ITEA Journal Volume 47 Number 2 (Winter 2020)

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New Materials
Stephen Kunzer, Editor

The ITEA Journal encourages submissions of materials for review.

Guidelines:

· Submissions must not be more than 2 years from original publication.

· Electronic submissions are allowed if your music is available for digital download, otherwise hard copies are required.

· Ensemble music with instrumentation larger than brass quintet, unless written as accompaniment for tuba or euphonium solo, is not reviewed.

· Multiple submissions by publishing companies are often spread out over several issues.

· Submitted materials will not be returned or acknowledged.

· Submission of material for review does not guarantee that a review will be published.

· Short works, or works of similar style may be combined into a single review.

· Reviews are the opinion of the reviewer and do not necessarily represent the views of ITEA or its members.

· Corrections of factual information in a review, especially bibliographic information, are encouraged and will be printed in the next issue of the ITEA Journal.

Euphonium and Tuba Difficulty Ratings for ITEA Journal Reviews
Ranges correspond to the ITEA Journal pitch notation guide

EUPHONIUM AND TUBA LEVELS
I Beginner (up to one year)
II Intermediate (two to three years)

III High School

IV University

V Professional

Level I (Beginner)
Euphonium range, approximately one octave: Bb-b-flat.
Tuba range, approximately one octave: Bb-B(d).

One year of instruction. Limited rhythmic/technical requirements. No note values greater than eighth notes, no syncopated rhythms. Music of a tonal nature.

Level II (Intermediate)
Euphonium range approximately F-f¹.
Tuba range approximately AA-e.
Two/three years of instruction. Rhythmic/technical requirements involve simple sixteenth note patterns. Simple, limited syncopated patterns.

Level III (High School, Secondary School, Pre-college)
Euphonium range approximately F-b¹.
Tuba range approximately FF-b.
Moderate tessitura. More rhythmic complexity. Extended syncopations, sixteenth note patterns, triplets, and so on. Moderate amount of multiple tonguings.

Level IV (University/College)

Euphonium range approximately Bb-c².
Tuba range approximately (BBB) CC-f¹.

Higher advanced tessitura. Increased rhythmic complexity/multimetric. Angular melodic lines. Dissonant harmonies/contemporary harmonies. Endurance factors. Introduction to avant-garde techniques (flutter tongue, multiphonics, etc.). Multiple tonguings. Dynamic control and extremes.

Level V (Professional)
Euphonium range: CC-f ².

Tuba range: (CCC) DDD-b¹ (c²+).
Extended high tessitura. Rhythmic/technical complexity of highest order. Angular lines/large skips in melody. Advanced twentieth- century techniques. Extreme dynamic contrasts.

REVIEWED IN THIS ISSUE

Tuba

Drei Skizzen for solo tuba. Eugene Feldmann. Editions BIM. www.editions-bim.com. TU202. 2017.

Four Pieces, from Op. 40 . Tuba and Piano. Pytor Illyich Tchaikovsky. Arranged by Ralph Sauer. Cherry Classics Music. www.cherryclassics.com. 2017.

I've got the Tuba Blues . Tuba and Piano (also a version for Euphonium and Piano). Mike Forbes. Kendor Music, Inc. www.kendormusic.com. 13122. 2018.

Mariana . Tuba and Piano. Steven Juliani. www.stevenjuliani.com. Opus 20. 2019.

Tuba Concerto . Tuba and Piano. Julien-Francois Zbinden. Editions BIM. www.editions-bim.com. TU184c. 2014.

Euphonium

Three French Vocalises . Euphonium and Piano. Darius Milhaud, Arthur Honegger, and Joseph Canteloube. Arranged by Ralph Sauer. Cherry Classics Music. www.cherryclassics.com. 2015.

Two Pieces (from Opus 11) . Euphonium and Piano. Jules Massenet. Arranged by Ralph Sauer. Cherry Classics Music. www.cherryclassics.com. 2973. 2015.

