauchen-Scherer, just published a gorgeous photo of this King double tuba and a timely tribute to my revered teacher, William Bell, who commissioned its construction by the H.N.White Company. Bell inspired Harvey Phillips to start the TubaChristmas tradition in his memory. He transformed Harvey's life and mine.
Because Mr. Bell's massive contribution to tuba performance took place in New York City, from the NBC Symphony under Arturo Toscanini, who recruited him from Cincinnati, to the New York Philharmonic and many other ensembles, Carolyn and I decided to donate the instrument to the Met.
Next year, as a glowing and permanent tribute to his memory, it will ascend to pride of place in the Museum's refurbished musical instrument gallery, welcoming visitors from a balcony on high.
http://www.metmuseum.org/blogs/of-note/ ... -christmas" target="_blank" target="_blank
Merry Tuba Christmas!
Eli
Re: The Bellophone celebrates TubaChristmas in New York
Posted: Fri Dec 09, 2016 7:51 am
by tubapix
Nice donation sir! Very cool instrument and history. Are there any recordings of it?
Re: The Bellophone
Posted: Fri Dec 09, 2016 8:12 am
by Three Valves
It only has to sound half as good as it looks!!
Re: The Bellophone celebrates TubaChristmas in New York
Posted: Fri Dec 09, 2016 8:24 am
by enewberger
Not to my knowledge . . .
Re: The Bellophone celebrates TubaChristmas in New York
Posted: Fri Dec 09, 2016 9:25 am
by bisontuba
enewberger wrote:The curator of historic brass instruments at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Bradley Strauchen-Scherer, just published a gorgeous photo of this King double tuba and a timely tribute to my revered teacher, William Bell, who commissioned its construction by the H.N.White Company. Bell inspired Harvey Phillips to start the TubaChristmas tradition in his memory. He transformed Harvey's life and mine.
Because Mr. Bell's massive contribution to tuba performance took place in New York City, from the NBC Symphony under Arturo Toscanini, who recruited him from Cincinnati, to the New York Philharmonic and many other ensembles, Carolyn and I decided to donate the instrument to the Met.
Next year, as a glowing and permanent tribute to his memory, it will ascend to pride of place in the Museum's refurbished musical instrument gallery, welcoming visitors from a balcony on high.
http://www.metmuseum.org/blogs/of-note/ ... -christmas" target="_blank" target="_blank" target="_blank
Merry Tuba Christmas!
Eli
Nice.....
Re: The Bellophone
Posted: Fri Dec 09, 2016 11:30 am
by bort
ValveSlide wrote:bort wrote:Neat!
Glad that never caught on, what a freak of an instrument!
Here's
one for ya, borty!
Yo... now that's just crazy!
Re: The Bellophone
Posted: Fri Dec 09, 2016 12:50 pm
by tclements
I WANT ONE!!
Re: The Bellophone
Posted: Sat Dec 10, 2016 8:48 am
by WangZhiXian
While those multi-bell instruments look cool, I think we need a translation from the German for them: The mouthpiece does not look fit for a brass embouchure.
At this moment (without translation) they look like a dada-surrealist riff on brass instruments
Re: The Bellophone
Posted: Wed Jan 11, 2017 7:37 am
by imperialbari
Long pistons with 2 sets of passages?
Are there photos of the intended mouthpiece?
Klaus
Re: The Bellophone
Posted: Wed Jan 11, 2017 9:15 am
by imperialbari
What disturbs me the most about the Schalmeien bands of the former GDR area, is that they appear being popular.
https://youtu.be/DeqMG8k0FOw
Re: The Bellophone
Posted: Wed Jan 11, 2017 9:29 am
by Three Valves
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FLzMCPGno98" target="_blank" target="_blank
Check out the massive four barrel helicon-like one in this vid!!
What will those Germans think of next??
Re: The Bellophone
Posted: Wed Jan 11, 2017 10:07 am
by imperialbari
Yes, the helicon shaped bass, like the upright equivalent, has 4 notes for playing in C major: C, G, B natural, and D.
The harmony instruments have 5 notes to play 2 triads: C, E, & G, or G. B, & D.
The melody instruments have 8 notes for a C major scale. or 15 notes for playing in octaves with themselves.
There also are 8-note tenor instruments.
They try to camouflage the musical limitations of the Schalmeien by means of all that very loud drumming. in vane.
Klaus
Re: The Bellophone
Posted: Wed Jan 11, 2017 10:07 am
by imperialbari
Yes, the helicon shaped bass, like the upright equivalent, has 4 notes for playing in C major: C, G, B natural, and D.
The harmony instruments have 5 notes to play 2 triads: C, E, & G, or G. B, & D.
The melody instruments have 8 notes for a C major scale. or 15 notes for playing in octaves with themselves.
There also are 8-note tenor instruments.
They try to camouflage the musical limitations of the Schalmeien by means of all that very loud drumming. in vane.
Klaus
Re: The Bellophone
Posted: Wed Jan 11, 2017 10:30 am
by Three Valves
Only four loud notes to learn??
Lots of loud drumming??
So it's just like Pep Band!!
Re: The Bellophone
Posted: Wed Jan 11, 2017 11:01 am
by Uncle Markie
Hi Eli -
Thanks for donating this unique instrument where it can be seen by the public. Too many instruments remain unseen in private collections. Since the Bellophone is the only one ever made your gift is especially valuable. We've lost something since the days when H.N.White (and later Mrs. White) would have the sense of humor to shut down part of a factory to make something unique - mostly for fun.
It is right up there with "Big Joe the Tuba" (still in use once in a while), the horizontal tuba from Vincent Lopez' orchestra (no idea where THAT horn ended up) and other oddities like the King Pit Orchestra tuba. Back when it benefitted musicians to be "different"!
Mark Heter