Contrabass Digest
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1998-09-20

 
list                           Sun, 20 Sep 1998           Volume 1 : Number 94

In this issue:
 

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Date: Sat, 19 Sep 1998 21:14:57 -0400
From: Jim Lande <lande@erols.com>
To: list@contrabass.com
Subject: Re: list V1 #93

I can see how slinging a 4X slide out to 6th or 7th position could throw
> one off balance... BUT, I have an idea for a harness.  If the instrument is
> relatively balanced when in first position, you just need something to keep
> it on your shoulder as you throw out the slide.  Perhaps a shoulder brace,
> wood or plastic, that goes over your shoulder and extends down to your
> thigh for bracing (adjustable, of course).  The instrument would probably
> have to lock onto the brace.  Or maybe the brace should go down one's back
> and hook onto the belt (with the possible consequence that you'd get a
> wedgie every time you hit 6th or 7th position).  Or maybe we should
> concentrate on subcontrabass cimbassi... ;-)

With bio-engineering making great strides, perhaps we should concentrate
on breeding trombone players with longer arms and
more...ah...counterbalance.

jim lande

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Date: Sat, 19 Sep 1998 22:28:52 -0200
From: timjt@awod.com (Timothy Tikker)
To: <list@contrabass.com>
Subject: William Albright

This isn't so specifically contrabass-related, but it seems important
enough to the American music scene that it's worth announcing here:

Composer, organist, pianist and teacher William Albright suffered a fatal
heart attack on the evening of 17 September, in Ann Arbor, MI.  Born 20
October 1944 in Gary, IN, he was just about a month short of his 54th
birthday.

Bill was head of the composition department at the School of Music of the
University of Michigan at Ann Arbor, one of the leading departments in the
nation.  He was an excellent performer and an important advocate and
commissioner of new music.  He recorded for CRI, Nonesuch and Music Masters
labels.  Besides being a classical performer, he was also a specialist in
ragtime and early jazz, recording among other things the complete piano
works of Scott Joplin.

The news of Bill's death was reported to me by his second wife, organist
and composer Pamela Decker, this past Friday.

An interesting coincidence is that Albright was born the same day as
Charles Ives, just 70 years later.  I had been planning to give an organ
concert of music by both composers on that date this year.  Now, of course,
it will be a memorial program.

- Timothy Tikker
Charleston ,SC

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Date: Sun, 20 Sep 1998 09:01:51 +0100
From: David Bobroff <bobroff@centrum.is>
To: list@contrabass.com
Subject: more contrabass trombones

>>Are you saying that Alexander makes a BBb contrabass trombone?  The older
>>Mirafone had a .620" bore.  The newer ones have a .562" bore.
>
>At least as a custom order yes.  We had one at a TUBA conference some
>time back.  It had more like a .750 bore.

What a beast!

>The Alex had a double wrap slide and two rotors.  My recollection at the
>time is that it played nice, but was very heavy.  I wish I  could
>remember who the owner/player was, I would have to look back through alot
>of years of old programs to see if I have that one.

I would like to know if you come across the information.  I'm still
wondering about the two valves, though.  I wonder what the use is of two
valves on such an instrument.  The one thing that comes to mind is that
with two valves it would be fully chromatic down to it's fundamental Bb.
Maybe that was the reason.  Not bad reason but perhaps a bit over the top.
But that's what this list is all about, right?

Hey, with all this talk of contra-/alto/bass clarinets and contrabassoons
we've had an entire digest (#93) devoted to contrabass trombones.  Excellent!

David Bobroff
bobroff@centrum.is

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Date: Sun, 20 Sep 1998 09:00:52 +0100
From: David Bobroff <bobroff@centrum.is>
To: list@contrabass.com
Subject: bracing

>Perhaps a shoulder brace,
>wood or plastic, that goes over your shoulder and extends down to your
>thigh for bracing (adjustable, of course).

Or maybe just wheelie bars like on the old top fueler dragsters or funny
cars would be appropriate.

David Bobroff
bobroff@centrum.is

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Date: Sun, 20 Sep 1998 11:33:23 -0400
From: mgrogg@juno.com
To: list@contrabass.com
Subject: Re: more contrabass trombones

>>The Alex had a double wrap slide and two rotors.  My recollection at
>the time is that it played nice, but was very heavy.  I wish I  could
>>remember who the owner/player was, I would have to look back through
>alot of years of old programs to see if I have that one.
>
>I would like to know if you come across the information.  I'm still
>wondering about the two valves, though.  I wonder what the use is of
>two >valves on such an instrument.  The one thing that comes to mind is
>that >with two valves it would be fully chromatic down to it's fundamental

I should think it two rotors for the same reason the Bass Bones have two.
 The one rotor was an F valve, I don't remember if the second was for E,
or somthing lower.  At the time the popular Bass bone layout was F and E
valves.  I can see some use to an independent dual rotor system the same
as the current Basses, one in F, and the other in D.  That would give you
alternates so you wouldn't have to hang the slide out very far, as heavy
as it was long tones beyond about 3rd position could get very trying.
 

MG
 

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Date: Sun, 20 Sep 1998 12:43:27 -0700 (PDT)
From: Michael Famulare <flams1600@yahoo.com>
To: list@contrabass.com
Subject: Wedding Music -- Bach Suite

If you can get in touch with Shall-u-mo Publications of Rochester, New
York, you can get a version of the Allemande from Suite #1 already
transcribed for the clarinet (or bass).  The Courante is very exiting
too.

Michael G. Famulare
 
 
 

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End of list V1 #94
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