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Can anyone recommend a great recording of the Gregson Concerto? I have to study up for a contest this coming year!

Alex Reeder wrote:Can anyone recommend a great recording of the Gregson Concerto? I have to study up for a contest this coming year!

As far as I'm concerned, the definitive recording is by Hans Nickel, with full orchestra, on the CD Cantuballada.

The label is Valve-Hearts.

www.valve-hearts.com

The Concerto is one of those pieces of music that makes the best sense when played with an orchestra, even if you then perform it with piano. And Hans Nickel is meticulous about following the ink without letting it get in the way of making music. The Vaughan Williams recording on the same CD is a superb example of that, and the only performance of that work that follows the published version and makes a strong case for it.

Rick "whose F tuba concept changed because of this recording" Denney

John Fletcher:

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/de ... =classical

I would also recommend anything else he ever recorded.

I don't want to be contrary, but there is not a definitive recording of this work out there as of yet. The accomp. was written for british style brass band, and as far as I know, the Fletcher/Besses o the Barn recording is the only one available (if there are others, i would like to know). The only problem is that this recording is not really spectacular. I have listened to the Gregson many times, with many different accomps, and I myself have performed it with piano and brass band. My opinion is that it works best with the brass band. The tuba solo part has a lot of interplay with the other brass sections making it very colorful and interesting, only it is done very infrequently and no one gets a lot of chances to hear it this way.

I hope that Steve Sykes or PatSheridan can get a band to record this concerto with them so we can have a modern, definitive recording.

oops!

TonyTuba wrote:I don't want to be contrary, but there is not a definitive recording of this work out there as of yet.

I think I might disagree here. You may not think the Fletcher recording is spectucular (I agree), but it is performed by the group, Besses O'Th'Barn Band, that commissioned the work and the player it is dedicated to (at least on the printed version). To me, that makes it a benchmark to go from.

Then again I have not heard the Cooley or Nickel recordings. Time in make a an investment!

James Gourlay:

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/ ... TUCCVJ7DGE

Not sure if it still available.

"...why not get some good EEb's?"

Who says the 3+1 EEb's aren't good?

On the CD "Play Tuba" Michael Lind plays the Gregson Concerto accompanied by Solna Brass. It's the only recording I have of the Concerto, so I can't compare it to anything else, but I think it's realy good.

Does anyone know why all those British guys use those funky EEb's, the one's with 3 valves and a fourth on the side, Germany is closer to them than it is to is, why not get some good EEb's?
Also, just though about it.I know they have been using the EEb flats in all the brass bands for years, but did John Fletcher play an F or an EEb in the famous recording of the Vaughan Williams he did, with London?

Such narrow mindedness. John Fletcher almost exclusively played on an EEb , which is certainly the instrument for which the concerto was conceived. And yes - the Vaughan Williams was played on one of those Brass band instruments - as this is the instrument favoured by almost all British Orchestral players until fairly recently.

Edward Gregson would also have written with Fletcher and the band in mind, particularly as he held a professorship at the Royal Northen College of Music in Manchester at the time.

Yet again another opportunity to disregard a whole (incredibly successful) tradition of English Tuba playing. While English players may favour the use of Eb Compensating instruments, this in no way detracts from the skill and musicality with which these musicians perform.

There does seem to be a general consensus on this otherwise excellent board that English players are the poor relations in terms of available instruments, but should we not concentrate on the overall performance rather than become obsessed with equipment details!

christuba wrote:Does anyone know why all those British guys use those funky EEb's, the one's with 3 valves and a fourth on the side..................

Is Kenneth Amis (of Empire Brass) a Brit?
Looks like a Sovereign 981 that he's got here; http://www.empirebrass.com

As an American who is living and studying music here in the UK, I came here with an open mind and full understanding that brass playing is DIFFERENT here than in the US--different styles and obviously different equipment.

I have seen many of the top orchestras in England and must say that most tuba players seem to prefer the EEb for a large portion of the repertoire....and that's NOT a bad thing. I tend to the think that British EEb playing is a bit like German F playing--much more complete than what is normally heard in the US. The Germans use their F's for most everything, without whining about "The Low C". They don't seem to have problems with it?! The British don't sound 'funky' on the 3+1 EEb's either.

The CC tuba is becoming much more popular here lately, and that's usually a PT-6. I've heard Ewan Easton with the Halle on many occaisions using the EEb or the CC must like the Americans would switch from F to CC. I've also seen Patrick Harrild play entire programs on EEb where I thought he might break out a large CC....and he sounded wonderful with the LSO! And contrary to popular belief....there are F tubas in the UK that are owned and used by UK-nationals!

But if you live here for a while, you can see the enormous influence that the brass band tradition has on brass playing in the UK. There are numerous books written about the history of the British brass band and I'd recommend finding one. It's not only a historical survey, but a cultural one as well.

Just because we don't do it in the States, doesn't mean that it's any less-valid elsewhere.

Josh Wirt

I have the Cooley recording and it's good. But the Fletcher recording is head and shoulders above IMO. I'd like to hear the Gourlay and the Lind recordings. This is starting to sound like who has the best Vaughan Williams recording....which is BTW John Fletcher!!





Ralph

TexTuba wrote:This is starting to sound like who has the best Vaughan Williams recording....

....and this is the Gregson thread!

TexTuba wrote:This is starting to sound like who has the best Vaughan Williams recording....

....and this is the Gregson thread!