Prompted by a response to another Mahler question recently, has anyone any advice regarding the bass trombone part in Mahler 5, other than "let somebody else play it!"

Our local amateur orchestra are doing it on March 18th, so time to work on it and get it right. The other work on the programme is Richard Strauss's "Four Last Songs", beautiful but not a taxing blow.

Thanks in anticipation.

Cheers

Stewbones43

Stewbones,

What advice are you seeking?

* How to practice?

* What sort of trombone to use?

As I recall, it's a fine, fairly demanding part.

Should not require a huge, diouble-valve bass.

(Mahler of course never saw such a beast.)

Even though Mahler 5 is definitely a "big blow," I think a good single-valve bass will suffice. The important thing is to blend with the rest of the section. Large tenors on 1st & 2nd.

Practice hard.

I just wondered if there were any bits of advice or tips from someone who had played it before.

Practice is going fine and we are managing to get the trombone section together for some sectional work.

If you look at my list of trombones you will see that I do have a single valve Bass but it is a small bass, 0.555in bore and a 9in bell; ideal for Beethoven and accompanying a choral group ( I love practicing Haydn's "Creation" on it) but perhaps a little light for Mahler.

Yes it is a fairly demanding part-low D#, C# and C and jumps to high A and Ab.

The rest of the section are on large bore tenors-2 Yamaha Bb/Fs on 1st, principal and bumper, and and a Conn 88H on 2nd. I have been playing my R/H/B hybrid but I might try it on the Besson 409 at home.

Thanks for your reply.

Cheers

Stewbones