"Bydlo" from "Pictures at an Exhibition" - V.Gergiev, Filarmonica della Scala

[boodleboy322]

@mihanich, you are exactly correct on the movement depicting a trudging ox. In fact, that is why it makes more musical sense to use the timbre of the Tuba on the solo vs the Euphonium. The Euphonium is just too bright in my opinion and in order to capture this scene to the fullest you really need to play it on an Eb Tuba or in the very least an F Tuba. Although I believe that Arnold Jacobs once played this on a C Tuba with the Chicago Symphony.

[boodleboy322]

@mihanich, you are exactly correct on the movement depicting a trudging ox. In fact, that is why it makes more musical sense to use the timbre of the Tuba on the solo vs the Euphonium. The Euphonium is just too bright in my opinion and in order to capture this scene to the fullest you really need to play it on an Eb Tuba or in the very least an F Tuba. Although I believe that Arnold Jacobs once played this on a C Tuba with the Chicago Symphony.

[GBWagner1]

Sorry to say but there is no real peak. Not harsh, wide, energetic, painful enough the middle part.

[tubamarius]

what a great version!

[0Sabba0]

impressionante, se non lo vedi che è un tuba non ci credi e pensi che sia un euphonium....fuori di testa..

[thebestmorten1]

the tubist was realy gread and the other orchestra too i like it :)

[StudioTropsII]

...Ge..gE..ugly audio in this failure vid m'kayyyyyyyyyyyyy dear junkie?

[dx5p8]

He plays REALLY many Bordogni´s etudes :))

[mihanich]

why is it called "bydlo"?

[JJRaff18221882]

@mihanich Because that was the name of the painting by Hartmann from which Mussorsky drew his inspiration. It depicts an old wooden ox cart with a peasant driving it and singing this "song" to the ox to keep it moving.

[cpjackson79]

@mihanich "Bydlo" is cattle. Pretty much. I've heard this movement described as an ox trudging through town. As it draws closer, it's despair becomes all the more apparent and then it passes you and trudges off to the horizon on whatever errand it's being led to do.

The painting this is based on is very vague. I don't really see an ox in it but there are lot s of people on an old village street. Interestingly, "Bydlo" is also slang for "common folks" or poor, uneducated people.

[MrTrombons]

Bravissimo Alessandro, perfect

[SeanPi314]

Or I`m not right, I think the vibrato of the first part of the first violins is a little bit too much.

[macosx406]

I had to look to tell it was a tuba.. I SWORE that was a Euphonium.. Excellent tone and beautiful expression.. I will really have to work to make my tuba and even Euphonium playing that beautiful.. BRAVO!

[Tomthetuba666]

before i looked at the description i was sucked into the tuba playing and i read the comment about multiple tuba's and i remembered seeing that tuba some where before....as it zoomed out i realized it was Fossi ... so good.. so good

[quintanillae]

Wow! that was amazing, it was beautiful all around. I could only dream of playing it that cleanly and expressively. You have given me a new height by which to pursue my F tuba playing.

[Meelyers]

Could anyone list the instruments being played in this orchestra for me? Thank you

[TheMaxi418]

La mia esecuzione preferita di Quadri Di Una Esposizione è quella della Chicago Symphony Orchestra diretta da Seiji Ozawa nel '77. Comunque splendida esecuzione eseguita veramente bene.

My favorite performance of Pictures at an Exhibition is one of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra conducted by Seiji Ozawa in '77. However splendid performance performed really well.

[andreavezzoli]

questo pezzo è incredibilmente orchestrato... da Ravel... che sceglie l'unico strumento che può rappresentare questo clima espressivo... rispecchiando cio che mussorgsky voleva , un clima tipicaente russo, severo,crudo....

[sersvet]

Bravo!!!

[TheTubass]

Bravo Alessandro!

[ShakaUVM]

A great version of one of my favorite songs... the opening measure seems to be a bit of a train wreck, though.

[LJBSasha]

@ShakaUVM: Not the opening measure of the piece itself - rather, the tubist, Signor Alessandro Fossi was a bit slow right after his entry, sad to say.  Once past the first four or so bars of his solo, he was fine and really up to making his instrument SING!!!

[ppbriones87]

excellent!

[ppbriones87]

Excellent!!



[ppbriones87]

Excellent!!

[cipeman]

como toca ese tubista, como si nada que chinvaaaaaaa

[LJBSasha]

After the tubist has finished his last solo (after the climax), I really like how that Hornist plays his muted 5 notes - lovely tone quality!!

One question regarding the tubist (and I'm not one at all!): apparently people agree that he's using an F bass-tuba. In some of those pictures it seems as if another tuba is next to him sitting on the floor upside-down. Am I correct - and if yes, would that likely be a CC/BBb contrabass-tuba?

[pozzie85]

@LJBSasha You are right! In the others pictures he plays a CC tuba

[hectorfprez]

@LJBSasha In his original orchestration, ravel uses a "french tube", that is a tube whose mechanism is quite beside the "FF, BB CC" clasification.

[LJBSasha]

@hectorfprez: 1) the word "tuba" is international - you don't need to think of changing it for any reason. [English is not a language that has much to do with declensions.]

2) Yes, I know about the (6-valve) 8'-C French tuba being what French orchestras used up through the time of World War II - apparently the BB/CC (18'-B-flat/ 16'-C) contrabass-tuba has become (or at least IS becoming) standard world-wide, with the 12'-F being used for high-lying parts. [I'm but a layman in this regard.]

[Tomthetuba666]

I love how the tuba player is all like yeahhhhhh and the trombone players down the line are like Zzzzzzzzz..................

