Posted by Jim Self on September 29, 2002 at 20:55:59:
Opera Parts
For the second time this year I nearly lost a lucrative job because new contractors and librarians had taken over orchestras where I play. In both cases they were going to replace me on Puccini operas with a bass trombone. It seems we have to educate these people constantly so they know that the proper instrument on the lowest brass part in Italian opera is the CIMBASSO and that it is a tuba player's gig. (If one doesn't have a cimbasso than a smallish tuba should be OK).
We tuba players have got to be vigilant about any upcoming (opera or concert) performances of Verdi, Puccini, Mascagni, Rossini, Donizetti, Bellini and other 19th/early 20th Century music by Italians and tell the people who hire us that it is a tuba player's job. Let's even go further and, whenever we see a part or score by any of these composers, take a pencil and cross out bass trombone, bombardon, ophicleide, basso flicorno or whatever you may see in a myriad of editions and write over it with Cimbasso/Tuba. Maybe, if enough of the rental parts and library copies have the changes, the word will get around and save a few more jobs.
This summer I got to hear a performance of Verdi's "La Traviata" at the Santa Fe Opera. I went way out there and paid a hefty price--especially to hear the cimbasso. The orchestra and production were fine except that they used 4 trombonists and the tuba player sat at home--unpaid. And this is from a world class opera company that was too cheap to hire a cimbasso player. Big disappointment for me!
Don't get me wrong, I love my trombone player friends, but they have 3 of the jobs in the band already!
There will be those who argue against me but I have played many years of opera and hundreds of Italian opera services and I have my opinion. The cimbasso part is often a soloistic part and much better on a cimbasso or small tuba. Every conductor I have played for prefers it too--I ask them! We need to protect our own turf--it is about jobs after all!
In any case help me change "them thar" parts and teach "them thar" contractors. Fight for our gigs. Rah, Rah, Rah!!
Jim Self
Chauvinist Tuba/Cimbasso Player