MARSALIS & SIBELIUS WITH HEYWARD
tuba of The Philadelphia Orchestra , who played its premiere — and that he is open to adapting his works for ensuing performers . The four movements engage with different strains of jazz . Amid the syncopations and hand-clapping of the first movement , the tubist sometimes emits multi-phonics — playing one note while singing another . The second movement is “ funky tuba ,” says Marsalis , “ a good time [ and ] a different take on Americana .” In the third , he considers the idea of a minstrel show , “ the bittersweet
From the Stage
Concerto for Tubist and Orchestra
by Aubrey Foard
I ' m so pleased to perform Wynton Marsalis ’ Concerto for Tubist , which has been my life for the past seven months ! A piece like this is special and all-consuming ; not only does it require a lot of time in the practice room ( or the “ woodshed ,” as musicians call it ), but it ’ s also new to most audiences . More than anything , I feel the need to introduce you to a beautiful and complex world , which can only result from " living with " this Concerto for many months .
When I first started working on this piece , it became clear that Wynton Marsalis recognizes the tuba is as versatile a solo instrument as any other in the orchestra . We had a chance to chat about the Concerto this summer at the Brevard Music Center ’ s Summer Festival , where we were performing his Fourth Symphony , better known as " The Jungle ." In addition to being of having to make a parody of yourself .” The bebopping fourth references Charlie “ Bird ” Parker . “ A lot of notes ,” Marsalis commented to Jantsch , “ but I ’ m always thinking of the player . I don ’ t want to give you something that ’ s so hard that you feel you have to play it rather than that you want to play it .”
Instrumentation : Two flutes ( one doubling piccolo ), two oboes , two clarinets , two bassoons ( one doubling contrabassoon ), four horns , two trumpets , two
kind and approachable — the first thing he did was to give me his cell number — some of the interpretation he brought to rehearsal opened my eyes ( and ears ) to his music in new and unexpected ways . Wynton would stop the orchestra and talk about New York City as a concept , about how life there can be gritty and people are tough , but that every subway stop places you in an entirely new and interesting world .
In reflecting on “ The Jungle ,” I realized how much the Concerto for Tubist captures the essence of the human experience . From the Concerto ’ s funk-heavy boogaloo and freewheeling samba , to the somber Lament movement , there is a pathos here that gets to the center of who we are as people . In short , it tells a thousand stories , and it is a pleasure to work with my colleagues in the world-class BSO to bring those stories to life . trombones ( one doubling bass trombone ), timpani , agogo bells , bass drum , bongos , cabasa , castanets , cowbells , cymbals ( crash , sizzle , splash , and suspended ), glockenspiel , gong , hi-hat , kick drum , marimba , snare drum , tambourine , tomtoms , triangle , vibraphone , woodblocks , xylophone , and strings , in addition to the solo tuba .
Jean Sibelius
Born : December 8 , 1865 , in Tavastehus ( Hämeenlinna ), Finland Died : September 20 , 1957 , in Järvenpää , Finland
SYMPHONY NO . 5 IN E-FLAT MAJOR [ 1912 – 15 , REV . 1919 ]
The Finnish Government commissioned Sibelius ’ Fifth Symphony to mark the composer ’ s 50 th birthday , which was in 1915 . The vibrancy of the resulting work was something of a surprise to Sibeliuswatchers . His Fourth Symphony had been a rather desolate piece redolent of isolation , even in the context of an oeuvre that was regularly described as reflecting the iciness of its Nordic origins . Then again , Sibelius would declare , “ Each of my symphonies has its own style . I have to work a lot to achieve that ”— or , on another occasion , that each of his symphonies represented “ a credo at varying stages in life .”
The Fifth Symphony occupied Sibelius longer than any of his others — seven years , since he probably began sketching it as early as 1912 and revised it considerably following the provisional premiere , which he did indeed conduct in Helsinki on his 50 th birthday . External difficulties may have accounted for some of the slow going . Finland achieved its independence in 1917 , at which point internal political strife led to a civil war , a subplot to the larger drama of World War I . Then , too , he was juggling several major projects at once . In 1918 , he wrote in a letter : “ My new works , partly sketched and planned . The Fifth Symphony in a new form — practically composed a new — I work
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