Is Fnugg the new EncountersII?

MartyNeilan · Post by **MartyNeilan** » Mon Oct 08, 2007 10:17 am

Bob's open mic thread got me thinking: Is Fnugg the new EncountersII?
When do you think we are going to start seeing it pop up as a choice on solo or audition lists?
What would happen if someone auditioned for a legit job with that piece? now and 10 years from now?

danB · Post by **danB** » Mon Oct 08, 2007 10:54 am

It would be a sad, sad day when tubists equate Fnugg as being on par with Encounters II. The Youtube generation needs to check out the Vinyl generation for some better musical challenges and ideas. No offense to Mr Baadsvick but this is apples and oranges.....

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BVD Press · Post by **BVD Press** » Mon Oct 08, 2007 12:32 pm

Is Encounters II on "legit" job auditions?

I agree that they are both different types of charts, but both are unaccompanied, using multi-phonics and are quite a challenge to pull off in front of an audience!

I think many of us would love to hear the Vinyl recordings, but unless you happen to have access to a college library you are pretty much out of luck. One other issue is that many of the pieces on Vinyl are no longer or may have never been in print. I am not sure many of us would take the time to seek out a recording of a piece we may never be able to perform because it is unavailable??

How about the Penderecki or Arnold? I don't know the chart, but maybe Alarum?

If you are looking for a new Arnold CD, check here:

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/ ... im/tubenet

This a great CD of all of his brass music. I highly recommend it!!

danB · Post by **danB** » Mon Oct 08, 2007 12:42 pm

Encounters II is available on multiple CD's including Alan Baer's and Bobo's reissue.

Yes, it was on the list for the NY Phil when Warren Deck won the job. Do you think a committee will sit through 60 Fnugg's anytime soon?

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BVD Press · Post by **BVD Press** » Mon Oct 08, 2007 1:09 pm

danB wrote:Encounters II is available on multiple CD's including Alan Baer's and Bobo's reissue.

And Baadsvik and... I am referring to many of the other pieces available only on Vinyl.

danB wrote:
Yes, it was on the list for the NY Phil when Warren Deck won the job.

Anything more recent? I am just curious. Generically I always see Vaughan Williams and John Williams.

danB wrote:Do you think a committee will sit through 60 Fnugg's anytime soon?

How about 60 versions of Encounters II? Sitting through 60 of anything would be mind numbing!

Kind of a scary thought, but we are getting close to the 30 year mark when Warren started his tenure with the NY Phil!

danB · Post by **danB** » Mon Oct 08, 2007 1:55 pm

I think a smart committee might sit through 60 people playing specific "sections" of Encounters II. I'm not thinking of any of the multiphonis sections though. I beilieve that's what Mehta chose to listen to 30 years ago......Orchestras have definately gotten away from pushing the technical demands of tubists. I got an audition packet from Europe a couple of years ago and thought to myself that North American tubists would bitch endlessly about it. How dare they include a modern solo!

Perhaps the original poster simply meant that Fnugg is the definition of what good multiphonic playing is now. I would agree with that but think that Encounters II has more technical, musical and historic importance that Fnugg does in our repertoire. 100 years from now I guarantee this will be the case. It's that good of a piece.

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TubaRay · Post by **TubaRay** » Mon Oct 08, 2007 3:57 pm

danB wrote: Perhaps the original poster simply meant that Fnugg is the definition of what good multiphonic playing is now. I would agree with that but think that Encounters II has more technical, musical and historic importance that Fnugg does in our repertoire. 100 years from now I guarantee this will be the case.
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Not that any of us will be around to verify your guarantee, but I would take some issue with this statement. The longer I live, the more reluctant I am to guarantee anything. There are many things I was once certain were true, that have now passed into the untrue category.

On another part of the thread it is stated that Encounters was used on orchestral auditions. I am trying to understand why it was. Certainly, the ability to play Encounters demonstates that one has some ability. The only question I have is if that ability is one which is necessary, or even helpful, in orchestral playing. I can definitely understand why Brian questioned this.

