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Okay, as you may have seen from earlier, I am in love with my Wessex French C. I, however, do not have money for cimbasso as well...I want one, but no go.

So, my question: I was asked to play tuba on Aïda recently. I don't own an F tuba (and there's none around I can use). I've got a little Westminster Eb tuba, but it kinda...well...So, if Verdi wanted a more trombone-y sound, I can get that on my French C. Do y'all think it can carry the cimbasso part?

I'll make some videos of me playing it on Aïda/Nabucco. I'm curious to see what y'all think.

Viel Spaß beim blasen!

Play what you have.

There were no French C tubas with six pistons and nor were there any 3/4" bore contrabass 5-rotor trombones when he wrote those operas. As far as what Verdi liked, I don't think you have anything to fear. ...I believe I heard that he died...

I'm pretty sure that these things were around back then, if the desire is to play on a type of instrument that was actually used in orchestras during the time he was writing operas.
https://reverb.com/item/78921393-wessex ... lver-plate
(I know someone who purchased a genuine French made one, a couple of decades ago, learned how to play it, and begin using it in their orchestra. I think the orchestra ended up passing something in there bylaws prohibiting the use of them, as a result...I suppose they were the "anti-Verdi"...??)

Should you go with the cimbasso, let’s start with 100 sq ft of chicken wire…… For the violas…and…..

Schlitzz wrote: ↑Fri Apr 12, 2024 8:18 pm Should you go with the cimbasso, let’s start with 100 sq ft of chicken wire…… For the violas…and…..

yeah...I don't think it will fit in a phone booth...
...though I doubt that the person inquiring has any idea what a "phone booth" is.

I wouldn’t want those people anywhere near low brass instruments. I would prefer chained collars to a fixed post, for each of them.

To answer the original question: YES!
Don't think about what G.Verdi would say, the sound of a French C Tuba is blending better with the trombones as a Cimbasso than F or Eb Tuba. At least I played a lot of Verdi opera with it and nobody complained

Yay! Yeah, I'm not TOO worried about what Verdi would think. He is dead, long dead...I'm just curious about the blend with the trombones and the overall sound in the orchestra. My friend said they're used to hearing a BIG tuba sound, but then....Playing Aîda on a BBb just seems like overkill, also that high D! I can hit it, but damn, that range it has a few runs in is just yucky on the BBb I'm using. I think it's yucky on a BBb in general. I am going to record some more of it on the little C tomorrow for funzies. I hope they don't get too mad and then create something in the bylaws that says no to fun instruments.

Haha, Bloke, I've got one of those ophicleides already, but it's not lacquered. I played it in the philharmonia recently. Symphony Fantastique, of course...Now if I can only convince my buddy in the orchestra to have them play more ophicleide material. I doubt it though...If you're curious, I posted my Nabucco recording with the ophicleide elsewhere, but I'll post it here, too...for fun :D



If you've got any requests/suggestions, let me know!

That sounds fantastic. I don't know why anyone thinks that so-called mysterious cimbasso part was written for anything other than that his expectation of it being played on that instrument.

bloke wrote: ↑Fri Apr 12, 2024 9:20 pm

Schlitzz wrote: ↑Fri Apr 12, 2024 8:18 pm Should you go with the cimbasso, let’s start with 100 sq ft of chicken wire…… For the violas…and…..

yeah...I don't think it will fit in a phone booth...
...though I doubt that the person inquiring has any idea what a "phone booth" is.

HAHA, of course I know what a phone booth is! My dad owned one and I've even used them before. Still, thanks for the info on everything else. I wish I had that phone booth, though...I really want a yellow Deutsche Post Fernsprecher booth.

compensating euphonium with contrabass trombone mouthpiece...(de facto French tuba)
...covering a bass trombone part.
(' sorry for volume cutouts triggered by the really close/loud timpani...)

Okay, update! I found out I'll be on the stage band, not IN the orchestra. I totally forgot to ask which I was playing. But still...

I think the French C will work fine for the band, but on IMSLP, they've got 2 tuba parts, one in the cimbasso range, another in the BBb tuba range. Do any of y'all have experience playing Aida with the stage band? Is the lower tuba part often used? I've listened to a few recordings, and the tuba is always in the upper range, not the lower.

If that's the case, I could probably snatch a valved trombone from somewhere and use that. Would that work, or should I stick with the French C? I COULD use the ophicleide, too, but I don't know what would be "appropriate"...

Sure, I've got to wait to see what the conductor says, but I'm just curious about ideas.