I played this with the Greenville (SC) Symphony last season. I had consulted a couple sources and recordings, and concluded that it should be B-flat alto. It is a strange register for tuben, but then look at where Stravinsky writes the opening bassoon solo! After we read it at the first rehearsal, we were promptly told to take it down an octave. The conductor's reasoning was that in the higher octave it is too close to the calls in the other horn parts, and "gets in the way." So, we were relegated to doubling the bass tubas, but it was much easier to play!
Best wishes, Travis -----Original Message----- date: Wed, 17 Sep 2008 17:11:38 -0700 from: "Robert Dickow" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> subject: RE: [Hornlist] Le Sacre tuben parts Bob, Interesting observation. I have to tell the story that the last time we did Sacre in Spokane, I read the B-flat alto tuben part UP, where it really is pretty high. I was instructed right then and there to do it down an octave. It DID sound a little goofy up high. I'll have a look at the score there too. I'm sure that a little Schenkerian Analysis can clear up this question. ;-) Bob Dickow Lionel Hampton School of Music -------------------------- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Robert N. Ward Sent: Wednesday, September 17, 2008 4:35 PM To: The Horn List Subject: [Hornlist] Le Sacre tuben parts There is some confusion about this. This post caused me to go back and look at the score, and take another look. After doing so, it is clear to me that the parts are correctly in Bb alto. The key to determining this is looking at five and four bars before the end of the First Part. If the Wagner Tubas play in Bb Basso, they are then in unison with the Bass Tuba, which is clearly not intended, since the ascending quarter note line is then no longer in octaves. I used to think that these parts were in Bb basso, but I no longer believe that to be the case. B ****** Robert N. Ward Principal Horn San Francisco Symphony [EMAIL PROTECTED] On Sep 17, 2008, at 4:19 PM, Robert Dickow wrote: > Worse, Stravinsky writes W tuben in "B-flat alto" in > Sacre, but that puts it one octave too high, so you have to adjust > there > too). _______________________________________________ post: horn@music.memphis.edu unsubscribe or set options at http://music2.memphis.edu/mailman/options/horn/archive%40jab.org
