Arnold Jacobs "Concerto for Bass Tuba / R. V. Williams"

[@alanaurelia5372]

So happy to have sold him this tuba, a B&S F, in 1975, at Giardinelli's in New York City, to make this wonderful recording on.

[@bobcat24]

That must fill you with pride and joy! 😃

[@songandwind72]

I'm sure it was (is?) a nice tuba. Unfortunately, Mr. Jacobs was not happy with this recording and told many of his students not to listen to it. Evidently the recording conditions were bad, including mic placement.

[@williamirwin7107]

I asked him in 1997, where I could find a recording of this, to which he responded, "I wouldn't waste my time and money on that. Not my best work". Still, I find it to be a great performance, considering the lack of time that he had to prepare

[@matthewdickerson4671]

I'm a younger tuba player and been playing for 6 years now. But he actually said that to you. I agree with you that piece that he played was great.

[@malthuswasright]

That's interesting. My first reaction to hearing this was that it wasn't up to the Fletcher version. Still good to hear though.

[@morrobarry]

@@jamesliu1001 I'd still say the whole first movement sounds rushed and not very stylistic. But that is a good point about why his tone isn't that same level as in his other recordings

[@CommunistBearFighter]

@@morrobarry see Michael Short's comment....

[@michaelshort7472]

I had just moved to Chicago at the time of this recording and had been studying with Mr. Jacobs for a few years. He was not happy with its release. What he told me at that time was that the recording technicians for DG had set up microphones and looked to be recording when Barenboim rehearsed the orchestra the late morning or early afternoon of Mr. Jacobs' performance. Since the rehearsal and the concert were the same day, he didn't want to tire himself out for the performance and held back. After the rehearsal, the techs took down the microphones. Mr. Jacobs wondered if they were just setting levels and had to have the equipment out and would set back up for the evening performance. They did not record the evening performance and he wondered if there was some technical problem. When this recording came out, I went in for a lesson and Mr. Jacobs was as mad as I ever saw him. "They released a recording of the run-through at the rehearsal! That was intentionally not my best, from my point of view!" Of course, there was nothing that could be done.

[@trueconextionmusic7707]

What good story. But in the defense of the rehearsal, there is probably a relaxed attitude which gives it its charm.

[@songandwind72]

That's what I heard as well.

[@civilemikeg416]

Arnold Jacobs was the greatest orchestral tuba player of all time. His performance here was outstanding!!!

[@ericktippett4158]

After a year of studying Tuba with Charley Guze a former Jacobs student and principal tuba for the Lyric Opera Orchestra who then sent me to Jake to become a member of the Chicago Civic Symphony Sectional Jacobs was the last teacher I studied tuba with. Yes he told me about his lung challenge and had several breathing machines in the basement of his home on Normal Avenue on Chicago's south side with which he coached me in increasing my lung capacity. What many people didn't know was that Jacobs was an excellent singer and did professional work at WGN studios when he first arrived here from Curtis Institute in Philadelphia his home town where he had studied voice! How odd as I changed my major to voice two years later, but always remained a brass man at heart and often during the summers went to hear concerts of the Goldman Band when I moved to New York. Jacob's skill as well as that of Harvey Phillips and others certainly argued for the tuba as just as fine as any of the other horns as a solo vehicle though its traditional function has been foundational for the brass family! Erick Dean Tippett Retired Musician/Teacher Chicago, Illinois

[@AndyDerrickMusic]

I actually like his sound on this recording, there is a great deal of clarity to it which some players don't achieve when playing solos and go for total resonance. Considering this was probably written for an F tuba I would say this probably an appropriate timbre? Happy to be corrected of course.

[@themightyquinn94]

I know that the Eb is the tuba of choice in most British orchestras. I would imagine that that is the instrument it was intended for?

[@AndyDerrickMusic]

@@themightyquinn94 it is now but this was commissioned/premiered by Philip Catelinet and Eb tubas were associated with brass bands so hence my theory

[@morrobarry]

It was written for F tuba

[@jerrybyers2172]

It's amazing, jow he can play all that without moving his fingers. Oh, it's a still picture. So-o-o-r-r-r-y.

[@vinnikodiak4779]

The orchestra sounds wonderful

[@dustinparsons2484]

He wrote great warmups and was a great musician for sure a legend

[@bordaz1]

1:28 a trombonist comes in a bar early....i'm not sure what to make of this recording. An orchestra as capable as the CSO can't give this piece the time of day, even in the editing and release of the disc, and this is not to mention the infamous microphones used to record Jake

[@NicksOnlineTromboneAcademy]

does that account for the distortion ?

