STEVENS, J.: Grand Concerto 4 Tubas / Adagio for Strings / Jubilare! (Melton Tuba Quartet, Duisburger Philharmoniker, St. Clair)

A fascinating unusual magic sound

- World premiere -

Normally you will usually only single tuba in classical orchestras. Nevertheless, four tuba players have come together from four leading German orchestras for Melton Tuba Quartett over 20 years ago and have since been traveling internationally as a soloist with this ensemble.

 With the main work on this album, the "Grand Concerto 4 Tubas", they are now presented together with the Duisburg Philharmonic Orchestra, Carl St. Clair, the historically first work of its kind, a concerto for tuba quartet and symphony orchestra. The American composer John Stevens wrote this as a joint commission of the Duisburg Philharmonic, the Bamberg Symphony Orchestra and the Dresden Philharmonic. John Stevens avoids avant-garde tendencies and builds on the American idiom, as it was influenced by composers such as Aaron Copland, George Gershwin and Leonard Bernstein.

 The ensemble sound of the four tubes in the foreground, although all are also solo, called individually. The first set of "Intrada" than most weighty part of the composition a powerful and heroic character. The following "Scherzo" is more about ease and agility. If the tuba often assumes a certain clumsiness, the soloists prove just the opposite here and show the opportunities offered by their instrument regarding agility. The warm timbre "ballad" emphasizes the lyrical and melodic qualities of Tubaspiels by singability and harmony. The finale of "Tango-Tarantella" is dance-like character. Here is first to experience the tuba unaccompanied, fascinating sonic possibilities will be presented, and even the border area of ??the tonal range is touched.

 The album is rounded out by additional works from John Stevens hand, presenting the many different facets of his work: followed the impressive orchestral piece from "Adagio" for pure string section in the tradition of a whole series of famous adagio compositions, and some pieces for "jubilee" Tubaquartett and eight polyphonic ensemble Tuba Euphonium, each with its own character.