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What symphonies do you guys fin yourself listening to just to hear the tuba part? I like Shostakovich Symphony No. 5 and The Fountains of Rome. There are other pieces but those tend to be my gotos. What about y'all?

Chicago with Jake playing. Brukner 4

Casca Grossa wrote:John Cage's 4'33''

This.

I'm like Yanni - I only listen to the music I myself compose.

I don't have any particular symphonies, but more like particular Composers. Tschaikovsky knew how to use a Tuba, and so did Wagner.

Then there's that Tuba Solo from the Star Wars Return of the Jedi Soundtrack.

Mahler is pretty good for little short tuba passages and solos. John Williams soundtracks have a lot of nice spots for tuba. He understands and appreciates the instrument.

John Adams writes some nice licks.
In fact, I once had the chance to ask him about his use of the tuba(s).
The parts are so integral to his compositions I wondered if he knew some kick-*** tuba player.
"No", he said, "It's just what I hear in my head."

The Inextinguishable.......

bigboymusic wrote:The Inextinguishable.......

YES!! I performed this once with a large orchestra. Takes lots of air. Darn near killed me.

Ace

Stravinsky Symphony in Three Movements. There is a kick-butt 2-1/2 (3?) octave arpeggio about halfway into the last movement. Short, but it just owns the hall.

Mike C855B wrote:Stravinsky Symphony in Three Movements. There is a kick-butt 2-1/2 (3?) octave arpeggio about halfway into the last movement. Short, but it just owns the hall.

One of my favorite Stravinsky pieces. Great stuff.

Generally I would never listen to a symphony simply to hear the tuba. But Symphony Fantastique is an exception because it can be, and often is, played with a bass tuba, or contrabass tuba, or ophicleide, or even a euphonium, or some combination of the above because there are two parts. And sometimes a player will even switch instruments during the performance. There are also options to play unison (as written) or octaves (to take advantage of the capabilities of modern instruments) and it's interesting to see how the players handle that. Also, in the Dies Irae, do they breathe on every note? A lot to hear and see (if it's a video).

Hup

The Little Russian - Tchaikovsky Symph #2 has some great clear playing CSO version
Mahler 1,2,3,4,5,6 you can't miss
Bruckner 5 is a bit slow but some great brass parts throughout
Franck Symp in D minor - its like a giant tuba solo

Doh--got my mahler and bruckner's mixed there.

hup_d_dup wrote:Generally I would never listen to a symphony simply to hear the tuba. But Symphony Fantastique is an exception because it can be, and often is, played with a bass tuba, or contrabass tuba, or ophicleide, or even a euphonium, or some combination of the above because there are two parts. And sometimes a player will even switch instruments during the performance. There are also options to play unison (as written) or octaves (to take advantage of the capabilities of modern instruments) and it's interesting to see how the players handle that. Also, in the Dies Irae, do they breathe on every note? A lot to hear and see (if it's a video).

Hup

This. If I tune into an NPR station and Symphonie Fantastique is playing, I stop whatever I'm doing and actively listen. Recordings (and performances) of this work can be wildly divergent from one another, and it's always great sport to speculate how Berlioz himself would react to each of them.

the elephant wrote:

luke_hollis wrote:The Little Russian - Tchaikovsky Symph #2 has some great clear playing CSO version
Mahler 1,2,3,4,5,6 you can't miss
Bruckner 5 is a bit slow but some great brass parts throughout
Franck Symp in D minor - its like a giant tuba solo

You listen to Mahler 4 for the tuba part?

Legend has it, to this day, he is still listening for the tuba part in Mahler 4.

I'll never live that typo down....

Prokofiev 5

Mahler, of course.
Hindemith, because he knew what the tuba can do.
Berlioz, because high tuba is good when high on the ophicleide.
Tchaikovsky, because the orchestration is so perfect, despite the tuba.
John Williams, because every good score is a symphony.
Wagner, for the ride of it.
Bruckner, because it sounds majestic.
Stravinsky, since he gave us a few good solos.
And finally, Brahms the Second, because I just want to understand why he left us out of Three and Four...

Why?

I second the James Barnes Symphony # 3 , what a great tuba part