Heiden 'Variations' in Houston 10/24

[Dave Kirk]

Dear friends,

On the evening of October 24, I’m performing Bernard Heiden’s Variations for Solo Tuba and Nine Horns with the Shepherd School Brass Ensemble under the direction of Marie Speziale.

Heiden composed the work in 1974 on a commission from legendary American tubist and retired Indiana University professor Harvey G. Phillips. Harvey’s notes and reflections follow, along with a link with more information. Come hear the fine young professionals at Rice perform a great program including Gunther Schuller’s masterful Symphony for Brass and Percussion.

I hope to see you there! Best wishes to you,

Dave Kirk
Principal Tuba, Houston Symphony
Associate Professor, Shepherd School of Music

http://www.ruf.rice.edu/~musi/ensembles ... emble.html

"Variations for Solo Tuba and Nine Horns" (1974) - (In Memory of John Barrows)...............Bernhard Heiden (1910-2000)

This composition was commissioned by tubist Harvey G. Phillips and dedicated to his friend the late horn virtuoso, John R. Barrows (1913-1974). For many years John Barrows was the leading "first call" horn player in New York City's recording studios and concert halls.

While in New York City, Barrows formed a professional social club which he named The Valhalla Club, started with a membership of nine horns and one tuba, Harvey Phillips. Both Barrows and Phillips shared close friendships with many composers who observed similarities of performance style and interpretation. Alec Wilder composed and dedicated to Barrows and Phillips Suites No. I & No. 2 for Horn, Tuba and Piano. Both Suites are recorded on Golden Crest Records. Barrows' many friends and admirers suffered a great loss when he died from Hodgkin's disease in 1974.

Phillips commissioned another mutual composer friend, Bernhard Heiden to write a work for Solo Tuba and "The Valhalla Horn Choir’s" Nine Horns. The result is a spectacular and challenging composition of variations. Phillips explains, "The last Variation, toward the end, keeps repeating a plaintive instrumental call for 'John Barrows...John Barrows'!"

Harvey Phillips states, "John Barrows was the greatest musician I ever knew who played horn!"

Conducted by the composer, horn personnel for the Golden Crest recording: Peter Gordon, Jim Buffington, Larry Wechsler, Earl Chapin, Fred Griffen, John Clark, Brooks Tillotson,

Raymond Alonge, and Frank Donaruma. First performed by Harvey Phillips and the Valhalla Horn Choir, conducted by the composer, in New York's Carnegie Recital Hall on January 5, 1975 in a concert dedicated to the memory of John Barrows; one of five concerts sponsored by the Carnegie Hall Corporation over a span of nine days that included 39 works with 18 world premiers, 67 hours of rehearsals (some rehearsals in Boston)! On Phillips' LP recording "Tribute to a Friend" a few of John's close friends and admirers pay personal tributes to John Barrows: Harvey Phillips, tuba soloist; Alec Wilder, composer; Milton Kaye, pianist;

Bernhard Heiden, composer; Jim Buffington, horn recording artist; Gunther Schuller, composer, conductor; Philip Farkas, symphonic horn artist/teacher; Keith Brown, trombonist; Alexander Schneider, violinist, producer of the Casals Festivals.

Bernhard Heiden's music is neo-classical in its formal structure, the early works portraying the influence of his teacher, Paul Hindemith. Strongly polyphonic in texture, his prolific output, especially in the genre of chamber music, demonstrates a mastery of sonorous balance and effective instrumentation. He made an important contribution to the solo sonata and concerto repertories, writing for many relatively neglected instruments like the horn, tuba and viola. His Sonata for viols and piano (1969) is intensely lyrical, with clear contrapuntal writing and chromatic melodies. Unlike other composers he did not take part in the postwar avant-garde movement but remained true to his own musicality! In 1976 Heiden received an NEA grant to compose a Concerto for Tuba and Orchestra dedicated to his friend, Harvey Phillips.