Posted by D.Graves on June 13, 2003 at 22:54:56:
In Reply to: Re: F Tuba Timbre posted by js on June 13, 2003 at 21:08:34:
Joe,
It's not a matter of arrival, but rather a matter of the quest to improve, and subsequently, a legitimate matter for discussion and/or debate. Maybe I should reword my original posting:
1. Why do folks play more than one tuba?
2. If the concept of timbre comprises any part of the answer to question #1, then why do
tuba players (and tuba manufacturers) seem to be intent on generating increasingly
larger F tubas -- tubas which inherently sound more and more like their contrabass
counterparts?
Personally, I took the self-test thread as a call to both practice more and select topics of discussion more carefully -- not as a moratorium on all discussion pertaining to certain aspects of performance. I don't see how the Fletch example relates to my question. In the context of the book which contains the example that you cited, the quote serves to illustrate Mr Fletcher's (1) simplistic yet effective approach to music making and (2) belief that, given the quality and availability of equipment in his locale during his formative years, an EEb Besson was the best choice for him. He didn't care that it didn't fit the "authoritative" concept for performance of the RVW Concerto. In fact, Mr Fletcher demonstrated a considerable amount of time and energy to his selection of equipment later in his career, as demonstrated by his decision to play a 6/4 Holton for a great deal of his work w/the LSO.
I characterize large F tubas (large bore, bow and bell) which lean towards ease of projection in the low register (usually, IMO, at the expense of having a less colorful timbre) -- most of which have piston valves -- as American. It's not an irrational characterization, based on the way "we" have similarly characterized contrabass tubas as such. The MW 45 SLZ, though a rotary instrument, is built on the same large chasis as the 45 SLP. To most folks that I've surveyed, it sounds like a contrabass tuba. I used to own one.