While originally written for alto voice and organ/voices my interest in Bruckner's complex harmonies from his Symphonies drove me to explore his other works.  Even without an entire orchestra simply substituting a brass instrument for the solo part adds enormous breadth to the work that is usually done with doubling of parts.  I also find pretty much all of Bruckner's works to evoke a profound feeling alluding to a greater existence, so as a fan I decided to add at least some of Bruckner's music to my recital.

Here are the results of my transcription of the original to suit a solo tuba and organ for my Senior Recital at the University of Texas at Austin.  This is the live recording from that performance, I was lucky to find a student organist who was able to perform this with me.

Anton Bruckner - Ave Maria III

The justification for this composition from the composer himself cites the lack of genuine Baroque compositions written specifically for the Tuba, which was invented almost a full century after the Baroque era is thought to have ended.  Written in the style of J.S. Bach it offers an interesting addition to the tuba repertoire, though for me it also invited much curiosity in seeking transcriptions of original works instead of just trying to imitate the style of old composers.  While I do enjoy the style of J.S. Bach he also wrote in different styles throughout his life so it's impossible for me to imagine a "perfect" Bach style for Tuba as he wrote for other instruments.

Here is the live performance from my Senior Recital at Bates Recital Hall at the University of Texas at Austin.

Thomas Stevens - Variations In Olden Style

This is another example of the Tuba repertoire "borrowing" music composed for other instruments.  Robert Schumann's Fantasiestucke was composed in 1849 and represents the "Romantic" style of European music, an era that overlooked the Tuba as a solo music instrument.  The memorable motivic themes are my favorite part of this piece.

Here is the live performance from my Senior Recital at Bates Recital Hall at the University of Texas at Austin.

Robert Schumann - Fantasiestucke, Op 73

Gustav Mahler is probably the most important composer that "hooked me" to classical music appreciation.  I feel this composer somehow is very capable of deeply connecting with fans with his musical language and orchestration, even a century after he died.  I came across some great recordings of his symphonies in high school and it only made too much sense to honor him by playing his music at my recital.  Today his lyrics and philosophical intentions don't fully resound with me today but it is hard to deny the enduring allure of his sounds.

This is an example of the Post-Romantic era style which is much more natural for a tuba transcription, and the musical feelings written down by Mahler are still strong despite the transposition of this score away from the original keys.  Like Bruckner's grandiose style, it is fun to play to my instrument's strengths while also being able to express more complicated emotions.

Here is the live performance from my Senior Recital at Bates Recital Hall at the University of Texas at Austin in the Spring of 2009.


English Paraphrases of the Wayfarer Song Texts:

1. My Sweetheart's Wedding Day

My sweetheart's wedding day is a sad day for me!
I go into my dark little room and weep for my dear sweetheart.

Little blue flower! Do not fade!
Little sweet bird! You sing on the green heath
Oh! how beautiful is the world!

Do not sing! Do not bloom!
Spring has gone, all the singing is over.
In the evening when I go to sleep, I think of my sorrow!


2. This Morning in the Fields

This morning I went through the fields,
Dew still clung to the grass,
The gay finch said to me
How is it Good morning! How goes it
Isn't it a beautiful world
How I love the world!

The bluebell by the field with its little bells,
has also gayly, sprightly, rung out its morning greeting
Isn't it a beautiful world
A beautiful thing!
How I love the world!

The world began to sparkle in the sunshine!
Everything gained sound and color!
In the sunshine!
Flower & bird, large and small!
Good Day!
Isn't it a beautiful world
Isn't it Isn't it

Now won't my happiness begin too
No! No!
That which I seek can nevermore blossom for me!

3. I Have a Burning Knife

I have a burning knife in my breast,
Oh woe! Oh woe!
It cuts so deep into every joy & bliss,
So deep! So deep!

Oh, what an evil guest this is.
It never gives peace, never allows rest.
Not by day, not even in sleep!
Oh woe! Oh woe!

When I look into the sky, I see two blue eyes.
When I walk in the fields, I see her blond hair.
Oh woe! Oh woe!

When I awake from dreaming, I hear her silver laughter.
Oh woe! Oh woe!

I wish that I lay on the black bier,
And could nevermore open my eyes!	


4. My Sweetheart's Blue Eyes

My sweetheart's two blue eyes
have sent me away into the wide world.
I had to leave my most beloved place.
Oh blue eyes why did you ever gaze at me
Now I am forever in pain and sorrow.

I've gone out into the silent night.
No one bid me farewell.
My only comrades were love and sorrow.

A linden tree stands by the road.
Under it, for the first time I rested in sleep.
It snowed blossoms over me.
Then I forgot how life can hurt.
Everything was well again.
Everything....... Love and sorrow,
world, and dream.

Gustav Mahler - Songs Of A Wayfarer

Here is a live recording of Alarum for Solo Tuba by Edward Gregson.  This is actually the second time I performed this piece live in front of a recital audience, I really enjoyed learning and re-visiting this piece during that time span.  My overall ideas to this music didn't really change during this time but I did make small interpretation changes that fit within the bigger whole.  Because I'm able identify musical patterns and innovative motifs I really like this piece and consider it a great example of new music to be added to the tuba repertoire.

