Repertoire with the Low B

[Snakewood]

Hey, I'm curious as to what orchestral repertoire contains a Low B. I believe Resphigi's Pines does, and Berg's Wozzeck?

Anything else?

[Jeff Moote]

Strauss' Also Sprach Zarathrusta

[Bruce Jackson]

One of the Tchaikovsky symphonies, sorry don't know which one.

[Jeff Moote]

Originally Posted by Bruce Jackson

One of the Tchaikovsky symphonies, sorry don't know which one.

Probably 6th. I know it's not 4 or 5, and 6 is more likely than 1, 2, 3 based on the period.

[PaulCannon]

I think there's a Brahms Symphony where it can be done. It's not in the part, but it makes the most sense with the low B.

[Snakewood]

Originally Posted by Jeff Moote

Probably 6th. I know it's not 4 or 5, and 6 is more likely than 1, 2, 3 based on the period.

I have two versions of his selected works, one of them the Oscar Zimmerman, the other is INTL publishers. Tchaikowsky never wrote below Contra E for the basses in his work. The lower notes were added in later by established orchestral bassists.

[JayR]

The college orchestra I play in just got a piece from a local composer, Mark Alburger. I've played a couple other of the guy's pieces before, and he has no clue what the range of any string instrument is, I swear. He writes good music, but the bass part to this suite we just got is almost literally unplayable, containing multiple low A's that would require a 5 stringer to tune down and all sorts of runs that arent possible unless you plant your thumb on D-string C. Other than that, I've never seen a low B. Outside of band music. which doesnt count.

[Snakewood]

Well in Band music the bass usually doubles the tuba or euphonium part if there isn't a specific string bass part. It may be possible that the composer wrote the Low A in ACTUAL pitch, and doesn't realize that bass music needs to be transposed one octave higher for the sanity of reading.
It's a possibility, OR...he may also be a terrible composer with no basic training in orchestration.

[Jeff Moote]

Originally Posted by Snakewood

I have two versions of his selected works, one of them the Oscar Zimmerman, the other is INTL publishers. Tchaikowsky never wrote below Contra E for the basses in his work. The lower notes were added in later by established orchestral bassists.

This confirms my thoughts. I wasn't going to argue when someone else thought he had done so however, so I speculated.

I was wrong :P

[Snakewood]

Originally Posted by Jeff Moote

This confirms my thoughts. I wasn't going to argue when someone else thought he had done so however, so I speculated.

I was wrong :P

it's all good

ps best tchaik symphony recordings = oslo phil with jansons!! especially no 6!@!

[Bruce Lindfield]

Shostakovich 4th Symphony ends on a massive low C from th basses!

[bassist14]

ok, maybe it´s not the right thread...it´s not about a low B, just a half step down...

today i´ve seen a bass-part of the cäcilien-messe from gounod.
in the bendictus there were several low Bbs

i dont know if this is original, it was an arrangement.
does somebody now the original score?

[velvetkevorkian]

Originally Posted by PaulCannon

I think there's a Brahms Symphony where it can be done. It's not in the part, but it makes the most sense with the low B.

Brahms 2, I think; the opening is obviously designed to go down to D.

[evan_phi]

Smetena's Vshrhad (i forget how u spell it...)
lots of Eb's near the closing.

Respighi's Pines of Rome. Low D's

movie music. big time. (Phantom of the Opera, Gladiator... etc.)