Chamber Music

Christmas Time Is Here from "A Charlie Brown Christmas". Tuba Quartet. Words by Lee Mendelson, Music by Vince Guarldi. Arranged by Lisa Albrecht. Barkeater Music (Cherry Classics). www.cherryclassics.com. 2801. 2012.

Drei Gauklerepisoden . Brass quintet, accordion, and optional percussion. Greta Funk. Musikverlag Bruno Uetz. www.uetz.de/music. BU 5076. 2015.

Roller Coaster for 2 Solo Euphoniums and Brass Band. Roland Szentpali. Editions BIM. www.editions-bim.com. TU201d (brass band study score and solo parts), TU201c, TU201d (brass band score and parts), TU201e (quintet: 2 solo euphonium, e-keyboard, bass guitar, drum set). 2017.

Street-Beat for tuba quartet or tuba/euphonium ensemble. Michael Forbes. Editions Bim. www.editions-bim.com. 2018.

Audio

Inventions . Chris Dickey. Emeritus Recordings. www.cooppress.net. Emeritus. 20192. 2019.

Text

Famous Orchestral Solos Now for Tuba. Transcribed by Mike Forbes. Kendor Music Company. 2019. 21073. 42pp.

REVIEWS

Tuba

Drei Skizzen for Solo Tuba by Eugene Feldmann. Editions BIM, www.editions-bim.com. TU202. 2017.

Difficulty: IV

Range: FF-f¹

Eugen Feldmann, born in Ukraine in 1967, completed his training as a concert pianist and teacher at the Moscow School of Music, formerly the Gnessin Institute.

Dedicated to tubist Marcus Hötzel, Drie Skizzen (translating to English as "Three Sketches") is a short unaccompanied work of three movements: Misterioso, Amoroso and Giocoso. With a total duration of perhaps only about four minutes; the highly contrasting movements would be playable on either bass or contrabass tuba. The first movement, Misterioso, opens and closes with a rubato section which bookend a metered moderato, quasi siciliana. The second movement, Amoroso, with the indication for the performer ofcantare is the only of the three that is metered throughout ( andante con moto). The melodic style is not atonal but is not harmonically grounded in any specific key. The final sketch, Giocoso, is to be played attacca from the previous movement and opens with loud, punctuated rapid repeated rhythmic figures.

Drei Skizzen would make a nice opening or closing piece on a solo recital or during any program where the soloist needs an unaccompanied work showcasing a variety of styles.
~Matt Tropman, University of Arizona

Four Pieces, from Op. 40 . Tuba and Piano. Pytor Illyich Tchaikovsky. Arranged by Ralph Sauer. Cherry Classics Music. www.cherryclassics.com. 2017.

Range: BB flat- e flat¹

Difficulty: Level IV

This arrangement, by former Los Angeles Philharmonic trombonist Ralph Sauer, is taken from Tchaikovsky's larger work Twelve Pieces, Op. 40. The original works for solo piano were written between February and April 1878, just after his completion of his opera Eugene Onegin, and the first performance of Symphony No. 4. The composer had decided to write something new, resulting in the twelve piano pieces of "moderate difficulty."

The four movements in this arrangement cover a variety of styles. The first movement, Chanson Triste, is a very lyrical and expressive movement, allowing the performer to explore their softer side. The second movement, Waltz (No. 9 in the original piano work), is very flowing, and explores many tonal centers in the active arpeggios in the solo tuba. There is hemiola-section in the middle of the movement that could also cause counting issues for the performer. The third movement, Reverie interrompue, is the most dramatic in the arrangement. The given instructions for rubato open endless possibilities for interpretation of this movement. After the opening drama, the music gives way to a beautiful melody taken from an Italian folk song Tchaikovsky heard while in Venice. The final movement is a playful Russian Dance that starts with a slower, more playful tempo before finishing in an exciting flourish. The accompaniment of this arrangement is well done, and usually has the pianist in supporting chordal accompaniment, although the second and third movements are more of a collaboration between the tuba and piano.

