Roger Bobo - Roger Bobo and Tuba Play Galliard, Barat, Kraft, Hindemith, Wilder
released on LP
accompanied by Ralph Grierson - piano
Sonata No. 5 in D Minor, composed by Johann Ernst Galliard (b. 1687)
This sonata, in common with the practice of the period, was composed for 'low instrument', and the tuba fits easily and effectively into that category. The music is straightforward and makes few demands on the listener, whose enjoyment is based partly on the purity of musical thought and the good tunes, and partly on the technical brilliance called for in the brisker movements. Roger Bobo uses the smaller F Tuba for this piece.
Sonata for Basstuba and Piano, composed by Paul Hindemith (b. 1895)
As a composer he rapidly became accepted as a major voice of his generation, assimilating the new ideas of composition, and finding his own field of expression. Bach became a strong influence in Hindemith's music, and his later works have a strong contrapuntal element. Perhaps one of Hindemith's most important contributions was his collection of sonatas, written for instruments which were not regarded in a solo light at that time. He thus exploited the musical and technical resources available and left an invaluable heritage of music for performers as well as listeners. The three movements of this "Sonata" give ample opportunity to the tuba, not only for showing itself off technically, as in the central section of the Variations which make up the last movement, but also to emerge as an important interpretive instrument in its own right. This is probably one of the greatest works composed for tuba up to the present time.
Introduction and Dance, composed by J. Ed. Barat
This short, typically French piece by J. Ed. Barat was originally composed for Bass Saxhorn, or Saxtuba, the lowest of the five members of the saxhorn family, patented in 1845 by Adolphe Sax (1814-1894), best known as the inventor of the saxophone. Sax was one of the greatest innovators in the manufacture and improvement of brass and wind instruments during the second half of the nineteenth century. Indeed, his work in this field, which included working on valves in a sound mechanical and acoustical manner, entitles Sax to a special niche in musical history, certainly of equal importance to the saxophone's invasion of the popular music field today. The "Introduction and Dance" is performed on the F tuba on this recording.
Encounters II (for Unaccompanied Tuba), composed by William Kraft (b.1923)
As timpanist with the Los Angeles Philharmonic, William Kraft has had ample opportunity to get to know Roger Bobo, both as a colleague and as a musician, and "Encounters II (for Unaccompanied Tuba)" was specifically composed for Bobo, with the intention of offering him opportunities of both a musical and a technical character. It is dramatic and expressive, lyrical and bombastic. At one point the player is called upon to actually sing through the tuba at the same time that he is playing, thereby setting up a two part texture wherein one part can accompany the other or the two can work together independently. The piece was composed in December, 1966 and first performed in spring of 1967 in the "Encounters" series of concerts in Pasadena, California. These concerts represent a musical "encounter" with a leading composer of our time, and since Karl Kohn had composed a work called "Encounters" for a previous concert, Kraft entitled his piece "Encounters II."
Children's Suite: Effie the Elephant, composed by Alec Wilder (b. 1907)
This little suite is entirely self-explanatory, the tuba taking the role of the lovable little Effie. There is much to enjoy musically, especially in the very lovely lullaby, and there is a lot of fun and helter-skelter rushing about in the Carnival. (Denby Richards)
Tracklisting:
Side A
1. Sonata No. 5 in D Minor {6:59}
2. Sonata for Basstuba and Piano {10:09}
Side B
1. Introduction and Dance {3:53}
2. Encounters II (for Unaccompanied Tuba) {5:57}
3. Children's Suite: Effie the Elephant: 1. Effie Takes a Dancing Lesson {1:20}
4. Children's Suite: Effie the Elephant: 2. Effie Falls in Love {3:03}
5. Children's Suite: Effie the Elephant: 3. Effie Goes Folk Dancing {1:47}
6. Children's Suite: Effie the Elephant: 4. Effie Chases a Monkey {0:48}
7. Children's Suite: Effie the Elephant: 5. Effie Sings a Lullaby {2:30}
8. Children's Suite: Effie the Elephant: 6. Effie Joins a Carnival {1:21}
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various artists compilation - Music from SEAMUS Volume 2
This is the second in a series of annual releases that features the 'best of' works from the annual conferences held by the Society for Electro-Acoustic Music in the United States (SEAMUS).
Time Mark (1989) composed by Scott A. Wyatt
composition for solo percussion with tape accompaniment
Glenn Schaft - percussion
Within Time Mark, are specific considerations including a continuum of timbre - thus providing for an integration of tape and live sounds without the loss of individuality, and spatial disposition - wherein the location from which the sounds emanate within the performance space is also a parameter of the composition.
Liaisons (1991) composed by Jeffrey Hass
composition for computer-generated tape
Liaisons is constructed from a variety of oboe samples, including key clicks and multiphonics. Digital signal processing, accomplished primarily with Csound and linear predictive coding, was used to explore, dissect, modify, and reassemble these sounds to produce the primary material of the piece. By drastically slowing down some of the oboe samples, intriguing microscopic elements not heard in real-time were isolated and enhanced. The piece, then, is a collaboration between real world sounds and digital technology.
Barroco (1991) composed by Barry Schrader
for harpsichord and electronics
Alissa Rhode - harpsichord
Barroco is the second section of "Excavations", a two-movement work for harpsichord and electronics. It parodies bits and pieces of Baroque harpsichord music, although there are no actual quotations. Structurally, Barroco is in what I call "reverse entropy" form: Fragments of material derived from a one-measure theme presented in the introduction come back in different ways, finally insisting on the stasis of repetition.
