Favorite Musical Moments — Orchestra Edition

[the elephant]

Post your favorite "musical moments" or complete individual movements of orchestral works that include tuba.

[the elephant]

I know this is cheesy, but the original John Williams "Jurassic Park" makes me super happy, every time. There is so much to love going on above those low Bb drones, and the tuba part is challenging in spots, too.

I dearly love playing Prokofiev's 5th Symphony. All of it. But the 1st movement defines to me how a tuba ought to be written for and utilized in the orchestra.

Every brass chorale with tuba in Mahler's 2nd symphony. Wow…

There is this low Bb in the finale of Shostakovich's 5th Symphony (five bars before Rehearsal 112 — HOLY CRAP!), and this low C in the last minutes of the last movement of "Scheherazade" that make me goofy happy to unleash on an audience. (Not the downbeat of "Allegro non troppo e maestoso" but specifically the THIRD BAR of that section, when all the noise clears out — OMG!)

I remember playing both of these individual notes many times, and each time I wanted to jump and shout, "HELL YES, BABY!" Of course, that never happened. But it *should* have, heh, heh…

[York-aholic]

I remember playing both of these individual notes many times, and each time I wanted to jump and shout, "HELL YES, BABY!" Of course, that never happened. But it *should* have, heh, heh…

Could you imagine? That would be hysterical. Probably your last employed performance, but it would be really funny from the audience's perspective...

[Tubaru]

My community orchestra recently performed The River by Duke Ellington. Whiles it’s not a difficult part it was so much fun to play some jazz. It had a nice combination of bass line playing supporting harmonies and being the 4th trombone in the jazz band. Wasn’t sure my group could pull it off but it went rather well.

[Mary Ann]

Horn: Hanson #2; Beethoven 7. Second on both.
Tuba: haven't done much. Way back at the beginning, Pictures.

[Paulver]

This is an easy one!

First, I'll have to set the stage:
Four years ago.......... National Youth Orchestra of the United States.
Sir Antonio Pappano, Music Director for the Royal Opera of London, conducting
Royal Albert Hall....... London, England
Broadcast was live streamed on the BBC Proms, audio only
Approx 5:00am EST, in total darkness, my wife and I are seated in our recliners in front of our fireplace at home, listening to the broadcast
Our daughter had been selected for the group and was touring with them for a few weeks. She was playing horn in the group, and this was the last number on the program........ Elgar's "Nimrod."
Listening to your kid playing in a top notch orchestra like that, on THAT piece, half a world away, was a surreal experience.
Simply put........ I cried!!! That was an experience I'll NEVER forget.

They had toured Europe, and she was also part of a select brass quintet that performed on the UK's version of the "Today Show," and it was broadcast throughout "The Kingdom!" They played several times throughout the show, and they also performed for the Ambassador to Germany's welcome reception in (as I recall), Berlin.

[arpthark]

This is an easy one!

First, I'll have to set the stage:
Four years ago.......... National Youth Orchestra of the United States.
Sir Antonio Pappano, Music Director for the Royal Opera of London, conducting
Royal Albert Hall....... London, England
Broadcast was live streamed on the BBC Proms, audio only
Approx 5:00am EST, in total darkness, my wife and I are seated in our recliners in front of our fireplace at home, listening to the broadcast
Our daughter had been selected for the group and was touring with them for a few weeks. She was playing horn in the group, and this was the last number on the program........ Elgar's "Nimrod."
Listening to your kid playing in a top notch orchestra like that, on THAT piece, half a world away, was a surreal experience.
Simply put........ I cried!!! That was an experience I'll NEVER forget.

They had toured Europe, and she was also part of a select brass quintet that performed on the UK's version of the "Today Show," and it was broadcast throughout "The Kingdom!" They played several times throughout the show, and they also performed for the Ambassador to Germany's welcome reception in (as I recall), Berlin.

What an awesome thing for your daughter and the proud parents! Brought a tear to my eye. (Granted, I am a well-known softie.) Congrats to her.

[UncleBeer]

The last 7 or so minutes of Wagner's Parsifal. I've been lucky enough to do three separate productions of this, and the end always chokes me up.

[bloke]

Check my "Tippett" thread.
It will a "favorite" - once I master and perform it.

[the elephant]

For me, it was "Russian Easter" back when I was a high school student.

[windshieldbug]

Pieces for 2 tubas-

Playing the Berloz Symphonie fantastique with Jay Krush of the Chestnut Brass Company on C and Bb Ophicleides.
Perfoming John Adams' works with the Delaware Symphony for John Adams when he won the The A. I. duPont Composer’s Award.

[The Brute Squad]

A couple that stick out for me:

The climax (reh. 39-40) from The Promise of Living. I get chills even when playing it.
The ending of Sibelius 2. Just sitting on those 4 notes and building from loud to almost too much is so satisfying.
Romeo at Juliet's Grave, especially when the whole brass section is playing at reh. 64

And still my favorite orchestral performance (though I sang in this one): the War Requiem, especially when the Hosanna starts in the Sanctus and In Paradisum/Let Us Sleep Now in the finale.

[bloke]

I like playing slow legato phrases with the basses, such as in Prokofiev works.

[C J]

Mosolov - The Iron Foundry



The moment at 2:30 when the horns stand up.
I played it one program and was glad that after this beast they went ahead with Beethoven 9.

[Mark]

Non-playing moment: Sitting in an orchestra with an exceptional string section playing the second movement of Tchaikovsky's Symphony No. 4.

[the elephant]

Non-playing moment: Sitting in an orchestra with an exceptional string section playing the second movement of Tchaikovsky's Symphony No. 4.

Absolutely.

[LargeTuba]

[graybach]

Love that one. I wish there were a video of the entire thing. I like playing this on my stereo speakers when I drive home from work. It never gets old.

[graybach]

[LargeTuba]

Love that one. I wish there were a video of the entire thing. I like playing this on my stereo speakers when I drive home from work. It never gets old.

Its all on youtube.

First


Second Movement


Third Movement


Fourth