These four arrangements are perfect recital material, allowing the performer to work on material of one of the great Russian masters. The total length of the Four Pieces comes in around fourteen minutes in length. The mid to upper register of the pieces lends itself better for the bass tuba, although students with only a contrabass tuba would also greatly benefit from working on the arrangement, even though endurance might be more of an issue.
~Dr. Preston Light, Xavier University

I've got the Tuba Blues . Tuba and Piano (also a version for Euphonium and Piano). Mike Forbes. Kendor Music, Inc. www.kendormusic.com. 13122. 2018.

Range: Tuba: FF-f

Euphonium: F-f¹

Difficulty: Level III

I've Got the Tuba Blues is a 3-minute work for tuba and piano geared towards high school or advanced middle school students. There is also a version available for euphonium or baritone that is the same material an octave higher and comes with treble and bass clef versions.

The piece is written in 6/8 and allows the soloist to play a blues melody over three choruses of B-flat blues changes. While the performer can play the written melody each of the choruses, the chord changes are also printed for the possibility of improvisation as well. There is also one chorus where the piano takes the solo line, giving the soloist a chance to provide a fun, active bass-line under the piano.

This piece would be a great introduction to blues style for the young performer, especially with the limited range, allowing the student to focus more on the style and creativity of the blues-style rather than the range. This could also make for a fun closer to a recital, and the addition of extra choruses could give a more advanced student the opportunity for further improvisational experimentation.
~Dr. Preston Light, Xavier University

Mariana . Tuba and Piano. Steven Juliani. www.stevenjuliani.com. Opus 20. 2019.

Range: AA flat - d¹

Difficulty level IV

The initial inspiration for Mariana came from the power and grandeur of the rugged Pacific coastline in Bodega Bay, California. Among the robust marine life in that area are the whales that hug the coastline as they migrate. When the composer imagined them swimming in the deep, cold water, he could hear the tuba calling out.

Those images unexpectedly fit with Mariana. The deepest place on the planet is the Mariana Trench near Guam in the Pacific Ocean. This piece is about that vast, open space in our oceans, the vast open life ahead of Mariana, and ultimatel, how precious life is.

Steven Juliani started composing music in 2016 after a long career in music as a performer and music copyist. In 2019, Steven Campbell, principal tuba in the Minnesota Orchestra, commissioned, premiered and recorded Juliani's piece for tuba and piano - Mariana. After the premiere at the International Tuba and Euphonium Convention (ITEC) in Iowa City, Iowa, Mr. Campbell, accompanied by Casey Rafn, piano, performed Mariana on a Minnesota Orchestra chamber music program at Orchestra Hall, Minneapolis.

This piece is hauntingly beautiful and hopeful. This is especially evident in the second movement, which starts with a simple yet memorable and accessible melody. The piece concludes in the third movement with an aggressive multi-meter tour-de-force for the soloist and accompanist that explores a very interesting intersection between blues-sounding licks and moto-perpetuo style repetitions that all together made it reminiscent of Philip Glass's music. The piano part is medium-difficult due to the number of accidentals and multiple meter changes.
~Jesse Orth, Texas A&M Kingsville

Tuba Concerto . Tuba and Piano. Julien-Francois Zbinden. Editions BIM. www.editions-bim.com. TU184c. 2014.

Range: DD sharp - a¹ (optional c²)

Difficulty: Level V

Swiss composer Julien-Francois Zbinden began his musical career as a jazz pianist and began as a self-taught composer at a young age. He has written over a hundred works including opera, oratorios, five symphonies, concertos, choral music, and music for radio and film, much of which has been recorded. His Tuba Concerto was written for Daniel Schädeli and was commissioned by the Bern Symphony Orchestra. The premiere took place in September 2015.

The first movement begins and ends with extended cadenzas for the soloist. Between the cadenzas, the solo line is mainly in the upper register. While the movement features a fast tempo, the solo line is mainly 8^th notes, so the technical demands are not as high. There is a section halfway through the movement that will require clarity and dexterity in the lower register of the bass tuba. After the final cadenza, the closing section of the movement also features extended multiple tonguing.

