Senior Recital Program Notes

I wanted to post my program notes for anyone who wished to read them but wouldn't be able to attend the recital this Friday. For any non-musician family members or friends, program notes essentially tell you a bit about the composer and the work itself. In addition, you'll discover some information about a few major names in tuba history who are tied to these compositions and, as such, to my recital.

If you are attending the recital, I would recommend waiting until then to read the notes. Since I am doing this recital on my own, I will likely take between 2-3 minutes breaks after each piece to rest my lips and refocus, so you'll have plenty of time to read them. But it's your call.

I hope you enjoy the read!
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Program Notes

Air and Bouree by Johann Sebastian Bach, arranged by William Bell

Johann Sebatian Bach (1865-1750) was a German composer who, although not necessarily famous during his lifetime, is none the less one of the most influential composers in the history of Western Art Music. From 1708-1717 he served under the employ of Duke Wilhelm Ernst of Weimar, first as court organist but eventually as concert master. He then worked as the Music Director for Prince Leopold of Cöthen from 1717-1723. During this time he composed the Brandenburg Concertos, the first volume of The Well-Tempered Clavier, and most of his instrumental sonatas and suites. Beginning in 1723 he served as Cantor at the St. Thomas Church and School, as well as Director of Music for Leipzig, both of which he retained for the rest of his career. During this time he prepared the music of the four principal churches of the city, and organized other musical events sponsored by the municipal council. In the last decade of his life he produced another volume of The Well Tempered Clavier and The Art of Fugue. His greatest contribution was his use of counterpoint, which later became the basis for Western composition.

This particular piece is most notable, however, for its arranger, William Bell (1902-1971). Hailing from Iowa, Mr. Bell was the first renound tubist in the United States. According to windsongpress.org, Bell started playing tuba with a local band at age 10. By 18 he was selected by John Phillip Sousa to serve as principal tubist for the Sousa Band. He later became principal tubist for the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, during which time he taught at the Cincinnati Conservatory of Music. In 1937 he was chosen by Toscanini as the principal tubist for the newly formed NBC Symphony Orchestra, intended to be comprised of the greatest musicians in the world. According to legend, Bell was Toscanini’s third pick. In 1943 he accepted the principal tuba position with the New York Philharmonic, during which time he maintained a private studio of students from around the world, including students from the Julliard and Manhattan Schools of Music. In 1961 he accepted a position at Indiana University until his retirement in 1971. His replacement was Harvey Phillips, a former student. Because of his notoriety, Mr. Bell was the first to solidify tuba pedagogy in the United States; a pedagogical line that continues today. Additionally, he arranged numerous solos for tuba, and is thus responsible for its beginnings as a solo instrument. The annual Tuba Christmas concerts held across the nation were started in memory of Mr. Bell, who was born on Christmas Day.

Of his arrangements, Air and Bouree is perhaps the most well known. The two sections were selected from different works of Bach’s. Air (French for “Aria”) was originally a vocal genre. By the 18th century airs were also used for instrumental music, typically as part of a larger work. This particular air is originally from the vocal work Come Sweet Death. As is typical of airs, it is slow in tempo and lyrical. The Bouree is originally from the Second Violin Sonata. The bouree, originating in France, is a quick step dance, in double time, featuring a one beat pick up. This work is not only a staple of the tuba repertoire, but a rite of passage for tubists.

Tuba Suite by Gordon Jacob

Gordon Jacob (1895-1984) was a 20th Century English composer who wrote over 700 works and several books on composition and orchestration. According to his official website, gordonjacob.org, after serving in World War I he studied at the Royal College of Music with a handful of composers, originally with Charles Stanford, but most notably with Ralph Vaughan-Williams. From 1926 he served as a lecturer at the Royal College of Music until his retirement in 1966. Compared to his elders, Jacob’s music was conservative, and influenced by Baroque and Classical music. His music makes use of mode mixture, and while occasionally dissonant, he always maintains a sense of tonality. According his website, Jacob sums up his approach to composition with this statement, “I think the question of communication is important, because one never wants to write down to an audience, but at the same time I personally feel repelled by the intellectual snobbery of some progressive artists… the day that melody is discarded altogether, you may as well pack up music…” He was also known for having an incredible knowledge of every instrument, resulting in highly idiomatic writing. His music has remained relevant mostly thanks to his wind instrumental music, including numerous concerti and chamber works, but especially those for Wind Band.

The Tuba Suite is a staple of the tuba repertoire, and was arranged for tuba and piano from his Suite for Tuba and Strings, published in 1972. It is an interesting 20th century approach to what was originally a baroque form. Jacob follows some of the traditional guidelines for suites (a collection of dances), while showing his contemporary approach in other ways. Each movement is in either a binary or ternary form. The movements are tied together through various means, including keys, endings that transition smoothly to the next movement, and quotes from the previous movement or quotes foreshadowing the next movement. The Prelude is a slow movement (Largo, eighth note=66) in three. Movement two, Hornpipe, is very typical of the baroque dance that originated in England as a sailor dance. It is quick, highly rhythmic, detached and marcato throughout. The B section features the “Scotch snap”, in which a stressed short note is followed by a long note ( a reverse of the more prominent baroque ornamentation). Movement three is the Saraband. Though somewhat atonal, it maintains the feel of the slow, stately dance in three that originated in Spain. Movement four is a bouree, and it is after this point that Jacob’s Tuba Suite departs from the format’s traditional guidelines. Movement five, Brief Prelude, features piano alone and begins by quoting material from the Bouree and ends with a smooth transition into the Mazurka. The Mazurka is a fast Polish dance in three, and makes use of the typical features of triplets and dotted 8th note/16th note pairs, with an accompaniment that emphasizes beats two and three. This is followed by the Ground (subtitled Jacob’s Dream). While a ground is often used as a bass ostinato, it is also often used as a melody, as is the case here. The movement is in three, and is marked Grave, with a melody that projects a detached mood and yet feels introspective as well, causing one wonder what his dream was about. The suite ends, strangely enough, with a Gallop. Because the Gallop has been omitted for this performance, certain modifications have been made with the order of the movements.

