Yes, it creates a remarkably voluminous sound, due to the wide bore through the instrument. Once you get used to the valve combinations, it's pretty easy to play!
All the music recorded in this video (and much more) was premiered using a very similar tuba to this one in terms of pitch, bore, valve combination, bell size, and overall form. See my website linked in the description for more information!
This tuba is in some ways in some ways very similar to the first ever tubas. Swedish bands also continued to use small two handed tubas in F long after they were replaced by much larger instruments in most countries.
The story is that when Fritz Reiner began his tenure conducting the Chicago Symphony, he brought over one of these and wanted Arnold Jacobs to use is when they performed Bruckner. Of course, the instrument was terrible, probably in bad shape based on Jake's description of it as a musical typewriter, and the intonation was monstrous to tame. It will be interesting to see what happens as modern craftsmen attempt to build a good Vienna tuba (I know it's being tried).
Ah yes, and the story goes that Jacobs swapped back to his own tuba as soon as he realised that Reiner couldn't see what he was doing...another classic example of tubas, tubists, and repertoire not quite seeing eye-to-eye! There certainly are many stories of Wiener tubas being used far beyond their prime. I was fortunate to track down the instrument that the Ring Cycle was (almost certainly) premiered on, which is now at Austrian Military Pitch (A = c. 465), and so was likely cut and "retired" into military service when it was deemed no longer fit for orchestral usage. I'm optimistic that with dedicated craftsmen and modern tools, new long-lasting generations of these instruments will be produced in the near future.
@@walfredswanson Yes! I highly recommend Bruce Hayne's book on the subject if you are interested, "A History of Performing Pitch: The Story of 'A'" (2002).
The mythology continues. Reiner was into his 5th year with the CSO when he guest conducted in Vienna. He ordered a Dehmal F. When it arrived he told Jacobs to play it immediately. One of his early performances was Vaughan Williams Pastoral Symphony. Not a lot to play and not terribly complicated, but some very exposed passages. He recorded Tchaik 6 on the Dehmal. He told Reiner that it would be better if he had his own F tuba. He bought a 4 valve Alex F from his predecessor George Hamburg and had it customized adding 3 valves in the left hand. For my money, this was the best F tuba he ever had. One of the best recordings he made on this Alex was Stravinsky's Fairy's Kiss. The very epitome of CSO light brass playing. Gradually he brought back the York when he knew Reiner would appreciate it. He once said to me "Can you imagine if I'd brought out the F for Alexander Nevsky? He'd have laughed me off the stage."
Its such a massive sound from such a small bell. I would imagine playing it would be a bit of a pain though
Yes, it creates a remarkably voluminous sound, due to the wide bore through the instrument. Once you get used to the valve combinations, it's pretty easy to play!
What a lucky man I am to be able to see you play with your Wieners for free :)
Tyvm good sir
Was music written for this specific type of tuba, or is it just a novelty instrument?
All the music recorded in this video (and much more) was premiered using a very similar tuba to this one in terms of pitch, bore, valve combination, bell size, and overall form. See my website linked in the description for more information!
This tuba is in some ways in some ways very similar to the first ever tubas. Swedish bands also continued to use small two handed tubas in F long after they were replaced by much larger instruments in most countries.
The story is that when Fritz Reiner began his tenure conducting the Chicago Symphony, he brought over one of these and wanted Arnold Jacobs to use is when they performed Bruckner. Of course, the instrument was terrible, probably in bad shape based on Jake's description of it as a musical typewriter, and the intonation was monstrous to tame. It will be interesting to see what happens as modern craftsmen attempt to build a good Vienna tuba (I know it's being tried).
Ah yes, and the story goes that Jacobs swapped back to his own tuba as soon as he realised that Reiner couldn't see what he was doing...another classic example of tubas, tubists, and repertoire not quite seeing eye-to-eye!
There certainly are many stories of Wiener tubas being used far beyond their prime. I was fortunate to track down the instrument that the Ring Cycle was (almost certainly) premiered on, which is now at Austrian Military Pitch (A = c. 465), and so was likely cut and "retired" into military service when it was deemed no longer fit for orchestral usage. I'm optimistic that with dedicated craftsmen and modern tools, new long-lasting generations of these instruments will be produced in the near future.
A465. Ouch! The history of tuning standards is a subject all its own.@@jackamck
@@walfredswanson Yes! I highly recommend Bruce Hayne's book on the subject if you are interested, "A History of Performing Pitch: The Story of 'A'" (2002).
The mythology continues. Reiner was into his 5th year with the CSO when he guest conducted in Vienna. He ordered a Dehmal F. When it arrived he told Jacobs to play it immediately. One of his early performances was Vaughan Williams Pastoral Symphony. Not a lot to play and not terribly complicated, but some very exposed passages. He recorded Tchaik 6 on the Dehmal. He told Reiner that it would be better if he had his own F tuba. He bought a 4 valve Alex F from his predecessor George Hamburg and had it customized adding 3 valves in the left hand. For my money, this was the best F tuba he ever had. One of the best recordings he made on this Alex was Stravinsky's Fairy's Kiss. The very epitome of CSO light brass playing. Gradually he brought back the York when he knew Reiner would appreciate it. He once said to me "Can you imagine if I'd brought out the F for Alexander Nevsky? He'd have laughed me off the stage."