Tuba and piano
SKU:
P2.90126
Composed by
Various. Arranged by Joe
Caldarise. Published by
Potenza Music (P2.90126).
Melodie - Taken
from Tchaikovsky's
Souvenir d'un lieu cher,
this popular violin work
fits in quite well with
thick melodic low voice
of the tuba. The original
work began life as the
second movement of the
famous Violin Concerto,
however the composer
chose to discard and
recast it in a more
intimate setting for
violin and piano. The
lyrical melodic line,
characteristic of
Tchaikovsky, gives the
performer a great
opportunity to
demonstrate how the
tuba's power and flow can
be applied to truly sing
on the instrument. And
the more technical
moments allow the player
to show off just how deft
and nuanced the
instrument can be as
well.
Allerseelen -
Strauss composed this All
Soul's Day song to fit
the poetry of the
Austrian Hermann von
Gilm. This popular art
song has since been
arranged for various
settings, from orchestras
to brass bands, but suits
the tuba's voice just
beautifully. The held
notes give time for the
tuba's sound to fill the
room while the harmonies
shift in that gorgeous
late-Romantic style. And
the climax provides the
instrument with the great
operatic moment that it
so deserves.
Zueignung -
Originating from the same
Strauss song set as
Allerseelen, this song
takes a much more
operatic turn. The
opening rolling triplets
give the piece a strong
sense of forward
momentum, carrying it as
a performer might
traverse across the
stage. History has proven
this to be one of
Strauss' best-known
songs, and the climactic
statement in the final
measures certainly gives
the tuba a great moment
to take center-stage.
Abendlied - The
ever-moody Schumann
originally composed this
piece for violin and
piano. Its slow and
halting accompaniment
allows the soloist to
demonstrate their skills
with rubato and nuanced
phrasing. As with most
Romantic music, care
should be taken to bring
out the accidentals, so
as to heighten the
dramatic tension-release
of this seemingly simple
piece.
Liebestraume
- As one of Liszt's most
popular pieces of all
time, this piece is
quintessential Romantic
love song. No aspect of
the tuba or tubist is
left unexplored here. It
begins with a simple, yet
confined melody, taking
advantage here of the
tuba's warm middle-low
register. The brief quasi
cadenza section gives the
player a sparkling moment
to give the listener a
glimpse of the tuba's
technical capabilities.
The accompaniment then
gradually grows in
intensity while the tuba
elaborates on the main
theme while ramping up
the passion and strength
of the instrument's
voice. By mm. 41 and 54,
the player should be
commanding the room with
the full power of the
instrument, poured into a
sweeping melodic phrase.
After a dazzling display
of technical fluency with
the cadenza, the piece
shrinks back to its most
intimate form. The final
bars of the solo part
afford the player the
chance to display the
instrument's most
delicate and poignant
voice, before sliding
back down into the lower
register for final tonic
note.
- Joe
Caldarise.
