Re: Re: Re: Re: Playing a York 6/4 -- What's it like?


[ Follow Ups ] [ Post Followup ] [ TubeNet BBS ] [ FAQ ]

Posted by Richard on February 04, 2000 at 12:04:12:

In Reply to: Re: Re: Re: Playing a York 6/4 -- What's it like? posted by Brian Frederiksen on February 04, 2000 at 07:07:46:

I hate to argue a point like this with Brian of all people, but that looks a lot more like a big York than any Conn I ever saw. Compare the wrap of the slides and the placement of the valve set with York 2 which Jake is holding in John Taylor's cover photo. The bottom pull of the 3rd valve slide appears to be wider on Jake's horn than the one being held by Donatelli, but that could be accounted for in the differences between two handmade tubas of the same basic model. Donatelli's horn has a factory fresh look to it, that nearly opaque whitishness of the satin plating so characteristic of new horns. The Conn he played was a smaller tuba. Stokowski wanted him to play a bigger horn, which was the whole reason he ordered the York. After trying it out (and apparently taking photo op) he decided it just wasn't him, and Stoky didn't insist, so he sold it to Jake and the rest is history.

I got to play York 2 in one of those unforgettable circumstances, I ran into Jake picking it up from a repair at Carl Geyer's. I had just come from Rose Records where I had picked up the newly released Reiner/CSO Alexander Nevsky (the very week that Gary Powers was shot down and taken prisoner for spying on the Soviets - how's that for historical coincidence?) Anyway, I walked Jake back to Orchestra Hall, down to the basement, and had what amounted to an unscheduled impromptu lesson on the York. Everything you've been told is true. That horn plays like a dream. I had a Holton 6/4 for a few years and sold it, and I've played various Hirsbrunners, Meinls, and one of Warren's early Nirschls. Some really fine players have been highly successful with the Hirsbrunners and Meinls, but for me, the Nirschl comes the closest. Warren has certainly found his voice on it.


Follow Ups: