Berlin Phil Mahler 5 - Double tuba?

cambrook · Post by **cambrook** » Fri Apr 07, 2006 8:16 am

I've been watching the DVD of Simon Rattle's first concert as Chief of the Berlin Phil which contains Thomas Ades' Asyla and Mahler 5. This DVD has previously attracted comment for Paul Humpel swapping between F tuba and BBb tuba many times during the Mahler.

We have the Ades coming up soon after Easter, so I've been looking very closely at the tuba part. Mr Humpel uses an F tuba that is very similar to a Gronitz FZ126, but the valves look deeper and there seems to be extra tubing. Is this possibly one of the Gronitz double tubas? I have read about these instruments but not seen any pictures anywhere.

TexasBassBone · Post by **TexasBassBone** » Fri Apr 07, 2006 8:45 am

cambrook wrote:I've been watching the DVD of Simon Rattle's first concert as Chief of the Berlin Phil which contains Thomas Ades' Asyla and Mahler 5. This DVD has previously attracted comment for Paul Humpel swapping between F tuba and BBb tuba many times during the Mahler.

We have the Ades coming up soon after Easter, so I've been looking very closely at the tuba part. Mr Humpel uses an F tuba that is very similar to a Gronitz FZ126, but the valves look deeper and there seems to be extra tubing. Is this possibly one of the Gronitz double tubas? I have read about these instruments but not seen any pictures anywhere.

I thought he plays a B flat, I hear that they only want a B flat in the Berlin Phil. If not, nevermind.

kontrabass · Post by **kontrabass** » Fri Apr 07, 2006 12:39 pm

German players use F and BBb. Watch the DVD in question and you'll see it for your own eyes!
Generally German auditions will require the use of BBb as a contrabass tuba rather than CC - this might be what you're thinking of...but they use F for a great quantity of the literature as well.

TexasBassBone · Post by **TexasBassBone** » Fri Apr 07, 2006 12:52 pm

I have watched it, I was watching it last night as well, and I hear that he was playing on a B flat, but I am not a tuba player, so, maybe I heard wrong, but I trust you. It sounded kind of weird when he played the lick at the end of the 1st movement, I have never heard it played like.

finnbogi · Post by **finnbogi** » Sat Apr 08, 2006 7:04 am

Duncan wrote:I was of the opinion that they used F Tuba for all orchestral literature bar a few things...

As kontrabass stated above, German tuba players use F and B flat tubas for bass and contrabass tuba parts, respectively. For parts that can be played on either horn, the general preference is to play the bass, rather than the contrabass, contrary to the American custom.

LoyalTubist · Post by **LoyalTubist** » Sat Apr 08, 2006 7:05 am

I used to watch the Berlin Phil when I was stationed with the 298th Army Band (1979-82), maybe 2-4 times a month. The tubist would regularly have two tubas with him. When a piece had a part marked KontrabaÃŸtuba, he would use the BB-flat. When the part was marked BaÃŸtuba, he would use the F.

cambrook · Post by **cambrook** » Sun Apr 09, 2006 3:09 am

The tubist would regularly have two tubas with him. When a piece had a part marked KontrabaÃŸtuba, he would use the BB-flat. When the part was marked BaÃŸtuba, he would use the F.

Yes, this is exactly what I expected to see. At first I thought the "F tuba" was a Gronits FZ126, but when I compared it to photos it looks similar but different in many details. My question is whether the silver F tuba that Mr Humpel uses is actually a Gronitz double tuba - I'm pretty sure that the laquer BBb plays as well during the Mahler 5 on this DVD is a Gronitz.

LoyalTubist · Post by **LoyalTubist** » Wed Apr 12, 2006 6:33 pm

Oh, I have to tell you...

When I lived in Berlin (1979-82), the best seats at Philharmonie were actually right behind the orchestra! You could actually look on the music as they were playing. And these seats were only five marks at that time!

finnbogi · Post by **finnbogi** » Wed Apr 12, 2006 7:08 pm

LoyalTubist wrote:When I lived in Berlin (1979-82), the best seats at Philharmonie were actually right behind the orchestra! You could actually look on the music as they were playing. And these seats were only five marks at that time!

These are still the best seats, and the closest most of us will ever get to play with the Berliner Philharmoniker.
When I was in Berlin three years ago, a violin playing friend of mine was substituting at the Philharmoniker and got me free PodiumsplÃ¤tze-tickets for a couple of concerts. On one of these occasions, they were playing Heldenleben and I got a seat directly behind the horn section. That was truly amazing - I am quite sure that I had a parting after the concert.
I also got to hear Alfred Brendel hum and mumble while playing Beethoven's fourth concerto.

tuba_bloke · Post by **tuba_bloke** » Thu Apr 13, 2006 7:03 am

So the answer to Cameron's question is...

TubeNet

Berlin Phil Mahler 5 - Double tuba?

Berlin Phil Mahler 5 - Double tuba?

Re: Berlin Phil Mahler 5 - Double tuba?

hi