Tuba - Roles

Roles

An orchestra usually has a single tuba, though an additional tuba may be asked for. It is the principal bass instrument in symphonic and military bands, and those ensembles generally have more. It serves as the bass of the brass section and of brass quintets and choirs (though many small brass ensembles will use the euphonium or bass trombone as the lowest voice), as well as reinforcement for the bass voices of the strings and woodwinds, and as a solo instrument.

Well known and influential parts for the tuba include:

  • Modest Mussorgsky (orch. Ravel): Pictures at an Exhibition - Bydło, Night On Bald Mountain
  • Richard Strauss: Also sprach Zarathustra, Eine Alpensinfonie
  • Shostakovich: Fifth symphony
  • Stravinsky: The Rite of Spring
  • Edgard Varèse: Déserts
  • Richard Wagner: Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg, Lohengrin, Ride of the Valkyries
  • Sergei Prokofiev: Fifth Symphony
  • George Gershwin: An American in Paris
  • Silvestre Revueltas: Sensemayá, Noche de los mayas, Homenaje a Federico García Lorca
  • Gustav Holst: The Planets

Concertos have been written for the tuba by many notable composers, including Ralph Vaughan Williams, Edward Gregson, John Williams, Alexander Arutiunian, Eric Ewazen, James Barnes, Martin Ellerby, Philip Sparke, Kalevi Aho, Arild Plau, James Woodward, Victor Davies, Josef Tal and Bruce Broughton. Joseph Hallman's Concerto for tuba and chamber orchestra was written for and premiered by the Philadelphia Orchestra's tubist, Carol Jantsch in May 2007.

Tubas are also used in concert bands, marching bands, drum and bugle corps, drum and brass corps, and in many jazz bands (see below). In British style brass bands, both E♭ and B♭ tubas are used and are normally referred to as basses.

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