Re: When did F become Eb?


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Posted by Rick Denney on May 10, 2001 at 08:11:21:

In Reply to: When did F become Eb? posted by Aubrey Foard on May 10, 2001 at 01:02:03:

Dan has it right. The F tuba was designed in Prussia by Wieprecht, which he successfully sold to the Prussian military bands. It took a while before it filtered into orchestras. (By the way, I played a horn very similar to a Wieprecht and Moritz F, with an Eb tuning slide, at Dillons this week. It had the five Berliner pumpen, a bore approximately like a small euphonium, and a receiver that fit a modern tuba mouthpiece. With a tuba mouthpiece, it sounded just like a leaky euphonium with a tuba mouthpiece. I didn't try it with a large-shank euphonium mouthpiece, but I'd guess it would sound pretty similar to a leaky euphonium. I'm standing by my earlier suggestion that a euphonium is a better modern equivalent than an F tuba, in terms of sound. That suggests, at the very least, a small F tuba for Berlioz.)

The Eb was invented by Sax as part of his Saxhorn family, and became the standard design in France and England.

The CC and BBb tubas, using rotary valves, were first built by Cerveny in Bohemia.

There was lots of variation and cross-breeding in the ensuing decades.

One thing ought to be pointed out: The tubas used in British orchestras at the turn of the century were F tubas. These were standard till after WWII, and Fletcher was the first big-name British tubist to completely legitimize the Eb for orchestral use. But the British F tubas, from a distance, looked like Eb tubas, with three top-action valves and two on the side, in the saxhorn layout. Some were compensating, others not. All were quite small, but not as small as a Wieprecht F. Previous to the F tubas, euphoniums were probably used. Thus spake Bevan, at least.

Rick "who still wonders at the genesis of the American-style front-action piston BAT" Denney


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