[@miriamdelcat6157]

Thanks very good

[@FabinhoLehman]

Incrível, inspirador, muito bonito, emocinante!!!!!!! Bravoooooo!!!!!!!

[@iipinheiro]

Espetacular Bravo

[@nataliestanley8654]

beautiful ❤

[@matteofalchero2105]

Fantastico

[@griffincollins3553]

Interesting story about this recording that my private teacher told me about: Apparently the Chicago symphony didn't really rehearse the orchestra parts before the recording took place. So they took multiple recordings (back to back) until the orchestra got a good recording. Since this concerto is so demanding in terms of range and technical skill even the greatest tuba player of all time got extremely fatigued from these multiple runs. This is why Mr Jacobs' tone might sound a bit thin.

[@trueconextionmusic7707]

Sounds fine to me. Only a tuba player would notice.

[@marcosPRATA918]

Admirável Tuba!

[@berndbodenstein2258]

Ein wunderbarer Tubist!

[@catchoupiote]

At 5:51, that violin portamento ! I'm not sure it goes stylistically with the music but technically, it's great and very CSO sounding...

[@jiyujizai]

こういったのが聴きたかった。サンキュー😉👍🎶

[@songandwind72]

いや　とんでもない

[@thebrasshole6204]

It almost sounds as though he's playing this on an ophicleide. The sound is so thin on this recording

[@stephaniecurry45]

If you analyze Jacobs' embouchure, his motion is slightly different from most other players and he plays slightly downwards. His resonance may not have been as robust and full with this play style.

[@raghulsachi1428]

Arin George no I have the original, and this is sad

[@gregoryronnback2756]

Yup, that sounds like Jake.

[@gregoryronnback2756]

This was played on a German F tuba, a Meinl/Weston I believe. I played this horn while a student of his and it was very stuffy. I do recall he was not impressed with DG's recording techniques. He said they tended to thin out the sound of the brass instruments, and he especially didn't like what they did with the trumpets. Both Mr. Jacobs and Mr. Herseth has very unique styles of playing that carried through whatever they played, and they always sounded terrific.

[@gregoryronnback2756]

Interesting. I have never heard any tuba player who was able to produce the massive volume and sound quality that Mr. Jacobs was capable of releasing at will. He is the only brass player I have heard who could play a single note with such a beautiful and compelling sound the ear was immediately drawn to it.

[@英光田中-u8n]

硬めの音が気持ちいい

[@josecarloscarlos9562]

Muito bom abraço

[@kalmerkiik4326]

GREAT

[@nathanesaulotubistasccb2469]

verY gOOD

[@timothyhigh3587]

he is awesome

[@melihkocata6990]

Harikasın bremın ❤️

[@TubaEilas]

Yes, it sounds like that. why?

[@Iffazan]

E de arrepiar muito bom mesmo

[@BrianJohnstonTrombone]

4:34

[@marcosgabrielrosa9242]

Brasil 🇧🇷

[@べむべむ-z4s]

どうやったらこんなに上手く吹けるの。。？

[@songandwind72]

Practice.

[@uyu4221]

目つぶって聴いたらたまにファゴットかと思うときある

[@НиколайРылатко]

Гениально

[@tiesiogsimas6689]

When was it recorded? Sounds like very old record . And that is why I REALLY liked this version.

[@KZ01451]

+Tiesiog Simas March 1977, Orchestra Hall

[@tiesiogsimas6689]

+Trombone Keiji OMG. thats old... Thanks, Man!

[@Louisvillebandman]

Hey, now...some of us REMEMBER 1977!

[@chrisdean9151]

Did he play this on the York?

[@arnonosherov7707]

playing such a piece on a york cc tuba is too risky...an f tuba will be better, I guess it's a besson

[@chrisdean9151]

Arnon Osherov I believe Gene Porkony played this piece a few years ago on the York cc.

[@windinhishairJ3]

He did.

[@Mack9MusicGroup]

This recording sounds similar to the Roger Bobo version with the Philadelphia Philharmonic.

[@ANDONIXmusic]

What tuba did he play with on this recording?

[@dreinhardt001]

+Andoni Moñux Rock Musician - Sounds to me like he was accidentally playing a used horn that was dragged down the highway by a truck and then hammered out by a blacksmith. This recording does not do justice to a legendary player.

