Cool! Never seen anything like it! And here I played Clarinet and Saxophones in Elementarty, High School and College playing 1st and 2nd Chairs .this Horn would've been great in those bands!
Wow! As an experienced trombonist, I am in awe of your technique and tone! Beautiful! I think this sounds better, dare I say it, than euphonium or trombone? I am amazed at the seamless transitions from the high to low ranges during the arpeggiated passages! I want one!
Thanks for posting this. I don't think even Oystein Baadsvik could match this technique using a modern tuba. And, of course, Hummel was a master of the brass!
I notice that most of the vintage pictures show priests playing it. Was it especially associated with church music? (I think it would sound good with a pipe organ, and indeed I've seen organs with an ophiclide stop.)
The Church was always a bit more conservative in their use of instruments, and I'm not saying this in derogatory manner (because I don't see "conservative" as a bad term). There's is actually a quite interesting and valuable tradition of Catholic Church music post-baroque in France, Italy, Spain and its former colonies. The Dulcian for example was still in use as later as early 19th century in the musical liturgy of the former Spanish colonies.
It's originally for viola and orchestra: vmirror.imslp.org/files/imglnks/usimg/a/ac/IMSLP557942-PMLP206285-Potpourri_for_Viola_and_Orchestra,_Op.94_v2.pdf
I played this for a friend of mine who is a bassoonist, and he says that this is a common recital piece for the bassoon. I notice that many of the pictures show clergymen playing it. Was it particularly associated with church music?
The ophicleide was not significantly associated with the church (unlike the serpent which DID have a great association). But it was popular to depict flustered clergymen trying to play ophicleide...this is not the only postcard or other popular artwork to show this.
Assuming one couldn't find an ophiclede in playable condition--they don't make them any more, do they?--I suppose it would work on basoon or trombone? What about a barisax?
I'm quite sure this is being played on French horn and not an ophicleide (maybe even a trombone...but that seems doubtful to me given the thrills, etc. that work so naturally on the horn). The ophicleiode had (has) side keys, pretty much like a saxophone. I used to own one of these antique instruments. There is no way it could ever sound like this recording. Sorry. If I'm wrong I will believe it when I see a video of this recording or any performance live that uses a real ophicleide.
+John Smith I am sorry Mr Smith, but it is recorded on a real ophicleide (Leconte 9 keys) as also seen on the pictures at the end of the video. If you want you can see youtube video of a concerto that I recorded live there there's 2 years (Ferdiand david concertino ophicleide op12). But that said, I'm flattered that you do not think this possible in reality and with a little work it is quite possible. Best regards
+Wibart Patrick Thanks, Mr. Patrick. I'm very impressed! My good friend and former colleague at The University of Michigan School of Music, Abe Torchinsky....20-year principal tuba with The United States Marine Band and then Principal Tuba with the Philadelphia Orchestra...to whom I sold my instrument...would likely have been able to play as beautifully on this unique instrument. Thanks, again, for your valuable input.