The second movement stays within the middle register of the tuba, and as the composer states, "allows the tuba the material to demonstrate the instrument's lyrical potential." The writing of the mid-range of the tuba combined with the slower tempo allows the tuba to do just that. The end of the second movement does include a muted section for a different color. The final movement explores the virtuosic potential of the tuba. In a fast tempo, the movement goes between writing in 4/4 and 12/8. Most of the solo writing is chromatic in nature, staying in the mid to upper register. The piano part with the reduction is overall very straight ahead and of medium difficulty. The final measures of the concerto will leave some difficulty with large intervals and dexterity required in the right hand.

Zbinden's Tuba Concerto is best suited for the advanced collegiate or professional player and would work best for the bass tuba. The concerto is different from other current concerti, featuring less technical virtuosity from the performer while still providing many challenges and opportunities for great music-making.
~Dr. Preston Light, Xavier University

Euphonium

Three French Vocalises . Euphonium and Piano. Darius Milhaud, Arthur Honegger, and Joseph Canteloube. Arranged by Ralph Sauer. Cherry Classics Music. www.cherryclassics.com. 2015.

Range: c - b flat¹

Difficulty: Level IV

This collection of vocalise by three prominent French composers is yet another welcomed addition to the repertoire done by Ralph Sauer. The three movements cover a range of styles from the French repertoire, and each present their own challenges to the performer.

The first movement is originally by Darius Milhaud. This short, thirty-six measure vocalise is set primarily in the mid to upper register of the euphonium. The movement is in 5/8 and is marked "without slowing." The piano difficulties come in this movement with intervals of an octave and even a tenth in the left hand. The second movement is a beautiful lyrical movement by Arthur Honegger. This movement, while having a slow tempo marking, uses a variety of rhythms to create motion for musical interest, which is often traded with the piano. The last movement is a setting of avocalise by Joseph Canteloube. In 3/8, this movement is a bourree dance. The piano part is again more featured with many scalar runs in prominent 16^th note passages.

The total length of this arrangement is between 5-6 minutes in length. The upper register limit of the work only happens twice in the piece and is approached in a logical manner; so range, while still a factor in recital placement, should not be a deterring factor for the collegiate performer. The piece would make for a perfect opportunity for a student to study and perform French music.
~Dr. Preston Light, Xavier University

Two Pieces (from Opus 11) . Euphonium and Piano. Jules Massenet. Arranged by Ralph Sauer. Cherry Classics Music. www.cherryclassics.com. 2973. 2015.

Range: G - d²

Difficulty: Level V

These two beautiful and short pieces come from Massenet's "Three Pieces for Piano, Four Hands, Opus 11," published in 1867. Two of the pieces were then adapted for Cello in 1877 by Massenet. Ralph Sauer has taken Massenet's cello version and arranged them for euphonium and piano. The first movement, Andante, is flowing and lyrical and the second movement, Allegretto, is a lively 6/8 dance in A-B-A form. The two movements total about five minutes and are appropriate for advanced performers. This arrangement makes an especially attractive recital piece because of the beautiful simplicity in the melodic lines and the easy piano accompaniment.

Jules Massenet was a French composer of the Romantic era best known for his operas. Like many prominent French composers of the period, Massenet became a professor at the Conservatoire, where he taught composition from 1878 until 1896. The original suite was dedicated to Camille Saint-Saëns, a colleague of Massenet's.

Ralph Sauer is a trombone performer, teacher, and arranger who was principal trombonist of the Los Angeles Philharmonic for thirty-two years and has arranged dozens of works for Cherry Classics Music. Cherry Classics Music is a publisher of brass music with over 340 works in the catalog.
~Jesse Orth, Texas A&M Kingsville

Chamber Music

Christmas Time Is Here from "A Charlie Brown Christmas". Tuba Quartet. Words by Lee Mendelson, music by Vince Guarldi. Arranged by Lisa Albrecht. Barkeater Music (Cherry Classics Music). www.cherryclassics.com. 2801. 2012.