[@songandwind72]

@@dreinhardt001 My idea is that he got flustered by the recording engineers and other recording conditions. It affected the playing. But his bad days were still so much better than other tubists' best days.

[@martin1024]

Tupa

[@dawaynereed3350]

Did he really have one lung?

[@transmutation11]

+Dawayne Reed no, however he did have limited lung capacity because of a lung condition. If you to that into account his lung capacity was about that of what one of his lungs would have been.

[@littledrewboo]

+Dawayne Reed That was a myth however he did suffer from breathing problems that inspired him to study breathing to get the most out of the limited lung capacity he had.

[@Louisvillebandman]

Arnold Jacobs had diminished lung capacity due to childhood illness and adult-onset asthma. Hadn't heard about Bell's issue; I find it interesting that two of our legends had lung issues!

[@57dogsbody]

Just what I was going to ask!

[@willtemp9065]

Actually, I’ve spoken to some people close to him who told me that wasn’t even true. Apparently that was a student of his that had the lung condition. Not saying it’s true, just repeating what I’ve heard

[@stanleyross6430]

I believe it was a CC Tuba

[@windinhishairJ3]

Jacobs recorded this on the small Besson F tuba.

[@paulmasgalajian8102]

I defer to the "authorities". However, as a former serious brass student and having many recordings of the CSO in my collection, this sure sounds like a "sugar wafer" compared to a rich German Chocolate Cake ! Either the legendary Jacobs was having a very bad day with asthma and/or he picked up a second hand King on the way to the studio and recorded this.

[@davidmartin9565]

An above poster pointed out this was on a Besson F tuba- a very small compensating instrument.

[@chrisdean9151]

What horn did play it on?

[@leosummer868]

B&S f tuba

[@DieFlabbergast]

Who the heck is "R.V. Williams"? The composer's surname is Vaughan Williams, a "double-barreled" surname without a hyphen. You should refer to him as "Ralph Vaughan Williams, or in abbreviation, as "RVW."

[@will_ofstone1328]

Is this really Jacobs

[@hthomasmcgrady]

Yup, and he wasn't happy with it after he did it. Horrible recording.

[@ancientbrass]

+Steve Marcus We'll have to hope that somewhere, someone will be willing to digitize the LP...

[@KZ01451]

+Nathaniel Wood is it? kzbin.info/www/bejne/jX3KZWWcidqSaNE

[@ancientbrass]

oOo! That's probably it! Certainly a better recording!

[@stanleyross6430]

Tom Mcgrady did Mr. Jacobs really performed the piece on a the York CC?

[@juanvaldez7224]

Floyd Cooley sounds a lot like jacobs. Crazy.

[@LeopoldMidas]

This is most likely a Roger Bobo recording.

[@windinhishairJ3]

No. Jacobs and the CSO.

[@LeopoldMidas]

Oops, this is a really bright sound for AJ. My mistake!

[@たにけい-k9s]

I love Mr,Jacobs in the Orchestra. But I don't like this performance,bacause his sound is very thin and the articulation is not natural. I wonder if it is really Mr.Jacobs?

[@tubruh7256]

たにけい I think the recording of the time couldn't capture his sound

[@たにけい-k9s]

In 1977 by Deutsche grammophon. At that time ,Deutsch gramophone's analog recording is very high revel. It is in no way inferior to today's digital recordings.

[@たにけい-k9s]

Your explanation is very convincing.

[@songandwind72]

@@たにけい-k9s It doesn't matter the DG engineers did not do a good job recording in that space they used.

[@Felix-nh5pw]

Wow Arnold Jacobs such legend. But this is faaar from beeing good. I feel very sorry. Maybe just bad day.

[@cjtuba1]

Patrick Harrrilds version is awesone. He told me he played it over 18 times on the recording. Sorry but he did this better as good as AJ was as one of the old masters. This sounds tinny and honestly rushed and musically out of sequence, forgetting the recording science we have today. Music is to be played musically and in time... soz.

[@cjtuba1]

Think Patrick Harrild (London Symphony Orchestra) version is better..sorry

[@rogeriainmason7414]

chris eley, you are not ex Welsh Guards are you? Bought my first Tuba off you if you remember.

[@cjtuba1]

Great technique, still sounds like a flumpet! Hear Pat Harrild, LSO and you'll hear the thick, warm tone. This sounds rushed to me.. sorry...

[@explodingsausage6576]

This is dreadful.