Paraptra (1991) composed by Cort Lippe
composition for computer-generated tape
Paraptra, for stereo tape, was created using the program Max, which was developed by Miller Puckette, and whose technical advice made this piece possible. The digital mix was done at IRCAM, Paris, with the valuable assistance of Xavier Bordelais and Franck Rossi. The material for the tape is made up solely of digitally transformed and processed harp and classical guitar sounds. Transformations include: frequency shifting, spatial panning, harmonizing, random amplitude modulating, and time-stretching routines which were written by the composer and Puckette for the 4X real-time signal processor. The piece is characterized by a very wide dynamic range, and contains four main sections.
Amalgam I (1988) composed by Charles Norman Mason
composition for oboe and computer-generated tape
David Weber - oboe
Within Amalgam I, the sounds on the tape capture certain characteristics of the double-reed sound while the oboe expands its sonic possibilities with the use of multiphonics and microtones, thus producing a melding of the two sounds.
Wordscapes (1991) composed by George Todd
composition for computer-generated tape
Word
Water
Green Idea
Wordscapes is a set of etudes each a study of one or two words which have been sampled, analyzed, and re-synthesized using the Synclavier's SEM and re-synthesis program. This unique method of re-synthesis divides the analyzed sound into composer-determined time "frames" each of which is a harmonic spectrum. These spectra elide with the frames before and after them creating a dynamic timbral change. The spectra can be manipulated in a variety of ways. The etudes here - "Word", "Green Idea" and "Water" are based on words spoken by a female voice.
CAUTION TO THE WINDS (1991) composed by James Mobberley
composition for piano with tape accompaniment
Richard Cass - piano
It is the fifth in a series of works which combine a solo instrument with a tape accompaniment comprised only of sounds derived from the solo instrument itself. In this case the piano sounds were recorded and then sampled and manipulated on a Fairlight Series IIX to make the tape part.
CAUTION TO THE WINDS is programmatic only in the broadest sense; the title makes reference to the raw energy that is a major part of the arsenal to be found both in piano music and in electronic music, and reflects the free, quasi-rhapsodic nature of the work. (from the liner notes)
Tracklisting:
1. Scott A. Wyatt - Time Mark {8:54}
2. Jeffrey Hass - Liaisons {5:08}
3. Barry Schrader - Barroco {6:19}
4. Cort Lippe - Paraptra {14:22}
5. Charles Norman Mason - Amalgam I {8:54}
6. George Todd - Wordscapes {5:38}
7. James Mobberley - CAUTION TO THE WINDS {5:33}
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Béla Bartók - Sonata for Two Pianos and Percussion/Microcosm
released on LP
The Sonata for Two Pianos and Percussion was written in 1937 in Budapest, having been commissioned by the Basle sub-section of the Swiss section of the International Society for Contemporary Music. It was given its first performance in Basle on 16th January 1938 by Béla Bartók, Ditta Bartók-Pásztory, Fritz Schiesser, and Philipp Rühlig. In 1940 Bartók arranged the piece for orchestral accompaniment ("Concerto for two pianos with orchestra"). The first performance of the orchestral version took place in New York in 1943 with Bela and Ditta Bartók and the New York Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Fritz Reiner.
Bartók on the first version: "I had long intended to write a work for piano and percussion. Gradually I came to the conclusion that one piano would not be sufficient to balance the often rather hard sound of the percussion instruments. Finally I decided to change the plan and use two pianos in opposition to the percussion."
There are seven percussion instruments played by two players: three kettle-drums, bass drum, cymbals, tam tam, side-drum with snares, side-drum without snares, and xylophone. The two percussion parts occupy a position of equal importance to the two pianos; in many parts the percussion sound is only a nuance of colour added to the piano parts, but in many others it provides or underlines important accents. At the same time percussion also adds contrapuntal motifs to those of the pianos, and frequently the kettle-drums and xylophone actually take over themes.
The work is in three movements: Assai lento / Allegro molto - Lento, ma non troppo - Allegro non troppo; it is based on an extension of the idea of the classical sonata. The principle of constant variation - one of the sonata's specific characteristics - derives from Beethoven's composition technique in his later works. Karl H. Wörner: "Improvisation and constant variation are two of the principles of style which run through Bartók's sonata. The creative achievement of this composer, and his greatness, lie in his ability and constant endeavour to reconcile contrasts deriving from two completely separate spheres - the one from the highly specific art in the tradition of Western music, to which Bartók counted himself, and the other from an early stage in the development of music: folk music, with its element of improvisation."
Seven pieces from Microcosm
With the intention "of giving an opportunity for ensemble playing as soon as possible" Bartók added a piano part to several pieces from Microcosm, a work he wrote for pedagogical reasons, "and these pieces can be played in this form when two pianos are available".
Vol. IV No. 113 Bulgarian rhythm (1)
Vol. III No. 69 Study in chords
Vol. V No. 135 Perpetuum mobile
Vol. V No. 123 Staccato and Legato
Vol. V No. 127 New Hungarian folksong
Vol. VI No. 145 Chromatic invention
Vol. VI No. 146 Ostinato
(from the liner notes)
Tracklisting:
Side 1
1. Sonata for Two Pianos and Percussion: I. Assai Lento/Allegro molto {13:23}
2. Sonata for Two Pianos and Percussion: II. Lento, ma non troppo {6:36}
Side 2
1. Sonata for Two Pianos and Percussion: III. Allegro non troppo {6:16}
2. Microcosm {8:36}
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[may be reposted soon]
