Awesome Ophicleides

[tubapress]

I stumbled across this today. Who knew ophilcleides could sound so great? Bravo!

[David Richoux]

Psssst, look over here... In the section marked "Clip Art" -
just the place to find all sorts of U-Tuba stuff, even "Summit in Berlin"
As I recall.

(Sending from my phone, so no HTML tricks

[Wyvern]

Great sound! Yes, VERY SURPRISING for ophicleides.

However, if the great players of the 19th century could make them sound like that, which no doubt they could, then it does well demonstrate that an F tuba makes a very good substitute for ophicleide in works where it is specified in the instrumentation. Not a hugely different sound.

[MartyNeilan]

Before we give TOO much credit to the ophicleides, though, look at who was playing them

[Bob Kolada]

Before we give TOO much credit to the ophicleides, though, look at who was playing them

Trombone players. So, theoretically, they could sound even better than that!

[J.c. Sherman]

Great sound! Yes, VERY SURPRISING for ophicleides.

However, if the great players of the 19th century could make them sound like that, which no doubt they could, then it does well demonstrate that an F tuba makes a very good substitute for ophicleide in works where it is specified in the instrumentation. Not a hugely different sound.

?!?!!!?!

I don't hear the tiniest smidgen of similarity in tone quality between these bad boys and any tuba on earth played by anyone. I never have.

Each of these player are, of course, excellent. And this video may make a small step in pointing out that there's nothing inferior about the ophicleide; it's just different.

J.c.S.

[oedipoes]

Great sound! Yes, VERY SURPRISING for ophicleides.

However, if the great players of the 19th century could make them sound like that, which no doubt they could, then it does well demonstrate that an F tuba makes a very good substitute for ophicleide in works where it is specified in the instrumentation. Not a hugely different sound.

Soundwise they sound much more similar to a german-style baryton horn.

Wim

[windshieldbug]

However, if the great players of the 19th century could make them sound like that, which no doubt they could, then it does well demonstrate that an F tuba makes a very good substitute for ophicleide in works where it is specified in the instrumentation. Not a hugely different sound.

F or bass tuba, it's not the sound that matters, it's the facility.

And having done Berlioz on ophicleide, bass tuba AND contra, I'd pick ophicleide any day of the week.