For the record, the Paxman in question here was an F alto-Bb soprano double horn. Paxman made the one for BT to use on the Zelenka recordings with Bobby Routch on 2nd. He did return the horn after the sessions. I don't know if the "Don't want it, won't buy it" story is true but he told me that it was good for that repertoire. Paxman's Bb-Bbsoprano model has been in their catalogue for many years and I have known some good players who own(ed) them including Bobby Routch, Herb Winslow and Chuck Kavalovski. Alexander had an F alto-Bb soprano full double in their catalogue for a while but I never saw one "in the brass." My teacher, Prof. I.M. Gestopftmitscheist, has recently discovered that the missnamed "Wagner Tube" (which he had discoverd earlier should actually be called the "Mozart Tube" since Mozart did write a "hand tube" concerto, later reworked for the bassoon that KBHCer's have heard him perform on occasion at camp on his right-handed-Eb-Wagner-Tube) actually has it's roots in the baroque era and was known as the "Tube da caccia." Hand stopping was not known on this instrument in the baroque era as it did not start until the later classical era when the food got better and people grew bigger and had longer arms. The Prof. has aquired a four-valve model, previously owned by Paul Navarro and the USC marching band, which he has dubbed, appropriately I think, the "Telemann Tube." This unusual instrument is pitched in F (or E or even Eb if you pull some slides) and has all the notes on it from A to F. He will be perforiming baroque masterpieces on this instrument at KBHC 2006 which should result in a revival or even a revile of interest in it. The good Prof. G. calls these sort of studies of the history of instruments "hornography" but did not get a trademark due to mispelling it on the application. Does anyone know if it is true that the first F alto horn was invented 15 minutes after the world premiere of the Schumann Konzertstueck? If so, who made it? Where is it now? Was it copied? If so, are the Chinese selling them on E-bay and for how much including shipping? Are they any good? Do they have a high E on them? Have your students brought them to lessons when you have assigned them Brandenburg 1 or 2 and told them they need a descant horn in order to play this repertoire? Can you practice M-A up an octave on them to improve your upper register the same as you can practice Kopprasch on a low F horn an octave lower to improve your low register? KB _www.horncamp.org_ (http://www.horncamp.org) In a message dated 1/22/2006 9:04:46 AM Eastern Standard Time, [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes:
Date: Sun, 22 Jan 2006 08:33:45 -0500 From: "Ray & Sonja Crenshaw" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Subject: Tuckwell's Paxman > This talk of Barry Tuckwell's Holton reminds me of a story > ... (Tuckwell) asked Paxmans to make him a Bb/Bb soprano horn which they > duly did > The horn did eventually sell to a Japanese gentleman One wonders how many of these Paxman could've possibly made? I played on back in the summer of 1981. Louis Stout Jr. had one and my air force band horn section convened at Louis Jr's for a round of quartets and such. That nasty Schumann piece with all the high "E"'s was dragged out and, since I was playing 1st, Louis said, "Hold on a second, I have something you might need for this." Louis came back holding a cool-looking double horn with nearly non-existent valve slides on one side. "It's a Bb-HIGH Bb double." Well, I had a nice Eb, but I've never been all that good on E. Probably 'cause I've never had to play one in public. Anyway, I gave it a shot, but the E fizzed. Louis said, "Yeah, that happens when I try it too." Wonder where the Paxman is now? ...and Louis? jrc in SC _______________________________________________ post: horn@music.memphis.edu unsubscribe or set options at http://music2.memphis.edu/mailman/options/horn/archive%40jab.org
