Berlioz' Le Corsair Overture

[Chuck Jackson]

Ha-Ha, don't even listen to the trombones and I hope you don't get a conductor that insists you decrescendo into the high Ab. I'm sure you have already figured this out,but the end of the thing is HARD. Too many octaves, loud, great chance to go down in flames. Cheers!!!!!


Chuck

[Ace]

I played this piece last year. It's a bit hazardous. I didn't (as Chuck mentions) "go down in flames", but a couple of clams were pretty well cooked.

[Kevin Hendrick]

... the end of the thing is HARD. Too many octaves, loud, great chance to go down in flames.

True, but what a blast when it all goes right!

[Chuck Jackson]

I'm hip, nothing better than nailing.

Chuck

[Doug@GT]

The ASO did this tonight, actually. Sounded to me like Mike Moore nailed it. Good job, Mike!

UF, I guess if you can make it to Atlanta from Florida by tomorrow evening, you could hear a live performance of the piece.

Doug "who'd never heard 'le Corsair' before tonight, but thinks the brass parts were pretty freaking sweet"

[Chuck Jackson]

Yeah, Mike Moore pretty much knows the fingerings.

Chuck"meant in the utmost regard for Mr. Moores talent"Jackson

[Wyvern]

I have Corsair coming up in couple months. I have yet to practice the part, but am planning using my Melton 2040/5 Eb, but looking at how high the part goes am just wondering about an F tuba.

Has anyone here played it on Eb - If so how did it go?

Does using an F really provide much advantage (anyone tried on both for comparison)?

Thanks!

[Kevin Hendrick]

I have Corsair coming up in couple months. I have yet to practice the part, but am planning using my Melton 2040/5 Eb, but looking at how high the part goes am just wondering about an F tuba.

Has anyone here played it on Eb - If so how did it go?

Does using an F really provide much advantage (anyone tried on both for comparison)?

Thanks!

I've only played it on CC, but remember thinking at the time that it seemed to have been written with an Eb in mind. It probably would be easier and cleaner on an Eb than an F (if I'd had an Eb, I would have used it rather than the CC).

[finnbogi]

I have Corsair coming up in couple months. I have yet to practice the part, but am planning using my Melton 2040/5 Eb, but looking at how high the part goes am just wondering about an F tuba.

Has anyone here played it on Eb - If so how did it go?

Does using an F really provide much advantage (anyone tried on both for comparison)?

Thanks!

I played Le Corsaire on my Besson 981 a while ago and it worked out quite nicely. I agree with Kevin that it probably lies better on an E flat than an F. It is best to avoid 2+3 fingerings up there in the stratosphere.

[eupher61]

I don't think the Eb tuba had come along yet by 1845. I have no factual basis at hand, but memory from Bevan makes me say that. Berlioz quite possibly was still in ophecleide mode by this time, not writing for the 'cleide, but still thinking in terms of range, even though he had already embraced the tuba.

http://www.hberlioz.com/Scores/BerliozT ... .html#Tuba is an excerpt from Berlioz' "Treatise on Orchestration". The comments presented here about the tuba are interesting, but just below that is the saxhorn entry, which seems to shed light on this too.

[jeopardymaster]

Played on an Eb - but I used a "cheat" - switched mouthpieces for the one famous lick to a tiny old All-Star to facilitate the high a-flat. Nasty little part!

[Steve Marcus]

Nasty little part!

Isn't that why it finds itself on audition rep lists????