BBBb tuba recording

jbaylies · Post by **jbaylies** » Fri Mar 30, 2007 9:47 pm

Are there and recordings of BBBb tubas floating around on the 'net or stashed away on someones computer? I'm really interested in hearng what one of those monsters sound like.

This giant: http://www.rimpo.org/chas/ChasPix/bigmutha.jpg

Art Hovey · Post by **Art Hovey** » Sat Mar 31, 2007 12:04 am

Just a few nights ago I played a gig with the legendary trombonist Eddie Bert. He said he had been in London recently, where he visited an instrument museum containing the sister of the BBBb "Harvard Tuba" pictured in your link. He gave me a photo and a short written description: "It was originally fitted to the wall of the Besson factory as a shop sign, was moved to the Boosey & Hawkes factory in Edgeware..." etc... The tuba in the photo appears to be completely overhauled and gold-plated. (Or maybe it's just a good paint job.) One of these days I will scan the photo and post it here.
Getting back to your question: Gerard Hoffnung recorded a different BBBb tuba in performance; it was issued on his first Interplanetary Music Fesival LP back in the mid fifties. If it has not been reissued on CD it certainly should have been.

jbaylies · Post by **jbaylies** » Sat Mar 31, 2007 12:10 am

Art Hovey wrote: Getting back to your question: Gerard Hoffnung recorded a different BBBb tuba in performance; it was issued on his first Interplanetary Music Fesival LP back in the mid fifties. If it has not been reissued on CD it certainly should have been.

Could this be it? : http://www.netsoundsmusic.com/nsudsii/2 ... 709/2.html

Chuck(G) · Post by **Chuck(G)** » Sat Mar 31, 2007 1:51 am

Art Hovey wrote: If it has not been reissued on CD it certainly should have been

It was reissued in 1988 as a 2 CD set containing all three Hoffnung festivals "Hoffnung's Music Festivals" EMI CMS 7 63302 2. I don't know if it's still in publication, however.

I think there's also a Decca 2 CD set of the same thing.

Wyvern · Post by **Wyvern** » Sat Mar 31, 2007 3:36 am

Art Hovey wrote:Just a few nights ago I played a gig with the legendary trombonist Eddie Bert. He said he had been in London recently, where he visited an instrument museum containing the sister of the BBBb "Harvard Tuba" pictured in your link.

I believe that is the Horneman Museum in London - http://www.horniman.ac.uk/.

I went there about three years ago and it was worth visiting then, but I want to go back now the BIG tuba is present.

Wyvern · Post by **Wyvern** » Sat Mar 31, 2007 3:40 am

Chuck(G) wrote:It was reissued in 1988 as a 2 CD set containing all three Hoffnung festivals "Hoffnung's Music Festivals" EMI CMS 7 63302 2. I don't know if it's still in publication, however.

It is available here http://www.musicweb-international.com/h ... es/EMI.htm

Leland · Post by **Leland** » Sat Mar 31, 2007 8:39 am

Audiobook of an interview of Gerard Hoffnung on iTunes:

http://phobos.apple.com/WebObjects/MZSt ... 7&s=143441

Not sure if it has any musical excerpts in its hour and 44 minutes, though.

MikeMilnarik · Post by **MikeMilnarik** » Sat Mar 31, 2007 3:03 pm

I have one of me playing the BBBb at Harvard a couple of years ago. Not sure where it is though. I'll see if I can find it.

Here's a link to some photos...

http://home.earthlink.net/~michaelmilnarik/bigtuba.htm

By the way, my tuba that I'm holding next to it is a Rudy 3/4 CC. So if you know the size of that horn, it'll give you an idea of how BIG the BBBb is.

Mike Milnarik

iiipopes · Post by **iiipopes** » Sat Mar 31, 2007 4:45 pm

I thought the big tuba was a subcontra EEb tuba, not a BBBb?

MikeMilnarik · Post by **MikeMilnarik** » Sat Mar 31, 2007 5:43 pm

Nope, it's a BBBb.

Maybe there's a subcontra EEb somewhere, but the ones made by Besson that have Carl Fischer stamped on the bell are BBBb. Pretty "interesting" piece of equipment.

Mike Milnarik

Chuck(G) · Post by **Chuck(G)** » Sat Mar 31, 2007 7:51 pm

Not wanting to rain on the "big horn" parade, but I think this thing is a lot more visually impressive:

windshieldbug · Post by **windshieldbug** » Sat Mar 31, 2007 8:01 pm

This sure looks like a big bass to me...

Tubatoad · Post by **Tubatoad** » Sat Mar 31, 2007 9:24 pm

Chuck(G) wrote:Not wanting to rain on the "big horn" parade, but I think this thing is a lot more visually impressive:

Sure, it's tall, but can it shake the floor like a tuba?
Awhile back in the brass band I play with, one of the Eupher's pointed his bell at the tubaist next to him (who wasn't looking) and cut loose a blast. Pretty loud, and impressive enough, but while Eupher was sharing a laugh with his buddy on the left, the tubaist tilted his Miraphone 186 over and returned the favor.

The walls shook, the eupher almost fell out of his chair, and the band had a good laugh. Still makes me chuckle. If a 186 can shake the walls, what can a BBBb do?

Chuck(G) · Post by **Chuck(G)** » Sat Mar 31, 2007 9:48 pm

For floor shakin' with human windpower, I'd probably give the award to the Bb subcontrabass sax (yup, that's BBBb):

http://www.jayeaston.com/galleries/sax_ ... s_sax.html

iiipopes · Post by **iiipopes** » Sat Mar 31, 2007 9:50 pm

Heh, Heh! I like it! Heh, Heh!

windshieldbug · Post by **windshieldbug** » Sat Mar 31, 2007 9:50 pm

I thought ALL saxophones were sub-human...

Art Hovey · Post by **Art Hovey** » Mon Apr 02, 2007 10:17 am

Here's the photo that Eddie Bert gave me. It's from the Horneman Museum in London.

They cleaned it up pretty nicely, didn't they?

Chuck(G) · Post by **Chuck(G)** » Mon Apr 02, 2007 10:20 am

There's got to be a bunch of putty under that paint! Look at the bottom bow ferrules.

Is it brass under the goop, or something else?

windshieldbug · Post by **windshieldbug** » Mon Apr 02, 2007 11:16 am

The mouthpipe doesn't end in the first valve, either!

Wyvern · Post by **Wyvern** » Mon Apr 02, 2007 11:48 am

I kind of remember reading that it is just a mock-up giant tuba which was used as signage on the front of the Besson building in Euston Road, London.

Interesting, if it actually did play, it would have to be by a left-handed tuba player.

Jonathan "who thinks it would be nice to see a photo of it in its original position"