Thomas Maurice Booth · Mon Oct 08, 2007 4:19 pm

From what I understand part of the reason Encounters II was used was to see who could play louder and maintain control in addition to everything else the committees usually listen for. I heard that Warren played louder than Sam Pilafian could and that was one of the factors that led to the decision to hire Warren for the NYP.

TMB

danB · Post by **danB** » Mon Oct 08, 2007 4:20 pm

I see your point about making guarantees. Point taken.

Orchestra committees may decide they'd like to know that the person they are hiring can go well above and beyond the top 10 excerpts. Gives them the knowledge that they are truly hiring someone who is a musician that they'd feel like making music with rather than just someone who can get the "job" done.

My 2 cents.

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BVD Press · Post by **BVD Press** » Mon Oct 08, 2007 7:03 pm

danB wrote: Gives them the knowledge that they are truly hiring someone who is a musician that they'd feel like making music with rather than just someone who can get the "job" done.

This kind of gets back my question: What other orchestras are using Encounters II for orchestral auditions?

If you can find a "musician you would like to make music with" after hearing Encounters II, more power to you! IMHO, I think you can learn more about a player in 1 or 2 phrases of a Bach Cello Suite than any part of or the entire Encounters II.

On the other hand, if you are auditioning for a college teaching job Encounters II is a great choice for your unaccompanied piece.

danB · Post by **danB** » Mon Oct 08, 2007 10:50 pm

When did this become Encounters II vs Bach Cello Suites? I just meant to point out that Encounters II already has found significance which won't be replaced by Fnugg. Feel free to compare it to Bach. It like Bach as much as the next guy....

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BVD Press · Post by **BVD Press** » Tue Oct 09, 2007 8:53 am

In addition to the other versions listed, the below goes to a CD by Josef Bazinka:

http://tinyurl.com/2hyzgb

If you are a fan of unaccompanied charts, this would be the CD to get!

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And if anyone is interested in purchasing the sheet music for Encounters II:

http://www.editions-bim.com/index.php?m ... cts_id=609

There is also a sound sample on the site.

Description:

Â«Encounters IIÂ» was written for Roger Bobo in 1964. It is a declamatory and dramatic piece that demands great expressive conviction as well as a very good musical theatrical sense.
Â«Encounters IIÂ» is a theme and variations which makes excellent use of the idiomatic resources of the instrument. It is one of the Â«classicsÂ» of the contemporary literature for tuba; it has been recorded twice (1965 and 1968) by Roger Bobo (Crystal Records C392).

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Fnugg can be found here:

http://www.baadsvik.com/shop/

Description:

"Fnugg is the best new thing Iâ€™ve heard in years." Roger Bobo
Fnugg is an improvisation with elements from the Australian Aboriginal instrument didgeridoo and Norwegian folk music. The techniques I use are multiphonics (to sing and play simultaneously) and my own invention "Lip Beat" (percussive tuba). The singing involves active use of syllables. Fnugg is a Norwegian word describing something very small and weightless. Like a snowflake.

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If you have not heard either piece, check them out!

Take care,

MartyNeilan · Post by **MartyNeilan** » Tue Oct 09, 2007 9:48 am

I seem to remember that Jay Bertolet of the old TubeNet mentioned something about how when he auditioned for his job in Florida, everyone else played the VW as their solo. He played Encounters II. He got the job.* That was a few years ago, so if I got any details wrong I apologize.

* I do realize that it was more than just a creative selection in solo material that led to Mr. Bertolet's success.

BVD Press · Post by **BVD Press** » Tue Oct 09, 2007 2:53 pm

The whole series of "encounters" can be found here:

http://www.presser.com/composers/info.c ... RAFT#Works

KevinMadden · Post by **KevinMadden** » Tue Oct 09, 2007 5:18 pm

Bob1062 wrote:http://www.tubanews.com/articles/contentid-323.html

Apparently Roger Bobo also played the Encounters II (was there an Encounters I?) on F tuba!

well then that raises the question, it is easier to play Bb4 on a C or C -1 on an F?

tubaguy9 · Post by **tubaguy9** » Tue Oct 09, 2007 9:00 pm

Like people have said, no piece of music will likely "replace" another piece anytime. All pieces are different, with different goals, and different styles.