Oval Baritone

[bbocaner]

I think Corentin Morvan's instrument has four valves up top and two on the side and I suspect is similar to the Mahillion in the Simonetti collection:

https://simonettitubacollection.com/...uba-6-pistons/

or maybe it doesn't! really hard to tell from that video!

Note the large bore, larger than most euphoniums. The Simonetti collection also has a Couesnon from 1985 with an even larger yet bore.

The Wessex is based on an earlier instrument from the 1930s. Much closer to Ravel, but a smaller bore and bell too.

[bbocaner]

I see your point, but here is another point. For example, the movement "Ballet of the Unhatched Chicks" is usually, I assume, played on instruments that are as facile as any used in Ravel's time. One would not intentionally choose an instrument that was more difficult to make it sound like awkward poultry. Does that work?

totally agree, and I think the french tuba is a great thing to use when the rest of the brass section also plays scaled down instruments. But tubists really like a big grand orchestral contrabass tuba when it comes to catacombs. Usually what you'll find is they will use a big CC tuba for the whole piece and then either pass Bydlo to a trombonist doubling on euphonium or switch to a small(er) F tuba for the movement.

If those are my two choices and I'm the trombonist, I'm all for the euphonium! If those are my two choices and I'm in the audience, I love to hear it done well on a smallish F tuba.

I would LOVE to hear a tubist do the whole suite on french tuba. But it would be best if paired with appropriate small-bore trombones. A big modern bass trombone would blow a french tuba out of the water.

[RickF]

Reviving a nearly two-year old thread, here's a video of four different instruments being used to play 'Bydlo', or the fourth movement of Mussorgsky's "Pictures at an Exhibition". I still like Fossi's playing or number 1 myself on tuba. The third one on euphonium sounds good but didn't care for his phrasing as I thought he took too many breaths. The oval baritone was my second choice.

Comparing 4 different "Bydlo" on 4 different instruments:

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