The cimbasso (English: /tʃɪmˈbɑːsoʊ/, Italian: [tʃimˈbaso]) is a low brass instrument that plays the same range as a tuba or contrabass trombone. It first appeared in Italy in the early 1800s as an upright serpent. Over time, the term "cimbasso" came to mean several instruments that could play the lowest brass parts in 19th-century Italian opera orchestras. The modern cimbasso design, first created as the "trombone basso Verdi" in the 1880s, includes four to six rotary valves (or sometimes piston valves), a bell that faces forward, and a mostly cylindrical shape inside the instrument. These features make its sound more similar to the trombone family than to the tuba, and its valves allow for greater flexibility compared to a contrabass trombone. Like the modern contrabass trombone, the cimbasso is most often tuned to the key of F, though some models are made in E♭, low C, or B♭.
In modern orchestras, cimbasso parts are usually played by tuba players who can double on the instrument. While it is most commonly used in late Romantic Italian opera, it has been used more widely in recent years. Jazz musician Mattis Cederberg [sv] plays cimbasso in big bands and as a solo instrument. The cimbasso is now often included in film and video game soundtracks. Tuba players in Los Angeles, such as Tommy Johnson, Doug Tornquist, and Jim Self, have performed cimbasso on many Hollywood recordings, especially since the rise in popularity of orchestral soundtracks featuring loud, low brass.
Etymology
The Italian word "cimbasso" first appeared in the early 1800s. It is believed to be a shortened form of "corno basso" or "corno di basso," which means "bass horn" in Italian. This term sometimes appears in music sheets as "c. basso" or "c. in basso." The term was used to describe the lowest brass instrument available, but this changed over time during the 1800s. In the middle of the 20th century, the word "cimbasso" started being used in German-speaking countries to describe slide contrabass trombones in the key of F. This unclear meaning made it difficult for researchers to study the instrument's history for a long time.
History
In the early 19th century, the word "cimbasso" in Italian opera scores described a type of instrument similar to the basson russe, or "Russian bassoon." These instruments were made of wood like a bassoon, with a brass bell shaped like a dragon’s head. Charts from 1830 suggest these early cimbassi were likely tuned to the note C.
Later, the term "cimbasso" came to describe other instruments, such as the ophicleide and early valved instruments like the Pelittone and early versions of the bass tuba. Over time, the word "cimbasso" was used to describe a deeper, more blended sound than the "basso tuba" or "bombardone," and it began to refer to the lowest trombone.
By 1872, composer Giuseppe Verdi disliked the "bombardone," an early valved tuba, when it was used as the lowest note in the trombone section for his opera Aida. He preferred a "trombone basso" instead. By 1887, Milan instrument maker Pelitti created a specific type of trombone called the "trombone basso Verdi" (or "trombone contrabbasso Verdi"). This instrument was a contrabass trombone in low B♭, wrapped in a compact design with three or four rotary valves. Verdi and Puccini used this instrument in their operas, calling it the "trombone basso" to distinguish it from tenor trombones. It blended well with the usual Italian group of three valve trombones and became the model for the modern cimbasso.
By the early 20th century, the tuba was used in Italy for cimbasso parts, and the "trombone Verdi" made by Milanese and Bohemian makers disappeared from Italian orchestras. In 1959, German instrument maker Hans Kunitz created a slide contrabass trombone in F with two valves, based on a 1929 patent by Berlin trombonist Ernst Dehmel. These were built in the 1960s by Gebr. Alexander and called "cimbasso" trombones. Other German makers, like Thein Brass, later produced similar instruments. The modern cimbasso, as it is known today, was developed in 1985 by brass instrument maker Josef Meinl in Germany. It is a contrabass trombone in F, fitted with the valves and fingering of a modern F tuba, wrapped in front of the player. It quickly became popular across Europe and was adopted by players and other makers, including Thein.
Construction
The modern cimbasso is usually built with four to five rotary valves (or occasionally piston valves), a forward-facing bell, and a cylindrical bore. These features give the cimbasso a sound similar to the bass of the trombone family rather than the tuba. Its valves allow for more agility than a contrabass trombone. Like the modern contrabass trombone, it is most often pitched in 12-foot (12′) F, although instruments are made in 13′ E♭ and occasionally in low 16′ C or 18′ B♭. A Wiener Kontrabaßposaune model in F with six valves was developed in the late 1990s by the Austrian tubist Gerhard Zechmeister. This model uses the same six-valve fingering as the Wiener Konzerttuba to help players familiar with that instrument.