Range: Euphonium 1: c-g¹

Euphonium 2: Bflat-f¹

Tuba 1: Bflat-e¹

Tuba 2: FF-C

Difficulty: Level III

One of my favorite Christmas Albums is the music of the Vince Guaraldi Trio in A Charlie Brown Christmas. This particular arrangement is done by Lisa Albrecht, who currently serves as the second trombonist for the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra, who has an impressive orchestral, and commercial background.

The quartet is voiced primarily with three upper voices, and one bass voice throughout. The piece opens with the tune in the original style that we are all familiar with. For the majority of the A-Section, Euphonium 1 is the lead voice; this leads nicely to a duet with Euphonium 2.

The B-section becomes a faster Jazz Waltz; now the melody is passed around the group more frequently. This time, Tuba 2 gets a chance to interject the melody, along with the euphoniums.

The conclusion of B introduces a bell-tone section that transitions the music into the final A- with a quasi-shout section that wraps up the music very nicely.

Often times the landscape of Christmas Music in the tuba-euphonium world is dominated (and rightly so) by the music written by Alec Wilder for the TubaChristmas Book. It's nice to have other outstanding options to include in your holiday programs. Euphonium parts include both treble and bass clef.

This arrangement is also available for four trombones, and I would recommend a YouTube search for this title to hear the Aries Quartet perform: Joesph Alessi, Ian Bousfield, Jeremy Wilson, and James Markey - well-worth your time.
~Stephen Kunzer, Auburn University

Drei Gauklerepisoden . Brass quintet, accordion, and optional percussion. Greta Funk. Musikverlag Bruno Uetz. www.uetz.de/music. BU 5076. 2015.

Range: Trumpet I - a flat - g²

Trumpet II - a flat - f²

Horn - c - c²

Trombone - B - g¹

Tuba - FF - g

Difficulty: Level II

This piece is a very interesting addition to the brass chamber music repertoire. The title translates to three storyteller episodes. Those episodes are:

Drei einsame Gaukler ziehen durchs Land (Three lonely jugglers roam the countryside)
Ein "ernsthaftes" Gespräch (A "serious" conversation)
Das alte Karussell (The old carousel)

While the brass parts have simple rhythmic and melodic content, the range presents a slightly greater challenge, especially for the trumpets. The accordion is absolutely necessary for this piece as it has many solo lines and a crucial harmonic role throughout the piece. With the optional percussion, the ensemble effect of this piece is significantly enhanced.

Greta Funk is a prolific chamber music composer from Switzerland, where she studied music at the University of Zurich. She has written many chamber works for strings, woodwinds, voice, piano, and brass. Her compositions can be heard around the world, most recently at the Los Angeles Symphonic Winds chamber music concert, St. Peter and Paul Church in Lviv, Ukraine, and can be found on her YouTube channel.
~Jesse Orth, Texas A&M Kingsville

Roller Coaster for 2 Solo Euphoniums and Brass Band. Roland Szentpali. Editions BIM. www.editions-bim.com. .TU201d (brass band study score and solo parts), TU201c, TU201d (brass band score and parts), TU201e (quintet: 2 solo euphonium, e-keyboard, bass guitar, drum set). 2017.

Range: Euphonium 1 - EE- d²

Euphonium II - BB-flat- d²

Difficulty: Level VI

This is an extremely challenging single-movement work for two euphoniums by the celebrated Hungarian tuba virtuoso and composer Roland Szentpali. As there are very few original works specifically for two solo euphoniums, this is a particularly welcome addition to the repertoire. However, those interested in performing it will discover right away that it is extremely difficult, as one might expect from music composed by Mr. Szentpali. Its difficulty might lie in a similar range to his "Pearls" suites, although its style is unique to the piece.

"Roller Coaster" is an apt description as the solo parts are careening around the range of the instrument with many angular technical passages that do not follow predictable patterns. While the first part often sits a bit higher than the second, both top out at d², and require players with ample soloistic abilities. Often, the two voices are playing the same rhythmic figures in 3rds or 4ths, creating a sound somewhat similar to big-band saxophones. In fact, the composer indicates the piece can also be played by two tenor saxes or two trombones. It is a bit easier to imagine it on saxophones, but it would be a fun challenge for any of the suggested instrument pairings.

