Subcontrabass tuba

The subcontrabass tuba is a rare instrument of the tuba family with a range below the modern contrabass tuba. At least five known examples have been created, all pitched in 36’ BBB♭, sounding a full octave lower than standard BB♭ contrabass tubas. The fundamental frequency of the subcontrabass tuba is B♭−1. Music for them is written in bass clef, sounding a full octave lower than notated.

The Harvard University Band's BBB♭ Besson Tuba
"Riesenbaß" tuba made by Bohland & Fuchs
Subcontrabass tuba
Related instruments
Tuba, euphonium, trombone
Musicians
Gerard Hoffnung
Builders
Adolphe Sax, Gustav Besson, the London firm of Paxman

History

The first existence of an instrument of this sort was designed by the Parisian instrument innovator Adolphe Sax (1814–1894), the inventor of the saxophone, who dubbed it the subcontrabass saxhorn.[1] These instruments were all very rare and never received a great deal of attention.

The first two modern instruments were built by Besson on the suggestion of American Bandmaster John Philip Sousa, who toured using one in his band from 1896 to 1898.[2] One of this pair, the only known playable instrument of its kind, is owned by the Harvard University Band and is still played periodically in concerts.

In the 1950s, British musician Gerard Hoffnung commissioned the London subcontrabass tuba for use in his comedic music festivals, and also commissioned a work: Variations on "Annie Laurie" (1956) by Gordon Jacob, specifically including the instrument.[3][4][5] A tuba pitched in FFF was made in Kraslice by Bohland & Fuchs probably during 1910 or 1911 and was destined for the World Exhibition in New York in 1913.[6] This tuba is "playable," but two persons are needed: one to operate the valves and one to blow into the mouthpiece. Finally, Dr. Frederick Young plays a King BB♭ tuba that was converted into a double tuba (in BB♭ and EEE (natural)) by Dietrich Kleine-Horst (of the Herbert Gronitz Brass Instrument Company in Hamburg, Germany) in 1990.[5] The BB♭ side is a contrabass tuba, and the EEE side is a subcontrabass tuba.

See also

References
  1. Horwood, Wally (1992). Adolphe Sax--His Life and Legacy. Baldock, Herts, England: Egon Publishers, Ltd. p. 67.
  2. McWhirter, Norris (1976). Guinness Book of World Records. Vol. 1976 edition. The original album has a picture of this instrument on the reverse side.: New York: Sterling Publishing.
  3. Hoffnung, Annetta (2021). "The Hoffnung Concerts". Gerald Hoffnung Website. The Hoffnung Partnership. Retrieved 16 February 2022.
  4. Hoffnung, Gerald (1961). Hoffnung's Music Festivals. Hayes Middlesex, England: BMI Music Publishing.
  5. Young, Frederick (November 1990). "(unknown title)". The Instrumentalist. Northfield, IL, USA. 45 (4). ISSN 0020-4331.
  6. "The 'Big Tuba'". Amati - Denak. Archived from the original on 20 January 2003.
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