SKU: BO.B.3429

English comments: In 2003, I wrote Introspeccion for solo clarinet and, although I had already used the clarinet many years ago (in 1963 with a Duo for clarinet and piano), I felt the need to return to that instrument again: malleable, dynamic, with a considerable tessitura and an expressive and effective timbre both in pianissimo and fortissimo.

Apart from the Piano concerto I wrote in 2003, over the last four years I have preferred to work with chamber music. In 2005 I used the clarinet again, this time alongside the classic string quartet, a combination that has always caught my attention. So this is how the Quinteto de la Sala de Llevant arose, as a work designed in a single tempo that I think follows along the same lines marked by my compositions in recent years, in the sense that all superfluous elements are removed to leave a strict musical discourse that I hope can be considered markedly expressive.

The Quinteto de la Sala de Llevant was first performed on 29 June 2005 at the Sala de Llevant in the Library of Catalonia, when I loaned my musical archives to this institution. It was played by Josep Fuster (to whom the work is dedicated) on the clarinet and the Glinka Quartet (Ala Voronkova, Guerassim Voronkov, violins, Bernat Bofarull, viola, Nabi Cabestany).
--The author

Comentarios del Espanol: En el ano 2003, escribo Introspeccion para clarinete solo y, si bien ya habia usado el clarinete hace muchos anos (en 1963 con un Duo para clarinete y piano) senti la necesidad de volver al mismo instrumento: ductil, agil, de una tesitura considerable y de un timbre expresivo y eficaz tanto en el pianissimo como en el fortisimo.

Exceptuando el Concierto para piano del 2003, en estos ultimos cuatro anos he trabajado preferentemente la musica de camara. En el 2005 vuelvo a usar el clarinete, ahora junto al clasico cuarteto de cuerda, conjuncion que siempre me habia llamado la atencion. Nace, pues, el Quinteto de la Sala de Llevant, obra concebida en un solo tiempo y que creo que continua con la linea marcada por el autor durante estos ultimos anos, en el sentido de eliminar todo elemento superfluo para seguir un discurso musical riguroso y que querria marcadamente expresivo.

El estreno del Quinteto de la Sala de Llevant tuvo lugar el 29 de junio del 2005 en la Sala de Llevant de la Biblioteca de Catalunya, en ocasion de la cesion de mi archivo musical a esta misma institucion. Josep Fuster (a quien la obra esta dedicada), clarinete, y el Cuarteto Glinka (Ala Voronkova, Guerassim Voronkov, violines, Bernat Bofarull, viola, Nabi Cabestany) fueron sus interpretes.
--El autor

SKU: P2.PZA90187

Concert Duets is a collection of 14 arrangements of works by prominent 18th-century composers, mostly taken from Trio Sonatas. Duet 11 is a Jim Self original work in the Rococo style; and Duets 12, 13 and 14 are arrangements of the three-movements of the Bach Concerto for Two Violins. Included with this edition are play-along recorded tracks by tubist Zach Collins, who also served as editor of the current edition.

I created these duets as Christmas gifts for my tuba playing friends, with the first duet being arranged in 1976. All 14 of the duets are challenging and fun to play and are especially effective as concert pieces.

As a young musician I had the privilege of playing duets with many of the world’s finest tubists including Harvey Phillips, John Fletcher, Bob Pallansch, Chester, Schmitz, Dan Perantoni, Toby Hanks, Ron Bishop, Winston Morris and Tommy Johnson. I learned more about playing music in these duo sessions than from any other musical activity I have ever experienced. Duets are powerful teaching tools for learning and mastering rhythm, phrasing and intonation and for developing overall musicianship.

Jim Self:

Self (b. 1943) is a Los Angeles free-lance musician, a veteran of thousands of Hollywood motion pictures, television shows and records, and tuba soloist on many prominent movies. His tuba was the “Voice of the Mothership” in Close Encounters of the Third Kind. He is Principal Tuba/Cimbasso with the Pacific and Pasadena Symphonies and the Los Angeles Opera and Hollywood Bowl Orchestras. Formerly he was in The U.S. Army Band and tuba / euphonium professor at the University of Tennessee. He holds a DMA from the USC Thornton School of Music where he is Adjunct Professor of Tuba and Chamber Music. His compositions and arrangements include works for solo tuba, brass quintet, other brass, string and woodwind chamber music, wind band and orchestra. Jim has produced many solo jazz and classical recordings. His music and recordings are available from Potenza Music and www.jimself.com. Jim Self is a Yamaha Performing Artist.

Zach Collins, editor:

Zach Collins is professor of Tuba and Euphonium at Indiana University of Pennsylvania. In 2019, he released his first solo album, Chronicle. It was recognized with the 2021 ITEA Roger Bobo Award for Excellence in Recording for the best Solo Tuba Album.

His interpretation of William Kraft’s Encounters II for Solo Tuba was released on Cambria Master Recordings. Zach performs with Eastern Standard, a horn, tuba, piano trio he formed with Heidi Lucas and Jacob Ertl. The ensemble has released two commercial albums, Eastern Standard and Wanderlust.

Zach regularly performs with the Keystone Chamber Winds, Altoona Symphony Orchestra, and West Virginia Symphony Orchestras. His compositions and arrangements for brass and for tuba and euphonium can be purchased from Cimarron Music and Eighth Note Publications. Zach earned degrees from Texas Christian University and the University of Southern California. His primary teachers have been Richard Murrow, Jim Self, Tommy Johnson, and Norm Pearson. Zach Collins is a Miraphone artist.