Re: Is the Tuba a Solo Instrument??????


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Posted by rk on January 11, 2000 at 15:01:40:

In Reply to: Is the Tuba a Solo Instrument?????? posted by Erik on January 11, 2000 at 07:33:46:

Not realy. I have expressed the same sentiments, given even the Vaughn Williams,(bored me in 1955, bores me now!) and others. The primary reason the tuba is a solo instrument is that tubist, as time has gone on, have exceeded the original intent of the tuba and have far exceeded the technical espectations of the instument for, of course, their own musical need for individual advancement and expression. There are many tubist, who later have thought, if I had only had played such or such an instrument. They miss the expressivness of the works of the three B's, Mozart, Schubert and all of the great compositions from music history to the moderns, who have given some expression in the tuba's direction, but overall, very little and seldom with satisfaction, compared to other instruments. So, much of the tuba's literature is arranged from tunes intended for more expressive intruments. Tuba players need "food" too and as a result we have tuba soloists, contests, "finals," tubamanias and whatever, including the need for ego satisfaction. Tubists feel it, but it is hard for listeners to hear it. I have yet to hear the common man and especially woman, be anything but bored with a tuba solo or soloist and give anything but polite appreciation as to what it took to produce what is percieved as an unsatisfactory listening experience, as someone noted, you don't get the girls here!

It is only in my lifetime that the tuba has developed the players and instruments capable of visualizing hope for the experience that has come to all other instruments (I think even Bell did a "Tubby the Tuba" or an "Elmer the Elephant" or whatever is was.) The acceptance of the serious tuba soloist is still a thing of the future and will come with further techical development of the instrument and mouthpiece, or has the ultimate been reached here? What tubist can't fill a whole shelf with mouthpieces (there's a whole shelf for sale on ebay right now!) and if it weren't for wives, there would be no end to the tubas one would own!

To hear good potentially commercial tuba, you have to go the the small emsemble, jazz, etc. If you have not heard "Travelin' Light," it should have had a "Grammy!" Has it become a standard? Has it been exceeded? Is it the end?

Well,I have enjoyed my horn even with my limited skills and I still practice every day.
It is a solo instrument for me in my confined space, and I enjoy Bach Sonatas for Flute the most (of what I can play).

And as I have said many times, I will always remember that 8th grade boy who stood up before a 3rd grade class to begin a tuba demonstration, raised it alla Jim Self, spread his large broad chest and said: "The Tuba is a Noble Instrument!" Humnanity loves noble sounds. Writers and listeners need to hear that. Mozart hated the harshness of the trumpet! What if Andre or Marcellus had played in the court orchestra in Vienna in the 1778 with their modern instruments? Scary!!! Violinists would be transposing trumpet works!



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