Concertino for Tuba and String Orchestra by Arthur Frackenpohl

Arthur Frackenpohl is an American composer, born in New Jersey in 1924. According to the website for Tritone Press & Tenuto Publications, he received his Bachelors and Masters from the Eastman School of Music, and later his Doctorate in Music at McGill University. In 1948 he studied composition with Darius Milhaud and then with the influential French composer Nadia Boulanger in 1950. During his time at Fontainbleau with Boulanger he was awarded the First Prize in Composition. He served as Professor of Music and Coordinator of Keyboard courses at the Crane School of Music at the State University of New York at Potsdam from 1949 until his retirement in 1961, when he was named Professor Emeritus. He has published over 250 instrumental and choral works, as well as an influential textbook Harmonization at the Piano, which was given multiple editions and is still in use. He has received numerous awards and grants, including one from the Ford Foundation in 1959 to serve as composer-in-residence for the Hempstead, New York Public Schools.

This concertino (little concerto) was written for tubist Abe Torchinsky. According to windsongpress.org, Torchinsky (1935) hails from Philadelphia and studied under Arnold Jacobs and William Bell. He held the principal tuba positions for the NBC Symphony Orchestra under Toscanini (1946-1949) and the Philadelphia Orchestra (1949-1972). In 1972 he retired from the Philadelphia Orchestra and served on the faculty at the University of Michigan until 1989. He is recorded in multiple albums with The Philadelphia Brass Ensemble, one of which won a Grammy Award. His scholarly work includes a compilation of orchestral excerpts for tuba, which was a large advance over previously available books.

The composition follows the three movement format of a concerto (fast-slow-fast). The first movement, Moderato, is in four-four time and features playful melodies. Movement two, Lento, is slow, very lyrical, and highly emotional in parallel with the tempo indication. The third movement, Allegro, is an exciting dance, whose primary melody features a traditional dance rhythm. It is in ABA form with a coda featuring a very brief cadenza. In movements one and three the piano accompaniment and tuba parts trade off frequently, often interlocking, which is typical of a concerto. Though Frackenpohl mixes modes and jumps from one tonal center to another, the piece remains very melodic and full of character.

Tuba Concerto, I. Allegro deciso by Edward Gregson

Edward Gregson, born in 1945, is a notable English composer who has written works for orchestral, chamber, instrumental, choral, theatre, film and television settings. According to the composer’s official website, he studied composition with Alan Bush at the Royal Academy of Music during his undergraduate and received five prizes for his works. Since graduating in 1967 he has worked solely on commission, though he also served as the Principal of the Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester from 1996-2008. His work has been commissioned by several major orchestras, but his most notable compositions are his concerti for horn, tuba, trombone, trumpet, clarinet, piano, violin, saxophone, and cello.

His Tuba Concerto was originally written in 1976 for Tuba and Brass Band. The orchestral version was finished in 1978, but was not premiered until 1983 when it was performed by its dedicatee, John Fletcher, at the Scottish Proms in Edinburgh with the Scottish National Orchestra. According to windsongpress.org, John Fletcher (1941-1987) was the first renound tubist in England, whose notable positions include serving as principal tubist with the BBC Orchestra, London Symphony Orchestra, and the Philip Jones Brass Ensemble. His reputation made him highly sought after as a teacher. Consequently, he helped to solidify the tuba pedagogy for British tuba players. He is to Britain what William Bell is to the United States.

The concerto follows the typical three movement (fast-slow-fast) format. The first movement, Allegro deciso, is in sonata form with a highly rhythmic A theme and a soaring, lyrical B theme. As is typical with a concerto, the soloist and accompanist alternate episodes throughout, often in cooperation but occasionally in opposition with the other. A notable difference from typical sonata form is the use, in the introduction, of a quasi cadenza, which is revived at the end of the movement. Another point of interest is Gregon’s quote of the Ralph Vaughan-Williams Tuba Concerto, which happens briefly during the development section. It is truly an exciting piece, and is a staple of the tuba repertoire.
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Well, there you have it! If you're one of the "non-musician" friends or family members I referred to earlier and have any questions about some of the terminology in there, please let me know! I tried to make it a friendly read for casual concert goers, and not everyone who reads my blog is one. =^) Anyway, I enjoy educating folks on music basics, so feel free to ask by posting a comment below.

Thanks for reading, and I hope to see you at the recital this Friday. Until next time, take care!

Musically yours,
Mr. Cooper