"The Grumpy Troll" is my first composition for solo, unaccompanied tuba. It comes about from my musings about how a Norwegian troll would act and sound like, especially if particularly disturbed. The opening figure sets the tone of the work with the rising minor-third interval serving as a musical grunt reflecting the overall demeanor of this troll. The second section of the work portrays a more active, but still angry troll, leaping between ideas and literally arguing with itself. The third section recalls the earlier grunts, but with more fluidity and expression to the troll's musings. Finally, the fourth section puts the troll into high pursuit of something that had originally disturbed it. You can hear the out-of-breath quality of this troll both in the tuba player's exuberance as well as in the leaking sound of the open valve, which permeates the work. This work was meant to be a tour-de-force of technique and musical expression for the advanced tubist as well as a vehicle to demonstrate more contemporary sounds and styles to audiences in an entertaining and accessible way.
Michael Forbes.
