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Date: Mon, 06 Sep 1999 22:22:04 -0400
From: Robert Howe <arehow@vgernet.net>
Subject: Re: Orchestration Books
Reply-To: contrabass@contrabass.comIf you want the most colorful and helpful orchestration book, which
deals extensively and with no-holds-barred with the Sarrusophones, RUN
to your local booksotre and order Forsythe's Orchestration, published by
Dover. $15 or so, 75 years old but still current, and written with a
style and panache that will leave you laughing out loud.Conversely, Sam Adler's book is readily available but is fraught with
errors (I counted over 200 in the first edition) and is too dry for
civilized people to read.Rimsky and Strauss-Berlioz have Dover texts on the subject which are
pre-Sarrusophone. Late 20th century books such as Kennan and Piston
tend to ignore peripheral instruments that are not used, with good
reason.Get also Joppig, The Oboe and Bassoon (Amadeus Press), Anthony Baines,
Woodwind Instruments and Their History (Dover); and either Benade,
Fundamentals of Musical Acoustics (Dover), or Rossing, Acoustics of
Musical Instruments (U Chicago), and you will know everything anyone
else on this list knows.Robert Howe
---------------------------------------------------------Date: Mon, 06 Sep 1999 22:44:02 -0400
From: Robert Howe <arehow@vgernet.net>
Subject: Re: Double-bell euphonium
Reply-To: contrabass@contrabass.comTim wrote about valves four and five on an old Conn double-belled
Euphonium. Valve four gives a better pitch on 123 combinations, which
are otherwise #. The smaller bell gives a "trombone" and the larger, a
"euphonium" tone. I have one of these puppies and although I am an
oboist, I love it. It is odd, it is gorgeous and it is mine.I bought it in 1990, as part of a complicated deal for a bunch of
instruments which included a trade and some repair work; the seller
asked $250 for it alone and I offered $75, so you figure out what it
cost me, I don't know. I have seen them sell for a thousand and have
been offered $800 for mine.Also, I just visited the Musee de Musique in Paris which has a display
case of 9 Sarrusophones, including a sopranino with open tone holes like
a clarinet's. These and dozens of other great instruments (including a
set of Sax Saxophones, other horns by Sax, unusual French horns, unique
serpents and cornetti) are illustrated in their Guide Book, of which I
bought 4; one for me, and 3 extra copies for friends. I'd have taken
more but there were only 4 on sale in English. I will be happy to send
one to any member of this list who wants it, for $32 including shipping.Robert Howe
---------------------------------------------------------Date: Tue, 07 Sep 1999 12:39:12 -0500
From: John Howell <John.Howell@vt.edu>
Subject: Orchestration Book
Reply-To: contrabass@contrabass.com>From: "Bret Newton" <jbnbsn99@hotmail.com>
>Does anyone know of a good orchestration or instrumentation book that deals
>with some of these instruments that we so often discuss, especially the
>sarrusophone? At the present I am looking at Adler's Study of Orchestration
>and one called Handbook of Instrumentation.
>Thanks,
>Bret NewtonThe standard orchestration books normally deal only
with--surprise!!--instruments that are standard orchestral instruments.
Same with band arranging books, same with jazz arranging books. And just
because an instrument was called for in a handful of scores in a particular
time and place (simply because it was available to the composer!) doesn't
make it a standard instrument, or even a standard optional instrument.
You'd probably do better with books on the history of instruments.John
John & Susie Howell
Virginia Tech Department of Music
Blacksburg, Virginia, U.S.A. 24061-0240
Vox (540) 231-8411 Fax (540) 231-5034
(mailto:John.Howell@vt.edu)
http://www.music.vt.edu/faculty/howell/howell.html
---------------------------------------------------------
Date: Tue, 07 Sep 1999 12:44:01 -0500
From: John Howell <John.Howell@vt.edu>
Subject: Double-bell euphonium
Reply-To: contrabass@contrabass.com>From: "Timothy J. Tikker" <timjt@awod.com>
>Also, forgive the naivete, but I'm puzzled at the function of the fourth
>valve. The fifth obviously switches to the smaller bell; I was
>surprised, since I had assumed this was for tuning purposes a la Sax,
>but it turns out to be an alternate instrument, as it were, sort of a
>tenor cornet versus the main bell's tenor tuba. But I couldn't figure
>out the fourth valve...
>- Timothy TikkerWe had one at my high school, and one of the baritone players in our
community band has one that looks identical to me, so I can double check
with him.As far as I know, this instrument combines a euphonium with a tenor horn.
They're both in the same key, and in America I don't think the tenor horn
ever caught on, but (as you now know) it gives you two different tone
qualities. I believe that in British brass bands the instrument they call
the tenor horn is in Eb rather than Bb, and is what we would call an alto
horn.I suspect that the 4th valve does what it does on any other euphonium or
tuba, adds tubing equal to 1-3, but long enough to be in tune, and also
extends the lower range of the horn. To check see if 4 doesn't give the
same overtone series as 1-3.John
John & Susie Howell
Virginia Tech Department of Music
Blacksburg, Virginia, U.S.A. 24061-0240
Vox (540) 231-8411 Fax (540) 231-5034
(mailto:John.Howell@vt.edu)
http://www.music.vt.edu/faculty/howell/howell.html
---------------------------------------------------------
Date: Tue, 07 Sep 1999 10:36:56 -0700
From: tubadave@jps.net
Subject: 2 bell euph
Reply-To: contrabass@contrabass.comAnyway... any thoughts on what these things are worth once restored?
Also... what do I do for a case for it?!They're pretty rare, ones in the condition of yours are worth 1200
upward. If it were to be put into prestine condition it would be worth a
mint (at least out of my means "mint")****************
Also, forgive the naivete, but I'm puzzled at the function of the fourth
valve. The fifth obviously switches to the smaller bell; I was
surprised, since I had assumed this was for tuning purposes a la Sax,
but it turns out to be an alternate instrument, as it were, sort of a
tenor cornet versus the main bell's tenor tuba. But I couldn't figure
out the fourth valve...- Timothy Tikker
I take it you've never learned or read about them.
They are meant to be able to simulate two different instruments, having
two distinct tones. A friend of mine (trumpet player) inherited one last
year. I got a chance to play around with it. Had the Small bell facing
backward & really got a fantastic "point counter point" affect. It would
be a blast to write for one, as I was making things up off the top of my
head I very easilly gravitated toward the Statement, then answer to the
statement, then variation to the first, onward I was really having fun.
Anyway enough on that. My friend trumpet player was really shocked at
the affect & capability of the horn, as I must admit so was I.
BTW the fourth valve SHOULD just be equal to 1&3 fingering.tubadave@jps.ne
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