[1tubasan]

We don't mind about the equipment he use, this tubist can play the best bydlo with a BBb 6/4 Rudolf Meinl...

[cuiles]

very good tuba player

[andreidavidcandrianu]

amazing...very goood job....great sound great phrasing

[hotgamer0609]

That solo is amazing , he play´s it perfect !! respect :)

[Chuck7813]

Fabulous!!! One of the best "Bydlos" I have ever heard!!!

[tigerreydelaselva]

Non conosco nessuno che suoni la tuba come questo maestro...!

[tigerreydelaselva]

Non conosco nessuno che suoni la tuba como questo maestro...!!

[SukoshiOtakuSan]

This tubaplayer must be some former horn-player. It cannot be real :)))

[JJRaff1822]

Ravel's tuba was a much smaller, six-valved affair in C which was the mainstay in French orchestras until the 1950's. Hence the reason so many late19th/early 20th Century French tuba parts have such a high tessitura. Either a euphonium or a five-valved F tuba does the work now - although some historically-conscious tubist, I'm sure, will eventually resurrect the old six-valve C; there must be some laying around some cellars or backrooms in Paris!!!

[brokenxskies]

Tears came to my eyes when I heard this. Such a powerful piece.

[logaritmusmatrix]

no music without cough

[alexisurbina]

wow felicidades muy buen trabajo.......

[yuffie24neddea24]

Best 3 minutes of music ever... It really makes me shudder...

[ferdinandocarlomagno]

Bravissimi, suonate con grande professionalità. ********

[tubademon999]

Everyone should be going to ITEC this summer. Alessandro will be there, along with Oystein Baadsvik, Pat Sheridan, Sam Pilafian, and countless others. Go to hear, learn, be immersed in the meaning of being a tuba player, and not just being someone who plays tuba.

[tubaiscool]

F or CC?

[tubamarc8891]

@tubaiscool Definitely an F. No tubist would ever try that solo on a CC. Just too high

[tubaiscool]

@tubamarc8891 You play F for tone not range. You must buzz a C to make a C on F tuba as you would buzz a C to make a C on CC tuba. Range is only easier on F because you think it will be... Though I would play this on F rather than CC.

[ReminiscinginTempo]

@tubaiscool That is a B&S F-tuba

[justinhickmott]

@ReminiscinginTempo PT16

[pozzie85]

@justinhickmott Yes, both of you are right. It is a F-tuba B&S 5100W (PT16)

[AMarin]

Oh, tuba mirum!

[LJBSasha]

@AMarin: Not bad for an expression in Latin. As an organist, I thought this might be best likened (aside from the volume of the stop I have in mind!) to a "Tuba Mirabilis"!!

Another question to you tubists: I remember reading somewhere that the small-C French Tuba is basically an euphonium (construction-wise), only that instead of 3 it has 6 valves (2 of which combine to lower the instrument by a full octave or more). Is that correct? Also, would the lips be too tense if a CC was used?

[rmrgm521m]

Bravo, beautiful - and on a big tuba! I've heard of everything from euphonium to even Wagner Tube!

[tonidisomma]

Grandissimo Alessandro Fossi

[draculauploader]

Poor from dynamics

[LJBSasha]

@draculauploader: I know what you mean - obviously this is taken from a TV broadcast. Traditionally TV sound is loathsome!!! However, it doesn't impede things severely enough to the point of preventing somebody from hearing this exceptional solo-tubist make his mark!!

While I personally could have wished for a somewhat slower tempo (not too much, but a bit), this is definitely 5/5 beyond all doubt!! Bravo to Signor Fossi, the rest of the orchestra and Gospodjín Gjérgijev!!

[ArincePluko]

very nice

[Violetatorelli]

Gloriosa versione! Bravo, Maestro!!! Grazie!

[Herhardvanpayne]

ESO ES UNA TUBA!!!!!!!

[manolly]

Thats the way to play it... ON A TUBA!!!!

[Mr064Alex]

Une magnifique interprétation même si elle étonne au début par la lenteur du tempo.

[comptontuba]

wonderful. thank you for playing it on the tuba instead of euphonium. it was meant for the tuba.

[barlassinaquintet]

Complimenti di cuore sei grande

[danveldor]

great tubist! :)

[benczecs]

awesome!! GREAT!!

[tubawadim]

Bravo Tubist und bravo Gergiev , er hat super tempo gegeben , gibts einige Idioten die wollen zwei mall langsamer spillen .

[frenchyblue92]

he KILLED it!!!

[GunzTheDuel]

I'm kinda wondering if this solo for tuba would be like the equivalent for the bassoon solo in the beggining of "La Sacre du Printemps"

[MarcoVicario85]

bravissimo alessandro sei un grande

bellissimo suono e grande interpretazione

[pianezze55]

Grande grande grande

Ti faccio tanti complimenti sei sempre il numero 1

[arcangelo1957]

e che dire sempre grandissimo......

il nostro Alessandro

[gianniscilla]

Sinceri complimenti per la tua bravura e per la stupenda interpretazione

Gianni

[tubapizza]

THAT is how it's done, ladies and gentlemen.

[450685jtk]

this is incredible man i wish i could have a range like that! but what an great ,great everything :)

[ciolini1]

ineccepibile, l'ho suonato anchio una volta con l'eufonio ma con la tuba non cè paragone. marzio ciolini.

[Jimmytuba08]

This is incredible! I'm working on getting that particular sound in my high range...I'm not there yet, but it's watching and hearing musicians like you play that will get me there.