The piece has somewhat of a rock feel, with drumset playing throughout and driving rhythms in the bass. The piece was commissioned by euphoniumnists Gilles Rocha and Fabian Bloch, who also have an excellent recording available on YouTube (at the time of this writing) with the Oberwalliser Brass Band, conducted by David Lochmatter.

Roller Coaster will surely provide an exciting challenge to both soloists and ensemble, but is equally exciting for the audience. If you do not have access to a brass band, there is a version available with e-keyboard, bass guitar and drumset. Note: the solo parts provided are in B-flat treble clef only.
~Matt Tropman, University of Arizona

Street-Beat for tuba quartet or tuba/euphonium ensemble. Michael Forbes. Editions BIM. www.editions-bim.com. 2018.

Range: Euphonium 1: g¹ to b-flat

Euphonium 2: d¹ to a

Tuba 1: a-flat to BB-flat

Tuba 2: e-flat to FF
Difficulty: Level III

Commissioned by and dedicated to the 2019 Taiwan Tuba/Euphonium Festival, "Street-Beat" is a short, energetic and fun feature piece that gives each pairing of instruments the chance to "strut their stuff." While short, this one-minute twenty-second piece starts with a hook that sets up an ensemble energy that is sure to be a favorite with a quartet of moderately advanced high school or undergraduate level performers. While written for a smaller group of a standard EETT quartet, this could be a good concert enhancer for a larger ensemble. Rhythmically it contains a varied diet of rhythms that, while moderately complicated for the younger age level, yield a rewarding sense of musical satisfaction to both the player and audience alike. The range is not extreme, the euphonium parts are very reasonable with the added inclusion of treble clef versions, and the tuba parts are quite doable on contrabass instruments as well. There is utilization of some extended techniques in all the parts (i.e. half-valve glissandi and trills), but they are clearly indicated and reasonably straight forward to execute.

Editions Bim exhibits their typical high-quality production values in this publication, and have included a well-designed score for added convenience. In this reviewer's opinion, "Street-Beat" by Michael Forbes is a great addition to the "short and sweet" category of chamber music for the tuba and euphonium that anyone would welcome into their library.
~Chris Combest, Middle Tennessee State University

Audio

Inventions . Chris Dickey. Emeritus Recordings. www.cooppress.net. Emeritus. 20192. 2019.

Dr. Chris Dickey is currently an artist-teacher of tuba and euphonium at Washington State University, and Inventions is his third solo album. Dr. Karen Savage, Dr. Martin King, and Dr. Sarah Miller join Dickey on the album.

Gregory D. Carroll's Studies in American Folk Idiom brings an instantly American sound from the first track. The first movement features a jaunty tune in the tuba, with lots of interplay between the tuba and piano. The second movement is a completely different feel than the happiness in the first movement, prevailing in seriousness and sadness. Dickey shines with a commanding and powerful sound that makes the long phrases sound easy and effortless. The final movement evokes sounds familiar to those of the Appalachian area of the United States. The movement has an inherent bluegrass feel that brings the piece to a fun, happy conclusion.

Originally written for John Fletcher, Jennifer Glass' Sonatina for Tuba, features a broad range of styles and tessituras. The first movement is full of introspective, angular melodies in the tuba, showcasing the wide range the tuba has to offer. The second movement showcases the same dark, brooding melody in various registers of the tuba. Dr. Dickey's final build at the end of the movement is a shining moment of how the tuba possesses a unique ability to be overly power and expressive. The third movement is a quirky waltz covering a range of close to three octaves that are performed with ease. The lower register playing in this movement is very full, while still being graceful. The final movement comes together in a spirited conclusion of fragmented melodies that show how Dickey and Savage work so well together as collaborative partners.

Tryptic for Tuba by Clifford Weeks begins with a chromatic melody passing from the piano to tuba. The commanding melody is passed effortlessly from performer to performer. The second movement is very operatic in nature, giving Dickey a fantastic opportunity to demonstrate a clear singing style full of expressive vibrato. The last movement opens with the piano in jazz-like harmonies, before entering writing very similar to the first movement.

