As a composer, I LOVE the cimbasso for big, loud passages. Tuba is great, but very dark even when playing louder dynamics. Cimbasso just has that snap like trombones and trumpets, especially on short notes!
@@Turt3752 Pretty much, although sometimes on scores for big action movies you'll see both contra bone AND a couple cimbassi which is a bit overkill imo
@@ferretyluv yes they exist, they’re just generally ridiculous in my opinion as a low brass player. For all cimbasso’s faults I genuinely think that in all contexts that don’t require a glissando cimbasso is just better. Personal opinion
I’m surprised you didn’t mention that the cimbasso has become very commonly used in film scoring. With how “uncommon” the instrument itself is, most people have definitely heard it before because of that.
I love the cimbasso and am very jealous of you for having one. I find it interesting that it seemingly has none of the negative characteristics/associations of the valve trombone (stuffiness, intonation etc) despite being essentially the same instrument type just down a 4th or 5th.
Interestingly, it popped up on Reddit a week or two ago asking , if the cimbasso is essentially the valve trombone equivalent of the contrabass trombone, where is the prevalence of a valve bass trombone (bass bore and large bell). Turns out Thein makes exactly that, complete with 4 valves. I'd be curious how that plays compared to a tenor valve trombone.
It sounds like a cross between a tuba and a trombone. My dad says Verdi’s Forza del Destino is nearly impossible to play for 3rd trombone. I told him about the Cimbasso and now he realizes it’s because the part was written for it and not trombone.
I was playing BBb contrabass trombone alongside a tuba in a concert band and the color that we complemented each other with, the timbre, it was absolutely gorgeous and it provided such a wonderful foundation for the band. Everybody in the band loved it. I'm sure the Cimbasso would provide a similar timbre.
after reflecting I would like to play one of these. I played trumpet and baritone, seems around a midpoint of ranges to what Im used to. Neat how you described that the tuba's give more of a breathy foundational tone to the music but although this could not do that, it gave the opposite, more like a tromboneish or something type of ring. I hadnt herd one quite like it.
A surprising amount of modern cinema features cimbassi in its soundtracks! They are used to fantastic affect on suspenseful or “rougher” sounding passages demanding both presence and “bite” from the bass.
I never expected to encounter a sound completely novel to me in a a few bars of “Frosty the Snowman”, but then I clicked on this video. That cimbasso is incredible. It has the clean articulation of a trumpet, the tone and the punch of a trombone, and the pitch of a tuba. Truly a treat for the ears.
I've waited for this video forever. Such an unusual instrument, yet more mainstream than some of the oddballs you've featured, i was always surprised you hadn't featured it yet. Thanks for sharing!
Thank you for yet another interesting and informative video, Trent! Apparently, the name Cimbasso is a corruption of the abbreviation for the early keyed instrument you describe, the English Bass Horn (that looks like a premature Ophicleide), in Italian known as Corno Inglese di Basso, which was often abbreviated (handwritten at the beginning of the score to denote the instrument) as C.In.Basso and thus became Cimbasso.
When you make the part 2 video, would you give a full tour of the instrument? Like, what it looks like in the middle, at the bottom, etc. I'd be really interested in that
I would like to see how and if it breaks down. It would make sense for the upper section to be removable in a similar way to how a trombone's bell section comes off of the slide. However I can't seem to see such a screw coupling in the video where it would make sense to have one. If it doesn't come apart I can see how the case would need to be ridiculously large to protect such an awkwardly large and weird-shape if it were all one piece.
@@svbarryduckworth628it does come apart, you can see the screw holding the bell section to the body at about 0:46 , to the left of the first vertical brace for the bell.
About 10 years ago, Orchestra Hall in Chicago hosted all the low brass players from the major groups in the United States. When Ricardo Mutti say "this was Arnold Jacob's Chimbasso", the entire audience gave a standing ovation.
You have inspired me to have a wall in my basement dedicated to various brass instruments. I bet it's wonderful to be surrounded by so many instruments
Nice to see you on the screen again Trent. I never cease to be amazed at the creations of brass tubing combinations that have appeared in the planet. I imagine nobody makes Cimbassos any longer, but I may be wrong. I’d love to see the case.😋
Remembering that awful time he dropped the contra bass trombone, I'm just about sweating with nervousness as I see Trent switch between hands holding the instrument and the had he is gesturing with.
I believe the bottom rests on the floor, so it would be harder to drop. Still, it's probably an expensive instrument, so care in handling it is important.
I kinda like cimbassos. If I had the money, I'd love to make a contrabass superbone. 4+ valves like a cimbasso (preferably compensating), but also a slide like a contrabass trombone. That would be awesome. I'd prefer silver/nickel plated with gold highlights, maybe
When I was at eastman I got to play don harry's cimbasso in an italian opera overture. He had frankensteined the thing himself out of a marching baritone bell and a cut-down conn tuba valve section. It was so much fun absolutely honking on it lol
I have a hard time managing my tenor trombone, so the idea of a trombone that sits on the floor appeals to me. I'd rather have a slide, though. It's not visible in this video, but there is a spike at the bottom for placing on the floor, or your neighbor's foot, if desired. The last time I saw a Verdi opera, there were a couple of cimbassi that I could see from my seat and I enjoyed watching them. However, unfortunately it was not sung in the original New Zealandish.
Thank you for providing such great content! As a bass trombonist, I’ve wondered how it compares to the bass trombone. I wonder how it directly compares to that Orsi Contrabass Valve Trombone you reviewed.
I have played Tuba a little bit before and I now own a Contrabass Trombone in F but I have never played a Cimbasso, but I would like to try playing one at some point and maybe buy one at some point but its hard to imagine that I would like playing it more than I like playing my Contrabass Trombone lol.
Random thing to say, but does anybody know where to find a good priced vanhanni bass trombone mouthpiece? I can't really find one, and i really need it for jazz band. Also, great video Trent
Pretty much. Verdi literally calls the Cimbasso part "Trombone Contrabbasso" The Cimbasso plays a lot better though, the contrabbass trombone is a bit ridiculous
