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The cimbasso ( , ) is a contrabass brass instrument that covers the same range as a tuba or contrabass trombone. First appearing in Italy in the early 19th century as an upright serpent, the term cimbasso came to denote several instruments that could play the lowest brass section in 19th century Italian opera . The modern cimbasso design, first appearing as the trombone basso Verdi in the 1880s, has four to six rotary valve valves (or occasionally ), a forward-facing bell, and a predominantly cylindrical bore. These features lend its sound to the bass of the trombone family rather than the tuba, and its valves allow for more agility than a contrabass trombone. Like the modern contrabass trombone, it is most often pitched in F, although models are occasionally made in E♭ and low C or B♭.
In the modern orchestra, cimbasso parts are usually played by tuba players as a doubling instrument. Although most commonly used for performances of late Romanticism Italian opera, it has since found increased and more diverse use. Jazz musician uses cimbasso in and as a solo instrument. Cimbasso is now commonly called for in film score and video game . Los Angeles tuba players Tommy Johnson, Doug Tornquist and Jim Self have featured on many Hollywood recordings playing cimbasso, particularly since the popularisation of loud, low-brass heavy orchestral soundtracks.
Later, the term cimbasso was extended to a range of instruments, including the ophicleide and early valved instruments, such as the Pelittone and other early forms of the more conical tuba. As this progressed, the term cimbasso was used to refer to a more blending voice than the "basso tuba" or "bombardone", and began to imply the lowest trombone.
By 1872, Giuseppe Verdi expressed his displeasure about "that devilish bombardone" (referring to an early valved tuba) as the bass of the trombone section for his La Scala première of Aida, preferring a " trombone basso". By the time of his opera Otello in 1887, Milan instrument maker had produced the trombone basso Verdi (sometimes trombone contrabbasso Verdi, or simply trombone Verdi). Although no Pelitti instruments, photographs or diagrams survive, it was a contrabass trombone in low 18′ B♭ wrapped in a compact form with 3 or 4 rotary valve valves. Verdi and Giacomo Puccini both wrote for this instrument in their later operas, although confusingly, they often referred to it as the trombone basso, to distinguish it from the tenor trombones. This instrument blended well with the usual Italian section of three , and was the prototype for the modern cimbasso.
By the early 20th century the tuba was used in Italy for cimbasso parts, and the trombone Verdi, made mainly by and manufacturers, disappeared from Italian orchestras. In 1959 German instrument maker Hans Kunitz developed a slide contrabass trombone in F with two F attachment based on a 1929 patent by Berlin trombonist Ernst Dehmel. These were built in the 1960s by Gebr. Alexander and named "cimbasso" trombones, and subsequently by other German manufacturers, notably Thein.Thein, Heinrich (1978). "The contrabass trombone: I. Musical-Historical Aspects", Brass Bulletin 22, pp. 53–60. The modern cimbasso found today emerged in Germany in 1985 by the brass instrument maker Josef Meinl, its design ultimately descended from the Pelitti trombone Verdi design. A contrabass trombone in F but fitted with the valves and fingering of a modern F tuba wrapped in-front of the player, it was quickly adopted throughout Europe by players and other makers, including Bavarian maker Thein Brass.
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, and the bell is arranged over the player's left shoulder to point horizontally forward, similar to a trombone. This design accommodates the instrument in cramped and allows a direct, concentrated sound to be projected towards the conductor and audience.
The bore tends to range between that of a contrabass trombone and a small F tuba, , and even larger for the larger instruments in low C or B♭. The bell diameter is usually between . There has been demand over time for larger bore instruments with a more conical bore and larger bell, in contrast with the trombone-like sound from smaller cylindrical bore instruments. This is because cimbasso parts are often played by tuba players, particularly in US orchestras. Czech manufacturer Červený catered to both needs in its 2021 catalog which lists two cimbassi in F, one model with a small bore and bell listed with their valve trombones, and another with a tuba-like bore of and a larger bell with much wider flare, listed with their 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 as 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, which has been named the "Jimbasso". In 2004 Swiss brass instrument manufacturer Haag released a cimbasso in F built with five and a bore. Although discontinued, this instrument is used by several operas and orchestras, including Badische Staatskapelle, Hungarian State Opera, and Sydney Symphony Orchestra, and by Swedish jazz musician .
Along with the contrabass trombone, it has increasingly been called for in film score and video game . Los Angeles tuba players Tommy Johnson, Doug Tornquist and Jim Self have appeared on many Hollywood soundtracks playing cimbasso, especially since the popularization of loud, low-brass heavy orchestral music in films and video games such as the remake of Planet of the Apes (2001), Call of Duty (2003) and Inception (2010). American nu metal band Korn used two cimbassos in the live music backing orchestra for their acoustic music MTV Unplugged album. Swedish jazz musicians Per–Åke Holmlander and Mattis Cederberg employ cimbasso in jazz as a solo instrument, and for playing the fourth trombone parts in .
Historically informed performance of early cimbasso parts presents particular challenges. Unless proficient with period instruments such as serpent or ophicleide, it is difficult for orchestral low-brass players to perform on instruments that resemble the early cimbassi in form or timbre. It is also challenging for instrument builders to find good surviving examples to replicate or adapt.
Although there is still a lack of consensus from conductors and orchestras, using a large-bore modern orchestral contrabass tuba to play cimbasso parts is considered inappropriate by some writers and players. Italian organology Renato Meucci recommends using only a small narrow-bore F tuba, or a bass trombone. James Gourlay, conductor and former tubist with BBC Symphony Orchestra and Zürich Opera, recommends playing most cimbasso repertoire on the modern F cimbasso, as a compromise between the larger B♭ trombone basso Verdi instrument and the bass trombone. He also recommends using a euphonium in the absence of a period instrument for early cimbasso parts, which is closer to the sound of the serpent or ophicleide that would have been used before 1860. Douglas Yeo, former bass trombonist with Boston Symphony Orchestra, even suggests that in a modern section of slide trombonists playing parts intended for valved instruments, it should not be unreasonable to perform the cimbasso part on a modern (slide) contrabass trombone.
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