Report from Tanglewood

[jimgray]

Hi tuba fans-

I recently took the family on our traditional camping/Tanglewood weekend, and was far from disappointed.
We heard the Boston Symphony play Pictures under Levine weekend before last.
The weather was horrific, but I was going nowhere!
We stood out in the rain under an umbrella through most of it, and were well rewarded with a gorgeous Bydlo.
Really beautiful - effortless, graceful, excellent F tuba playing.

Mike Roylance is really delivering on the goods, in my opinion.
He has a wonderful sound in general on his Nirschl.
I hadn't heard much F tuba playing from him, but I sure did enjoy it!
I really look forward to hearing him grow/mature as a player - if this is what he sounds like now, I can't wait to hear him progress as the years go by. Worthy man for the chair.

Levine has done wonders for the BSO - lots of desirable (did I really say that?) turnover in the brass section since his arrival, and some really great new hires.

Go BSO!
Jim

[Alonsotuba]

I happened to be in Boston that week as well, and was fortunate enough to hear the BSO play for the first time ever. It was great getting to finally see/hear Pictures played live, especially by such a great orchestra, and then meeting Mike Roylance during the intermission. Throughout the piece, I kept hoping that the thunder wouldn't come back and get in the way of Bydlo, and thankfully it held off until the end of the piece.

[pattonsj]

FWIW...Our 1st trumpet player in the quintet that I play with is a retired band director from Florida and he started Mike Roylance on tuba in beginning band. Small world I guess.

[PWtuba]

I spent the summer at the Boston University Tanglewood Institute. One of the perks of that is getting in free to all of the BSO concerts. I was very impressed. The performances I saw were Tchaikovsky Symphony 6 and piano concerto 1, Mozart piano concerto 23, Mahler 6, Brahms 4, The Rite of Spring, Dvorak 8 and a few others. They were all brilliant.

[ken k]

I spent the summer at the Boston University Tanglewood Institute. One of the perks of that is getting in free to all of the BSO concerts. I was very impressed. The performances I saw were Tchaikovsky Symphony 6 and piano concerto 1, Mozart piano concerto 23, Mahler 6, Brahms 4, The Rite of Spring, Dvorak 8 and a few others. They were all brilliant.

Did that in 1983. Unforutnately I have not been back since...one of these years.... My wife doesn't understand my facscination with the place. But I must get back there. My daughter is attending school near Boston next year so maybe now I will have an excuse....

ken k