TubeNet

I wanted to let everyone know that Anthony Plog's "Nocturne for Tuba and Strings" is now published and available from Editions BIM. I noticed on the their website that there is currently a 10% discount on it.

For those of you who were at the ITEC in Budapest, this is the piece I played in the evening concert with strings. It's a beautiful piece; the tuba really has a chance to sing, and the string writing is gorgeous.

I think that the Nocturne is a great addition to the repertoire and one that deserves a lot of play...I hope many of you tubists will look into it.

Thanks,
Kent Eshelman

I was not fortunate enough to hear the work at the ITEC conference. Could you elaborate on it for the list please? Possibly describe the soloist's required range and technical facility required to perfom the work. Are there changing meters? How many movements are there? How long is the piece (minutes and seconds)?

Thank you.

Randy Harrison
Baltimore, Maryland USA

The Nocturne is in one movement and is about 8 minutes long. Most of the piece is mid- to upper-range, but not extremely high. The highest note is Eb above the staff and the lowest is C below the staff.

The piece starts and ends "Agagio" and has an "Allegro Vivave" section in the middle. The middle section is not flashy or technically very demanding -- just a nice contrast to the outer sections.

The piece is tonal and minor. The agadio parts are very haunting and in my opinion express intense emotions like sorrow and longing. I especially love the way the piece starts, with the tuba playing one of these haunting melodies completely unaccompanied. The last adagio section begins in a similar unaccompanied manner, and these spots really give the soloist some freedom -- a chance to sing and be expressive.

I think that this piece is accessible to a wide range of tuba students and professionals, and most likely appealing as well. The range and technique required aren't prohibitive, but the piece provides an unusual chance to play beautiful, expressive, tonal melodies.

Kent Eshelman