'Elegance', 'suppleness'
and 'grace' may not be the first words
that pass through your mind when thinking
of the tuba. However, they are all qualities
which it displays on this interesting
disc by Kyle Turner, a former principal
player of the New York Philharmonic.
He is accompanied on the piano by Elizabeth
DiFelice, who has also played with that
orchestra. The analogy which springs
to mind is of a fat man who turns out
to be a graceful ballroom dancer, moving
with surprising lightness considering
his build.
Two of the works are
by the soloist's brother, a composer
and professional horn player. I cannot
do better than to quote: 'If you are
not familiar with Kerry Turner's music,
you are in for a pleasant surprise.
It is energetic. rhythmic, colourful,
surprisingly tonal and enjoyable for
players and audiences alike'.
Four of the works are
transcriptions for tuba, having been
composed originally for other instruments
- two for cello, the Bach for violin
- perhaps a more surprising transcription
- and the Turner duets for two horns;
the composer's own instrument. The other
thematic connection between some of
the works is that there are three pieces
of music composed originally to accompany
the cinema or the theatre: from West
Side Story, Far and Away
and Salaam Bombay respectively,
Turner being 'a big fan of soundtrack
music'.
The opening Sonatine
was originally composed for the cello,
as was the next work - by Schumann -
but I agree with the performer himself
when he says that it seems very effective
on the tuba. There is a lively and pleasing
dynamic contrast between the styles
and tempos of the three sections, from
brisk to dignified and back to a rapid
pace. The second section, Hymn
- a setting of 'Amazing Grace' is particularly
lovely - my personal favourite track
of the album - and does indeed lend
itself well to this instrument. The
interplay with the piano goes beyond
the role of mere accompaniment and adds
to the energy and rhythm of the music.
Schumann's piece was
originally written for the horn, although
it has since been transcribed for various
other instruments. In this version a
melancholic yearning of considerable
beauty comes through clearly when, as
here, the Adagio is heard in
these lower registers, fully justifying
the reference to expressiveness in the
album's title. The Allegro initially
takes the tempo sharply upwards, reminiscent
of a foxtrot, a change handled with
masterful effortlessness by the soloist.
This is maintained until ending with
a flourish of a coda which shows the
colours of both players.
The Bach sonata is
a more surprising transcription, given
that there is a far greater difference
from the register of the original instrument.
It is slow, simple, rhythmical and precise.
The piano part, originally written for
harpsichord, is played in a way which
reminds one of that origin and reflects
a very crisp and exact approach from
Ms DeFelice. I am not sure quite how
much baroque music I would want to hear
on the tuba personally, but it is an
interesting perspective and a further
demonstration of the versatility of
repertoire a skilful player can bring
to the instrument.
Turner describes the
Bach as 'heartfelt' and the 'big-hearted'
theme continues in the extract from
Bernstein's West Side Story,
which, as one might expect, works
well in this arrangement. It is straightforward,
pleasing and evocative. The piano is
again good. This is heard especially
in the opening into the second section
of the arrangement, into which the first
segues with admirable smoothness.
The Atlantic is then
crossed for Williams' authentically
Celtic-sounding Irish Reel, which
is played with percussion, a combination
which seems more familiar for a brass
instrument. Perhaps around half way
through it becomes a little too slow
and risks losing its way then almost
recovers.
There is then a return
to the music of Kerry Turner with four
short duets with fellow-tuba player
Alan Baer. These encompass a range of
style and pace. There is a careful interplay
between the two instruments in a melodic
and accessible musical style, which
evokes something of the dance-floor.
I particularly like the third movement,
a slow yet jaunty intermezzo with a
slight syncopation. However, perhaps
like the film music, these seem less
unfamiliar brass territory than the
string transcriptions.
Percussion again joins
the tuba in Tico Tico which introduces
an up-tempo Latin rhythm. This makes
one want to get up and dance. It swings
along happily and I agree with Turner
that it 'sounds great on tuba' - a real
feel-good track.
The well known Czardas,
here transcribed by the soloist, is
performed with trade-mark expressiveness
in addition to giving a sense of thorough
competence and mastery of this specially
transcribed version. The album closes
with music to a leave-taking scene from
the film Salaam Bombay, again
expressive, this time of a deep melancholy.
The Asian flavour is another aspect
of the international selection
of music presented on this wide-ranging
album.
Although there are
a relatively small number of compilation
discs of tuba music available, this
is perhaps the broadest in its mixture
of repertoire. Also, unlike some of
the others, this offers an up-to-date
modern recording. Brief mention might
be made of The Romantic Tuba
on Crystal (CRYSTAL CD120) by Floyd
Cooley which inter alia features Bach
(as here) and Brahms and which also
seeks to show an unexpected aspect of
the instrument. That Crystal anthology
is rather narrower in its scope than
the present disc, as it seeks to show
one unfamiliar aspect specifically rather
than, as here, a range. That said, someone
who enjoyed one might well enjoy the
other. I would, in passing, mention
the Naxos recording of British Tuba
Concertos (8557554) for those who wish
to widen their acquaintance with this
instrument's repertoire. That collection
includes the relatively well-known work
by Vaughan Williams.
My main reservation
about this enjoyable and interesting
disc is that it might have a rather
narrow target audience. The most obvious
would be players and students of brass
instruments. For them it offers opportunities
to see the span and versatility this
instrument is capable of in a wide-ranging
repertoire, and to hear a talented performer
in action. It may also be of interest
to those interested in American music.
Those who are devotees of traditional
brass music may have rather a surprise,
but I hope a pleasant one. I would commend
this disc to any musically curious listener
as one that well repays the listening
time.
This well-recorded
album provides a revealing insight into
the possibilities of an instrument rarely
heard solo. It shows a versatility going
well beyond its typical role in the
bass end of the brass section of an
orchestra, brass or military band. I
enjoyed Mr Tuner's playing and hope
to hear more from him. I would also
remark on the obviously good rapport
between him and his piano accompanist;
it is clearly a musical partnership
that works well.
Julie Williams
MSR
catalogue at £10 per disc
Kyle Turner (tuba); Elizabeth DiFelice (piano);
Joe Tomkins (percussion); Alan Baer (tuba).
for
details
