@nicks@aubergine.co.uk said:
Sorry to hijack...
Dave TK,
What's your opinion of the VW Tuba Concerto. Personally I love it, but I'd be interested in the opinion of a Tuba player...
[:)]
It’s great – it’s the sacred cow of tubists – VW is the biggest profile composer to write a concerto and we should be eternally grateful – which we are.
It’s late VW, in fact it may be his last piece. General opinion is that the orchestration is a bit heavy and it does require some sensitive handling to ensure the poor tuba is allowed to shine through. The second movement is genuinely beautiful music. Its short (14 minutes) but from an audience, programming perspective that’s ideal.
I’m only an amateur but I’ve been fortunate enough to play it twice once with the Royal Aircraft Establishment SO and once with a SO on the Isle of Wight – heady stuff!!!
There are however many alternatives, maybe not as good musically but far more challenging and exciting for tuba players. The VW is set for Grade 8 exams. More recently the next most high profile is probably the John Williams concerto – highly entertaining and again not too difficult and not a bit like Jabba the Hut.
My favourite however is the Derek Bourgeois. Only ever performed once (as far as I’m aware) by the late lamented John Fletcher (LSO 70s 80s think of the Previn shostakovitch recordings). Lasts for 50 minutes in four movements with very large orchestra more like a big shostakovitch symphony with tuba obligato. The composer will provide a CD of the radio broadcast if you send him a disc.
Other alternatives available on CD – Ole Schmidt (has the tuba going up to F5 top line of the treble clef), Edward Gregson (brass band), Joseph Horovitz (brass band).
Well you did ask! [:D]