This is the live performance from my Senior Recital at Bates Recital Hall at the University of Texas at Austin.  Here is the link to my "audience-less" hall recording I made the year prior:
https://soundcloud.com/americolara/edward-gregson-alarum

(live) Edward Gregson - Alarum

Excerpt from Der Ring des Nibelungen: Entrance of the Gods into Valhalla from Das Rheingold - CIM Orchestra - Nov 14 2010

Me playing the tuba part in the student orchestra.

http://instantencore.com/music/details.aspx?PId=5079628

Entrance Of The Gods Into Valhalla From Das Rheingold - CIM Orchestra - Nov 14 2010

Dmitri Shostakovich - Festive Overture, Op. 96 - Cleveland Institute of Music - 9 Apr 2011 

Me playing the tuba part in the student orchestra.

http://www.instantencore.com/music/details.aspx?PId=5083438

Dmitri Shostakovich - Festive Overture, Op 96 - Cleveland Institute Of Music - 9 Apr 2011

Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky: Swan Lake Suite, Op. 20a - Waltz - Cleveland Institute of Music - 26 Sep 2010 

Me playing the tuba part in the student orchestra.

http://instantencore.com/music/details.aspx?PId=5076705

Tchaikovsky - Swan Lake Suite, Op. 20a - Waltz - Cleveland Institute Of Music - 26 Sep 2010

Tchaikovsky - Swan Lake Suite, Op. 20a - Scène- Cleveland Institute Of Music - 26 Sep 2010

Henry Eccles - Sonate in G Minor - 1st Movement

Fantasy for Tuba - Malcolm Arnold

Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky - Symphony no 4 in F minor Op 36 - Cleveland Institute of Music - 2 May 2011 

IV - Finale: Allegro Con Fuoco 

Me playing the tuba part in the student orchestra.

http://instantencore.com/music/details.aspx?PId=5083830

Tchaikovsky - Symphony no 4 in F minor Op 36 - Mvt. 4 - CIM Orchestra - 2 May 2011

Collaborating on the internet and digitally mixing each others tracks made me think to try this with aged but quality audio tracks from before the internet's time. I was pleased with the experimentations of my new go Go XLR mini and putting that through the Reaper DAW to come up with these results. The legendary Chicago Symphony Orchestra Low Brass recordings are still the standard of low brass playing today and to test myself I have begun comparing my playing to this standard to further my musical journey.

Low Brass Excerpts - 1812 Overture

Collaborating on the internet and digitally mixing each others tracks made me think to try this with aged but quality audio tracks from before the internet's time.  I was pleased with the experimentations of my new go Go XLR mini and putting that through the Reaper DAW to come up with these results.  The legendary Chicago Symphony Orchestra Low Brass recordings are still the standard of low brass playing today and to test myself I have begun comparing my playing to this standard to further my musical journey.

Low Brass Excerpts - Mahler 2

This was part of my recording entry for the International Tuba-Euphonium Association's  Tuba Artist Competition.  I managed to reserve a recording space and staff sound engineers to assist with this in the Spring semester of 2008 at the University of Texas at Austin, recorded at Bates Recital Hall.

Eugene Bozza - Concertino For Tuba And Piano - I. Allegro Vivo

The slow movement from Bozza's Concertino for Tuba and Piano.

This was part of my recording entry for the International Tuba-Euphonium Association's  Tuba Artist Competition.  I managed to reserve a recording space and staff sound engineers to assist with this in the Spring semester of 2008 at the University of Texas at Austin, recorded at Bates Recital Hall.

Eugene Bozza - Concertino For Tuba And Piano - II. Andante Ma Non Troppo

The light and humorous final movement from Bozza's Concertino for Tuba and Piano.  

This was part of my recording entry for the International Tuba-Euphonium Association's  Tuba Artist Competition.  I managed to reserve a recording space and staff sound engineers to assist with this in the Spring semester of 2008 at the University of Texas at Austin, recorded at Bates Recital Hall.

Eugene Bozza - Concertino For Tuba And Piano - III.  Allegro Vivo

A lot of the available music for Tuba was composed after attitudes towards traditional tonal music moved away to atonal "Contemporary" music.  The title of this piece has connotations of "alarms" and the composer included Notes indicating references to "Primeval calls to arms".  I remember imagining the colliding of "ancient music" and "new music" styles when I studied this for my undergraduate Performance degree.  Alarum was composed for Tuba only in 1994.

This was part of my recording entry for the International Tuba-Euphonium Association's Tuba Artist Competition. I managed to reserve a recording space and staff sound engineers to assist with this in the Spring semester of 2008 at the University of Texas at Austin, recorded at Bates Recital Hall.

Edward Gregson - Alarum

This SoundCloud has the audio files of my recordings, including some from my student days.  Check the links below for newer videos!

AmericoLaraTuba

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