Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Bobo arrangement of Bach cello suites


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Posted by Joe S. on August 29, 2000 at 20:44:37:

In Reply to: Re: Re: Re: Re: Bobo arrangement of Bach cello suites posted by Marty Neilan on August 29, 2000 at 09:22:28:

I would try to pick movements that offer a playable range AS WRITTEN. Taking these down an octave makes them unlistenable to most ears, and after all music is about PERFORMANCE, COMMUNICATION, and SHARING OUR PERFORMANCES with others. Putting these harmonies down so low as to define fundamental pitches below the range of the human ear (ie: playing chords with harmonic thirds that are voiced very, very low) offers non-understandable auditory harmony to almost all listeners - even most tubaists. I recommend transposing very highly voiced movements down a few steps rather than an octave. Simply pretending that the bass clef dances are written in treble clef (all bets are off for the tenor clef dances) will lower the key by a third, and often this will bring some of those very high-noted dances down into a playable range for the tuba. If you are considering editing yourself, listen to Casals or Ma recordings before writing in any uh-kuh-puh-kuh articulations. The SOUND that the virtuoso 'cello artist creates with these dances offers good models for YOUR articulations, rather than using articulations of convenience.

P.S. If you are an F tubaist, look at the oboe repertoire. Their music involves no transposition, and their range is two and a half octaves: from Bb to F or G...perfect for an F tuba playing treble clef reader. You will discover gorgeous suitable pieces from the baroque era to the modern era, and NONE of their pieces sound like "typical tuba pieces" (uhhh - no further comment here). Finally, although oboists' music is extremely technically challenging, it is usually "conceivably possible" to perform, unlike some flute and violin music, for example.


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