TubaForum.net

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eWEbLWXzwrI

As I've mentioned a few times...

I was studying with Gene during the time the Yamaha YCB-826S was being developed.

During one visit, that current prototype version (and they kept pasting the same valveset on new bugle prototypes) was too large and woofy.

An old promo article boosts Chris Okla (when in Seattle) as the first person to whom one was sold...
https://usa.yamaha.com/news_events/2007 ... ba_us.html

...but I don't believe (??) Gene bought his, so...

Assuming that video represents a really early appearance of the final version of the Yamaha YCB-826S, those (again) are a bit smaller (it certainly seems to me) than most all the others, which (again, it seems to me) is why they are better than any of the others.

If (??) a Gronitz PCK (actually, right at the same size as a Willson 3050, but radically different in the way that it plays) is a 5.5/4 size instrument, I might suggest that the Yamaha 826 is a 5.75/4 size instrument.

The 826S (yet again: in my experience) is also the easiest (of all of them) to play in tune. The tuning quirks are very similar to 5450 and 186 quirks.

When I've played that COMPLETE suite, I've used some sort of contrabass tuba (usually: 5/4) because the "Prologue" movement (with 6-valve, F tuba) is just too fumble-fingers confounding, and requires to much practice (simply for my HANDS).

TO YOUR POST AND TO YOUR POINT:

The performance sounds great !!!

Don’t think that’s a 6/4, Kyle used a Conn 54J those years as NY Phil acting Principal. Back then Conn made the 52J and 56J, and Kyle wanted a bell size in between. Definitely in the 4/4 size ballpark, think Eastman 632, since the same man was involved in design of both models. I don’t remember all the Conn’s bell measurements.

OP: are you Gene Pokorny? If not, then beware comparisons. (meant as well as possible)

It's misleading to say XXX is ok because famous person YYY does it. Truthfully, maybe 0.1% of people play like YYY, and the rest of us never will no matter what we play on. Another way to look at it is that it takes YYY kind of talent to make XXX work. Making it a goal is one thing, but it shouldn't be made into a standard.

That particular quintet piece is "bass line oriented" regarding the tuba. It's one of the more challenging quintet pieces with a bass line oriented tuba part, but it's still bass lines. Bass line oriented brass quintet tuba parts work well with big tubas - regardless of level of difficulty, as long as the player is up to it. That player certainly is.

Today, I took a huge tuba to some gigs with a quintet, whereby most of the music was bass lines. It worked out well. I've almost never chosen that size instrument for a quintet before, but it was fine. Something that helped me was that the instrument is particularly good (wonderful) and I didn't have to fight tuning. LOL... something else that help me out was a new bench that I devised to sit on that also accommodates the tuba, which made playing the instrument really comfortable, in spite of its size. Something that I did have to deal with regarding the size of the instrument was not being able to see a couple of the players unless I turned at quite an angle, but whatever.

Okay. What do I mean by "bass line oriented music"? The type of music whereby quintets are playing music that's often played by larger ensembles, and the vast majority of the time the tuba is playing the bass lines to the music. Quintets typically play this type of music at weddings, commencements, funerals, and those sorts of events, as well as performances when so-called light music is the fare.
The Bernstein piece qualifies, as it's a reduction from orchestral to five instruments.

Every note out of any horn I’ve heard him play- just so tasty. My favorite player.

So much Renaissance music isn't written with the low part being a bass line, but it's just a lower voice that's does a lot of the same stuff as all the other voices. I would choose a different instrument in a quintet to play that type of music. There are quite a few quintet works that are obviously written for a bass trombone that - again - are just supposed to be another voice that doesn't really stick out like a bass line or anything like that. It's often sort of like Renaissance music, except with a different tonal palette. I would also use something other than a 6/4 tuba or for other types of quintet music. For similar or related reasons, I would probably not use a 6/4 instrument for some other types of music that are too specific and too many types to list.

6/4 lays down the bass. The better the player, the better the 6/4 tuba but lays down the bass. What you have there are a bunch of bass lines, a great player, and a great instrument.

I'm thinking the one being used there is probably a Yamaha - which is a little smaller than some of the other 6/4 C instruments, and naturally offers a little bit more clarity. Bravo.