I like melodic pieces that sound good! Is that too much to ask? I'm not knocking a good solo and I guess there's a place for this type but I don't need to hear solos where every note is a 1/16th note and they're all above the staff...
I have to take umbrage with Joe's assessment of the Beversdorf. I studied the piece with John Upchurch (Beversdorf student and one of those great players of the tuba/trombone/bass trombone you never hear of), Jack Robinson (Beversdorf/Bell student who knows where to put his fingers/slide), and Don Yaxley(Beversdorf student and maybe the best bass trombone player who ever lived) and this was the first remark out of their collective mouths "Tom wrote the piece for the tuba becuase he didn't think the trombone was worth writing for". All of them said he played the s**t out of the piece on tuba. It is one of the best works available for the contrabass tuba. Now that the defense is over, I admire Joe's opinions, but disagree with him, but he did answer in the spirit of the question.
Personally, If I never hear any of the Theme and Variations things from_______ (add your favorite composers name here) again played on tuba, I would be quite happy. What sounds great on their given instruments ends up sounding like someone has got something to prove on the tuba. These pieces are supposed to be fun, but on the the tuba they are all work and no instrument intrisic fun, with all apologies to Mssrs. Sheridan, Pokorny, and the such. For MY tastes, they sound stupid. And for as much as I am going to get major backlash, I steer clear of any live/recorded performance of the Vaughn-Williams. A sub-standard piece. If it were written for ANY OTHER instrument, it would be relegated to a "Vanity" label release to fill out his ouvere. The Hindemith Sonata is the real gem of the repetoire. Oh yeah, I HATE THE HADDAD SUITE. There, I said it.
Chuck"who really LIKES Beversdorf's 'Of Wampoters, Fooma, and Grandfalloons' and wishes more people would do the David Baker Sonata for Tuba and String Quartet"Jackson
If I never have to hear Grant's Fury #2 from behind the screen at an audition(or in any other setting) again, that'd be swell. I don't understand the fascination with that chart, at all. 'course, I had to go and buy it anyway once it appeared on the ITEC(Falcone? one of those two, anyway) rep list recently.
I'll second the opinion previously stated about theme and variation solos. Having accompanied and performed these things, I feel that once the theme and first variation have been left behind, they're just tedious, no matter how well played. The only discovery for the listener is whether or not the player has the tongue/fingers to pull it off. And you have to figure that the player wouldn't be performing the piece if he couldn't pull it off!
I'd much rather listen to something akin to the Plau concerto, which shows off the true beauty of our instruments sound and capabilities and also gives the listener something to chew on.
JC
I would be quite happy never hearing the Broughton or the Wilhelm ever again. I could also stand taking about a 10 year break from the Hindemith. But thats just me....
I'm going to have to say Kraft Encounters II. Some may say it's one of those holy of holies things but I can't stand the piece. Not very musical and just not very impressive to me. Granted it shows some very difficult things that our instrument can do, but I for one still am not impressed.
-Billy.
Romans 3:23-24
Billy Morris
Rudolf Meinl Model 45, Musikmesse Horn
Boosey & Hawkes Imperial Eb (19" Bell)
1968 Besson New Standard Eb (15" Bell)
Theme & variations, with "Carnival of Venice" at the top (bottom) of the list.
As a general rule, it seems that pieces of music with "For Tuba" written somewhere on the title page cause tubists to take leave of their critical faculties, and play or listen to stuff that they wouldn't stand if it were for any other instrument. Outside of the tuba community, the Vaughn Williams tuba concerto is seen for what it is: a minor novelty piece that is enjoying well-deserved obscurity, like the V-W harmonica concerto.
Myself, I am ignoring all of the "classical" repertoire for the tuba, except as exercises. Jazz and pop work well on the tuba, and it's not hard to find or make arrangements. You can play bass lines, contribute to harmony, and solo. No one can tell you you aren't being "authentic"!
We have a few musicians on this bbs who are going in their own directions, making music, and attracting audiences (for example, TubaJoe). They don't spend time lamenting the lack of classical repertoire (although they have the chops to play what there is), they just go out and MAKE MUSIC.
It's really about having a primary interest in music with the tuba your favorite instrument, or having an interest in the tuba.
Mark wrote:Wow, all these post and nobody has mentioned Kraft's Encounters II.
Billy M. wrote:I'm going to have to say Kraft Encounters II. Some may say it's one of those holy of holies things but I can't stand the piece. Not very musical and just not very impressive to me. Granted it shows some very difficult things that our instrument can do, but I for one still am not impressed.
The tuba is a generous instrument, the low man on the totem pole supporting the rest of the ensemble. To be a tuba player you need to be pretty generous too, donating a substantial part of your oxygen intake to providing a solid bass foundation for an ensemble without any personal glory. Serious solos are for selfish instruments like trumpet and violin. Thats why the best tuba solos are ones for comic relief (like Carnival of Venice), where the tuba player generously sacrifices his own dignity to make the audience happy. For that reason, "serious" tuba solos are the ones I can't stand, they degrade the instrument to trumpet status.
I absolutely cannot stand the Hindemith Sonata. I love Hindemith, but who writes a Sonata for an instrument, and makes the accompaniment harder than the actual solo? If you don't know what i'm talking about, take a look at the last couple pages.
"Solo Pomposo" by whoever
"Beelzebub" pretty much explains it
the tuba Arban's "Blue Bells of Scotland", it was my first big solo, and for some reason, I don't like it that much anymore.
the first couple of bars of the Gregson Tuba Concerto, it's not bad, it's just that it's not my "style," per se.
I can not STAND the Hindemith Sonata. It just drives me nuts that it is considered 'standard rep.' when it's just a terrible piece. It should be classified as a piano solo with tuba backing it up. I may be burned for writing what I just wrote, but I don't really care. He asked and I spoke!
Shockwave wrote:The tuba is a generous instrument, the low man on the totem pole supporting the rest of the ensemble. To be a tuba player you need to be pretty generous too, donating a substantial part of your oxygen intake to providing a solid bass foundation for an ensemble without any personal glory. Serious solos are for selfish instruments like trumpet and violin. Thats why the best tuba solos are ones for comic relief (like Carnival of Venice), where the tuba player generously sacrifices his own dignity to make the audience happy. For that reason, "serious" tuba solos are the ones I can't stand, they degrade the instrument to trumpet status.
-Eric
I had never thought of things in this way, but I find myself agreeing with you. This certainly makes some sense. Thank you for provoking thought in this manner.
calliope music... might make good gag music for a dbeuph but seriously, I was waiting for cotton candy, corndog, and souvenir vendors to show up when I was playing it.
Does anyone actually think the John Williams concerto sounds GOOD? Is a good representation of his effort? Would be embraced by the general public? After working it up, I have serious reservations about inflicting it on an audience. Has anyone out there played it and felt it was really well received? I spoke to Chester Schmitz a couple of years ago, and he said that Doug Yeo did some serious changes in editing the piece for publication. I would actually consider performing it if I thought an audience could really "connect" with it. THOUGHTS???????
Last edited by Haugan on Mon Dec 05, 2005 3:16 am, edited 1 time in total.
There is nothing either good or bad, but thinking makes it so. --Shakespeare
It is my belief, that nearly any invented quotation, played with confidence, stands a good chance to decieve - Mark Twain
