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Hi there, just curious as to what you (particularly those with orcestra jobs) think conductors' opinions of playing an authentic old French C tuba (1950s or 1960s) would be for: a) Berlioz, Pictures at an Exhibition Bydlo, and other rep originally intended for French C tuba b) excerpts usually played on F tuba by other composers (potentially even non-French). Thoughts? I know German orchestras are of course strict about F-tuba and B-tuba only and tell you which excerpts are on which horn, so asking for non-Gewandhaus orchestras. Thanks!

Who is not allowing them?

Why not? Play what you want. Most conductors wouldn't know the difference.

In an orchestra, the player brings to work whatever they want. If the conductor dislikes it enough to comment, the player has screwed up, as they should know what is or is not appropriate or acceptable in such a setting with that conductor.

In a military band, it is far less open for the player to "interpret" this because there is normally more than one player (and they need to more or less match in sound color and weight).

For example, it would take a pretty stupid player to show up to a military concert band rehearsal to play Rolling Thunder or Them Basses on a French C tuba or a cimbasso. That is just a failure to understand the job you are being paid to do.

It's mostly up to the conductor and your trombone colleagues. Talk to the conductor beforehand, and play some for the trombones so they know what to expect.

I played Fantastique last year with Atlanta under a French conductor. He specifically requested two French tubas, so they flew me in to play 2nd.

- I'm glad you got the gig and I'm sure you had a blast.
- Covering both parts in Symphonie Fantastique is pretty silly, even though it gives another tuba player a one-time paycheck. One tuba - even if it's a 8 or 9 feet bugle tuba that's the size of euphonium or smaller - is louder than two ophicleides all day long.

The last time I played "March to the Scaffold" on a pop's concert, I used my (really large) compensating euphonium (of course it's a foot longer than a French tuba and also somewhat fatter). I didn't get to show off that I can play octave B flats over and over on my F tuba without fracking any of them, but the only people in the audience to whom I could show off that skill would be one or two tuba players, and one of those two probably wouldn't even know that they are B flats, and the other one would probably be telling themselves that they could play it better than me.

I've played that piece (complete symphony) at least a dozen times, and back and forth playing the important first part or the unneeded second part. With the big ass trombones that are used in orchestras today, a big ass euphonium with (and I'm probably the only one who would do this) a contrabass trombone mouthpiece inserted in it is plenty of sound, and easier...but stuff isn't supposed to be easy is it...??...When stuff is hard, it's supposed to be great, right?

... and yes, I know I did a demo that's linked to this platform playing "the lick" with my cimbasso mouthpiece inserted in my F tuba, but of course I was doing that to sell mouthpieces. That having been said, it is tons easier to play that lick with my cimbasso mouthpiece on an F tuba than with most any other typical F tuba mouthpiece... (particularly with all these wide bell throat F tubas that don't play extremely high without a lot of effort) and a fairly large percentage of tuba players don't own a euphonium and/or don't possess really reliable "sideman-grade" euphonium skills.

Yea...I'm a hero !!! (sarcasm)
(but euphonium or the French C thing - for whoever knows the fingerings and the quirks - is safer and better)

bloke wrote: Tue Oct 28, 2025 11:23 am - Covering both parts in Symphonie Fantastique is pretty silly, even though it gives another tuba player a one-time paycheck.

Unless of course the conductor decides he'd like to hear the 2nd play Dies Irae an octave down (as this conductor did in the first rehearsal; happens often, even thought there's no historical rationale for it).

bloke wrote: Tue Oct 28, 2025 11:23 am - I'm glad you got the gig and I'm sure you had a blast.

(sigh) Just another thing on the résumé.

yeah...
Music directors and executive directors are pouring over those white male 70-year-olds' resumes as we speak...

Hey man: the check cashed.

UncleBeer wrote: Tue Oct 28, 2025 1:52 pm Hey man: the check cashed.

OK...I did - then - manage to pull you back into Realville.

Who is this already doubling at the octave?

You're aware that clearly says "bassoons", right?

What the heck is a Basſon?!

(/jk)

The French word for bassoon is "basson", and you're seeing a stylized "s".

UncleBeer wrote: Tue Oct 28, 2025 2:21 pm You're aware that clearly says "bassoons", right?

yep... rhetorical

large "S" is the old-world way to write a double "s"

Great, thanks for the replies, everyone!