Contrabass Digest

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1999-07-29

 
Date: Wed, 28 Jul 1999 23:52:20 -0400
From: jim and joyce <lande@erols.com>
Subject: bass oboe

Reply-To: contrabass@contrabass.com
what is the range compared to a bassoon?
does anyone use these things for anything?   (like someone with a dozen
metal clarinets really worries about utility)
 

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From: Opusnandy@aol.com
Date: Thu, 29 Jul 1999 01:01:14 EDT
Subject: Re: bass oboe
Reply-To: contrabass@contrabass.com

A bass oboe's range, compared to a bassoon, is exactly one octave higher;
ranging from Bb2 to approx. F5.  If you are talking about the Heckelphone
(which is often used interchangeably with the bass oboe, although differing
somewhat in tone) add one note on the bottom and a few more on the top (I can
get to A5 on my Heckelphone without too much problem and can sometimes squeak
out a B5 and C6).  The bass oboe (or Heckelphone) can be found in many early
20th century orchestral works, most notably in the scores of Strauss and
Delius.  Holst also includes an important bass oboe part in "The Planets".  A
number of chamber works have been written for these instruments, including a
wonderful trio for Heckelphone, viola, and piano by Hindemith.

Hope this helps out,
Jon Carreira
Striving to make the Heckelphone the Saxophone of the next century
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Date: Thu, 29 Jul 1999 02:44:07 -0700
From: "tubadave@jps.net" <tubadave@jps.net>
Subject: Barcus Berry flute pick-ups
Reply-To: contrabass@contrabass.com

I own one of the flute pick-ups from B.B.
it sounds OK. it picks up a little too much of the pad clicky clatter
for me, I resorted to an SM58 SURE with a huge pop filter on it. I was
playing tull like riffs without ANY problem. We would record both
signals to give the mixdown tech the latitude to play with the direct
line feed into other effects etc... but I would insist on my stage
monitor only having the mike signal. I did use the BB pickup to feed the
old ECHOPLEX because those things decayed so badly anyway. I wanted to
start each phrase with a good strong signal so that was a condition
where I actually prefered the pick-up.
 

I'm wondering if anyone has had experience with
        either the flute or reed pick ups from Barcus
        Berry.
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Date: Thu, 29 Jul 1999 09:48:00 -0700
From: Grant Green <gdgreen@contrabass.com>
Subject: Re: bass oboe
Reply-To: contrabass@contrabass.com

>A bass oboe's range, compared to a bassoon, is exactly one octave higher;
>ranging from Bb2 to approx. F5.  If you are talking about the Heckelphone

Actually, I think the bass oboe only descends to B2, rather than Bb.  In
the oboe family, the instruments lower than the C oboe are generally not
provided with a low Bb.

Grant

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Grant Green            gdgreen@contrabass.com
                    http://www.contrabass.com
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
---------------------------------------------------------

From: DrewEmery@aol.com
Date: Thu, 29 Jul 1999 12:54:57 EDT
Subject: Re: bass oboe
Reply-To: contrabass@contrabass.com

I know someone who was able to order a bass oboe low B flat extention (thru
Forrest's) for a Strauss piece.  I know they are not included on Loree basses
or d'amores, but Patricola has the on special order.

Drew Emery
Oboist at large
---------------------------------------------------------

From: JolivetDVM@aol.com
Date: Thu, 29 Jul 1999 13:15:57 EDT
Subject: Beecham and the sarrusophone
Reply-To: contrabass@contrabass.com

    No one has mentioned that Sir Thomas Beecham wrote an autobiography
entitled "A Mingled Chime".  In it are chapters on Holbrooke and the first
performance of Apollo and the Seaman.  There is an extensive section dealing
with the problems of finding a sarrusophonist for the piece.  Holbrooke and
Beecham went to France to find a player and the ensuing story is very
interesting especially to all of us sarrusophonists.  Judging from Beecham's
recollections and looking at the instrumentation etc, it looks like only one
sarrusophone was used when in fact 2 are called for.  The piece has never
been recorded and I doubt that it has even been performed at all since.
    Holbrooke composed a piece for solo contrabassoon!!!
    Speaking of the value of sarrusophones - I think they are worth what
someone is willing to pay for  them.  They are antiques and of limited
availability.  If a BBb contra come up for sale I suspect it would sell for
quite a bit more than 2-3000.  A few years ago, Werner Schultz of Austria was
selling a contrabass sarrusophone ( never said what key) and a heckelphone;
he was asking a minimum of $20,000 per instrument, firm!!  Don't know if they
sold...Michel
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Date: Thu, 29 Jul 1999 10:23:56 -0700
From: Grant Green <gdgreen@contrabass.com>
Subject: More helicons
Reply-To: contrabass@contrabass.com

What is this, Helicon Summer?  Here's another one at ebay:
http://cgi.ebay.com/aw-cgi/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=138856736

There's also a Gemeinhardt "KGB special" flute, at
http://cgi.ebay.com/aw-cgi/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=138866720  What I
want to know is where the microfilm goes...

Enjoy!

Grant

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Grant Green            gdgreen@contrabass.com
                    http://www.contrabass.com
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
---------------------------------------------------------

Date: Thu, 29 Jul 1999 14:03:13 -0400
From: FranÚois Villon <feodor@informaxinc.com>
Subject: Re: More helicons
Reply-To: contrabass@contrabass.com
 

Grant Green wrote:
> There's also a Gemeinhardt "KGB special" flute, at
> http://cgi.ebay.com/aw-cgi/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=138866720  What I
> want to know is where the microfilm goes...

It's a weapon. You put the bullet in and then blow real hard. KGB guys
had pretty good lungs.

Feodo


 
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