York Tuba

From Arnold Jacobs: Song and Wind*

When Jacobs auditioned for the Curtis Institute, he had a Conn E tuba. By taping the fourth valve down and pulling the slides, he played the tuba as a BB instrument.

Upon entering the Curtis Institute, he played on the school’s Italian-made CC tuba, which he recalls was not a very good instrument. When he initially used the CC tuba, he wrote the fingerings in the music—especially when performing and rehearsing with Reiner.

During this period, Leopold Stokowski was the conductor of the Philadelphia Orchestra. In keeping with his aural concept of orchestra sound, Stokowski requested a true contrabass tuba that would supply an organ-like quality to the Philadelphia Orchestra. In answer to this request, Philip Donatelli contacted the J.W. York Band Instrument Company of Grand Rapids, Michigan, and ordered a very large CC tuba.

 

In 1933, in answer to Donatelli’s request for a true contra-bass tuba, Bill Johnson designed and built two large CC tubas, one was given to Philip Donatelli and the second was retained by the factory, later being sold.

York of the 1930s built premium-quality tubas, and, during the time Jacobs’ tuba was manufactured, York was highly selective with the quality and composition of the metals used in their instruments. This tuba has a .750-inch bore at the valves, but unlike traditional European designed tubas, it flares rapidly, especially at the bottom bow terminating in a twenty-inch bell. The four piston valves are augmented by a fifth rotary valve operated by the thumb that adds a flat whole step.

Characteristic of all 1930-vintage Yorks, this tuba has a short leadpipe going directly into the first valve, with the tuning slide located between the fourth and fifth valves. Fortunately, or unfortunately, depending upon one’s perspective, the short leadpipe created problems for Donatelli. Being of portly stature, whenever he breathed, his body would push the tuba away from him, making playing this instrument nearly impossible. One day Donatelli, knowing that Jacobs needed to purchase a tuba, called him into his studio and offered to sell his large York for $175, an enormous amount of money in the 1930s. However, Jacobs had a payment plan, $5 a week until paid, with no carrying charges.

When Jacobs first brought the tuba to orchestra rehearsal at the Curtis Institute, Fritz Reiner liked the sound of the tuba so much that he sent his chauffeur to bring Jacobs and his tuba to each rehearsal. Jacobs used this tuba throughout his career. At one point, he traveled to Grand Rapids and toured the York factory where he met the tuba’s designer, Bill Johnson. York advertisements in the 1930s featured a photograph of Jacobs, then with the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra.

Later, as chance would have it, Philip Donatelli was on tour with the Philadelphia Orchestra and performing at the University of Oklahoma. There, he saw the second York tuba on stage, and informed Jacobs. Jacobs immediately called the dean of the school of music to attempt to buy or trade for the York tuba. They finally struck a deal. In return for the York, he sent them two tubas, a brand new Alexander F and an overhauled Conn BB .

When the second York arrived, it was badly dented, full of dirt, deceased insects and other assorted problems, but it had the same sound as Jacobs’ original York. Jacobs sent the tuba to T. M. (Ted) Koeder in Naperville, Illinois for repair. Koeder had, before opening his own business, been a valve maker for Holton. Koeder’s initial assessment was that the valves were bad. He offered Jacobs the choice of replating the valves for $15 each, or replacing them with new valves for the same price. Jacobs chose new valves. Afterwards, he took his other tubas to Koeder for new valves.

Both York tubas were reunited—and Jacobs owned both of them! Over the years, he used both instruments with the Chicago Symphony.

When he retired in 1988, Jacobs sold York number two to the Chicago Symphony. Gene Pokorny chooses to use the York daily. Pokorny writes, “Mr. Jacobs has never twisted my arm into insisting which instrument I use. The York is a beautiful instrument and one that is very difficult to copy—ask any tuba designer, because they have all seemed to try at one point or another.” He later sold York number one to the Chicago Symphony.

*Arnold Jacobs: Song and Wind, Copyright 1996 Windsong Press, Ltd., All rights reserved.