The mouthpiece and leadpipe are positioned in front of the player, and the mouthpiece receiver is sized to fit tuba mouthpieces. The valve tubing section is arranged vertically between the player's knees and rests on the floor with a cello-style endpin. The bell is placed over the player's left shoulder to point horizontally forward, similar to a trombone. This design allows the instrument to fit into small orchestra spaces and direct sound clearly toward the conductor and audience.
The bore size of the cimbasso usually ranges between that of a contrabass trombone and a small F tuba, from 0.587 to 0.730 inches (14.9–18.5 mm). Larger instruments in low C or B♭ have even larger bores. The bell diameter is usually between 10 and 11.5 inches (250 and 290 mm). Over time, there has been a demand for larger bore instruments with more conical shapes and larger bells, compared to the trombone-like sound of smaller cylindrical bore instruments. This is because cimbasso parts are often played by tuba players, especially in US orchestras. The Czech manufacturer Červený offered both options in its 2021 catalog, listing two cimbassi in F: one with a small 0.598-inch (15.2 mm) bore and 10-inch (250 mm) bell (with valve trombones), and another with a tuba-like bore of 0.717 inches (18.2 mm) and a larger 11-inch (280 mm) bell (with tubas).
The cimbasso is usually built with rotary valves, although some Italian makers use piston valves. British instrument maker Mike Johnson builds cimbassi with four compensating piston valves, commonly found on British tubas, in both F/C and E♭/B♭ sizes. Los Angeles tubist Jim Self had a compact F cimbasso built in the shape of a euphonium, named the "Jimbasso." In 2004, Swiss brass instrument manufacturer Haag released a cimbasso in F with five Hagmann valves and a 0.630-inch (16.0 mm) bore. Although this model is no longer produced, it is still used by several operas and orchestras, including the Badische Staatskapelle, Hungarian State Opera, and Sydney Symphony Orchestra, as well as by Swedish jazz musician Mattis Cederberg.
Repertoire and performance
The cimbasso is most often used in performances of late Romantic Italian operas by composers like Verdi and Puccini. However, since the middle of the 20th century, it has been used more often and in different ways. It has appeared in some modern musical works, such as the fifth and eighth symphonies by Russian composer Boris Tishchenko, the piece Exquisite Corpse (2005) by Swedish composer Anders Hillborg, and Plötzlichkeit (2006) by English composer Brian Ferneyhough.
Along with the contrabass trombone, the cimbasso is now more frequently included in film and video game soundtracks. Tuba players Tommy Johnson, Doug Tornquist, and Jim Self from Los Angeles have played the cimbasso on many Hollywood soundtracks, especially as loud, low-brass music became popular in movies and games like the 2001 remake of Planet of the Apes, Call of Duty (2003), and Inception (2010). The American nu metal band Korn used two cimbassos in their live orchestra for an acoustic album. Swedish jazz musicians Per–Åke Holmlander and Mattis Cederberg use the cimbasso as a solo instrument and for playing the fourth trombone parts in big bands.
Performing early cimbasso parts accurately is difficult. Without experience with older instruments like the serpent or ophicleide, it is hard for low-brass players to reproduce the sound and style of early cimbasso music. Instrument makers also face challenges because there are few surviving examples of these older instruments to study or copy.
Some conductors and orchestras still disagree about the best way to play cimbasso parts. Using a modern C tuba with a large bore is not considered appropriate by some musicians and writers. Italian organologist Renato Meucci suggests using a small F tuba or a bass trombone instead. James Gourlay, a conductor and former tubist with the BBC Symphony Orchestra and Zürich Opera, recommends using a modern F cimbasso for most cimbasso music, as a middle ground between the larger B♭ trombone used by Verdi and the bass trombone. He also suggests using a euphonium if a period instrument is unavailable, as it sounds closer to the serpent or ophicleide used before 1860. Douglas Yeo, a former bass trombonist with the Boston Symphony Orchestra, believes that in a group of slide trombonists playing parts meant for valved instruments, it is reasonable to use a modern contrabass trombone for the cimbasso part.