Vorspiel zu der Oper "Die Meistersinger zu Nürnberg"

[Biggs]

My first tuba teacher encouraged me to use a CC tuba because that was the only tuba I had.
My second tuba teacher encouraged me to practice the excerpt on both tubas and would give me 'pop quizzes' and force me to switch back and forth mid-excerpt.
My current tuba teacher thinks F tuba is a fine, perhaps preferable choice.*

I think some advocates of the CC approach are concerned, perhaps subconsciously, about the slurred passages. I don't have the part in front of me, but I'm pretty sure that the slurs routinely run over what most players consider "the break" on an F tuba and are vulnerable to burbles in the sound, etc.




*FWIW, he has 'Bobo connections' and is familiar with the Bobo F tuba performance that Bloke has referred to in the past and may be referring to here.

[MikeMason]

C for the first 2 entrances, f for the rest...

[S.G.F.]

So can I vote for the fourth option? Have always played it on both. Got blessed with talented & open minded teachers.

[AHynds]

This may just be hearsay, but.....

From what I understand, the general expectation in the U.S. is that this is a CC tuba excerpt, whereas in Germany it is an F tuba excerpt (no idea what the trend is in the U.K.). So, it seems like this is a "when in Rome..." situation (or, more accurately, a "when in Berlin..." situation versus a "when in Chicago..." one).

Aaron H.

[Art Hovey]

A well-known tubist from the Boston Pops gave a talk at a tuba conference some years ago in which he described some audition experiences. (I should remember his name, but it's late and I have a touch of C.R.S. at the moment.) He played the Meistersinger excerpt for a german orchestra's comitte on his CC tuba, and they said no, it must be played on a "basstuba" because that's what it says on the score. He had never tried it before on his F, but he gave it a shot. At the conference he played it for us beautifully on both horns.

My personal choice is BBb, because that's what I play.

[Wyvern]

I have never played on CC except to try out in practice. I most recently played on my F (PT-15) and have previously played on Eb's (2040/5 and before 981). To me it definitely seems one for bass tuba - that is the tone in my head.

In England most play on their 3+1 EEb - only the brave (or fool-hardy?) would pull out their CC

[imperialbari]

If one wouldn’t know the original performance history, which is about Leipzig and Munich, one might have assumed this piece to be premiered in Paris or in London, as it is cut quite precisely for a 4 valve Eb tuba. Compensation not yet available at that time:

[ckalaher1]

I've worked it up on both horns, but I think playing it on the big tuba is a pain, for the trill if nothing else.

The register that dominates the tuba part would seem to sit better on a bass tuba. Not to mention that I think the whole thing blends better on the F.

[Sam Gnagey]

The most fun I've had playing Meistersinger was on Eb. I learned it on CC when studying with Bill Bell and have also played it on F. The trill is 2 to 23 on the Eb. The first note isn't a problem on my Yamaha YFB-621.

[Tuba Guy]

I like playing this on my Eb, with an extra tuning bit stuck in to put it in D. It's a good compromise between the bass and contrabass

[rodmathews]

I've performed it on both F and CC, and I've done it on both in successful auditions. I like the sound of the opening few measures better on CC, but almost the entire rest of the piece works a little better on F. A lot of it depends on the horn - I've performed it on my Yamaha 822 F tuba, and that instrument works very well for me.

I first learned the piece on BBb, for a youth program the Houston Symphony put on when I was in high school. That was my first up-close hearing of Meistersinger in an orchestra, and I got to sit right next to Dave Kirk playing it on his Alexander CC. Talk about having your horizons expanded!!