Barth's Brass Blog

I received a couple of unsolicited comments I have to share (with permission, of course.) Dick, We just finished a long recording session for an upcoming Pops disc, the 6/4 was incredible to play on it! Listening to the playbacks, it was shocking the presence that horn has! Tons of fun! Carson McTeer, Cincinatti Symphony The J445 and I are in with Wexford Opera Orchestra this week on Rusalka and I'm enjoying the range of timbres and accuracy of intonation that the tuba offers. The score uses the contrabass register and a lot of meaty unisons with double basses - the J445 blends wonderfully. I've never owned an instrument nimble enough to handle the huge variations in tuba writing in an opera score, from trombone section chorales to bass clarinet / bassoon responses and 5th horn roles. Your design yields warm, rich, resonant sound throughout. I'm beginning to appreciate the practical acoustic advantages of the utility F tuba as practised in Germany and apparently early 20th century UK orchestras prior to the now ubiquitous Eb. I also use this experience as another example of my belief in the superiority of a 5 valve system over compensation, having paid my dues on the Besson Sovereign / Imperial and its progeny! All best, Alex Kidston, Ireland