Composer Sy Brandon is next with his composition Miniatures for Tuba and Piano. Brandon's signature style of rhythmic intensity is paramount in the first movement, creating a nervous energy throughout the movement. The second movement features dissonant harmonies that provoke a feeling of longing and sadness. Throughout the recording, this is where Dr. Dickey shines the brightest, as his ability to get the feelings of sadness and despair to reach the listener. The third movement lives up to the title "Uncertainty," giving the listener mixed emotions of happiness and confusion. The last movement ends with a delightful melody featuring the lower register of the bass tuba.

Fantasia for Tuba and Piano by Armenian composer Vartan Adjemian emphasizes contrasts between the two large instruments. The tuba often has large sad material, while the piano has uplifting, bright lyrical melodies in contrast.

Originally written for virtuoso Michael Lind, Vagn Holmboe's Sonata for Tuba and Piano is an example of how a short, three-note motif can join a multi-movement piece together. The writing is strikingly different than the other pieces on the CD, as the Danish composer's background can be heard through his harmonic writing in the piece, offering the listener a break from the mainly American sounds of previous tracks. Elements of the three-note motif can be heard again in the last movement as it is elongated and ornamented. The introspective elements of the first two movements are countered by the lively opening of the third movement. There is then a reprise of the first movement, before an uplifting shift to the end of the piece.

Sy Brandon is back for the title piece to finish the CD. Inventions is a trio for horn, trombone, and tuba. The first movement is a perpetual motion movement with constant action from all three musicians. The second movement mimics the action of practicing with a metronome and is very rigid with the writing for the instruments. The third movement is the musical representation of a periscope looking out onto the ocean from a submerged submarine. The rise and fall of the lines mimic the rise and fall of the ocean, with interspersed bits portraying looking through the scope. The composer continues his incredible multi-use of names in the "Morse Code" movement as he states the melodic rhythm heard spells out the movements' name in Morse code. The last movement represents the first flight by the Wright Brothers. The trio has a fantastic blend and sound throughout the piece and shines on the last tracks of the CD.

Dr. Dickey's wonderful sound and control both as a soloist and chamber musician makes Inventions a wonderful new recording for the tuba and is both enjoyable and engaging to experience.
~Dr. Preston Light, Xavier University

Text

Famous Orchestral Solos Now for Tuba. Transcribed by Mike Forbes. Kendor Music Company. 2019. 21073. 42pp.

When we see titles by Mike Forbes, we usually assume another great tuba quartet/ensemble piece. His latest offering is a departure from his normal offerings. Famous Orchestral Solos Now for Tuba offers tuba players the chance to perform some of the famous melodies in the orchestral canon, regardless of which instrument they were written for.

In his Foreword, Mr. Forbes relates the writing of his book to the well-known story (to tubists) of Tubby the Tuba. In the story, Tubby was always saddened that he didn't get to play the melodies his colleagues did. This book essentially is the realization of that story, giving Tubby the lead role!

There are a total of 40 excerpts in this book; just a few of these include

The Swan (Cello Solo) - Camille Saint-Saëns
Tuba Mirum (Trombone Solo) - W.A. Mozart
Brandenburg Concerto No. 2 (Piccolo Trumpet Solo) - J.S. Bach
Scheherezade (Violin Solo) - Rimsky-Korsakov

Mr. Forbes gives some very persuasive reasoning for practicing music out of this book, such as "greater knowledge of orchestral repertoire," and "development of phrase." The "reason" that stuck out to me the most is that "this book will help you get to know your colleagues better." This really caught my attention because I never had that perspective before. If you are working Tuba Mirum, you could easily ask your trombone colleague/teacher ideas for handling phrasing or breathing. Initiating this conversation will help you in one of the most important aspects of gigging, which is networking.

This is a terrific resource to have in your collection, and very humbling when you begin to dive into some of these outstanding melodies that we all know and love.
~Stephen Kunzer, Auburn University

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