Barcarolle et Chanson Bachique performed by David Randolph

[dsurkin]

I'm studying this piece now and found a YouTube recording by the late David Randolph accompanied by his wife Peggy Randolph on piano. The credits say that he played this on tuba, but it appears to be in the same key as the version I'm working from - which ranges from the pedal Bb to high Gb, with a lot of high Fs. The YouTube recording is not the highest fidelity, but it does sound more tuba-like than euphonium-like. Does anyone know what instrument he recorded that on? Was it a euphonium? or was he simply that flexible in his high range that he recorded it on an F or Eb tuba?

[RickF]

Is this the right link? Sure sounds like euphonium to me.
Barcarolle et Chanson Bachique performed by David Randolph

[davewerden]

If Rick has the right link, then I would vote for tuba. It is very hard to tell from tone quality alone, especially on a recording. And it's tricky with some players. I've always considered myself to have a good detection ability, but I heard a euphonium recital in Linz at ITEC, where I was there in the room, and with my eyes closed I would have been sure it was a tuba about 95% of the time because of the enormous tone and its color.

Anyway I listen for the "bumps" within intervals. With a tuba, even an F tuba, they have more overtones to get through with each slur and it changes the sound between notes. What complicates it is when a tuba player performs on euphonium, especially when using a really big mouthpiece, it can make a euphonium sound more tuba-like. But I'm still voting "tuba" on the recording above.

David's lyrical style and vibrato help make it more euphonium-like (assuming I'm guessing correctly in the first place).

[RickF]

I listened again and do hear more overtones on certain pitches. It is a "sweet sounding" tuba.

[JTJ]

It has what seems to me to be a rotary valve sound (a slight smeariness on some note changes). I'm guessing a small tuba.

But what about a rarer instrument, such as an Alexander tenor tuba?

Whatever it is, the playing is beautiful and very musical.

[dsurkin]

Is this the right link? Sure sounds like euphonium to me.
Barcarolle et Chanson Bachique performed by David Randolph

Yes, that is the right link. Reading the comments, it seems that he was playing a tuba. If it was an F tuba, he was regularly playing at the 8th partial with at least one note--the high Gb--at the 9th partial. I guess this is no big deal for a professional (after all, lead trumpet players regularly play at the 10th through 12th partials), but for me, it's another story.