for tuba and piano
As a composer, Tuba is a difficult instrument to compose for. It is not as dexterous as a saxophone or as subtle as a cello. Its low range makes composing an accompanying piano part difficult without making the piece muddy. Still, the tuba is able to have a warm and resonant tone, strange and beautiful multiphonics, and continues to be one of my favorite instruments to write for. This sonata’s aim is to highlight the many characters and sounds of the tuba.
The piece is in four movements without pause:
- Chant
Inspired by Gregorian chant, the first movement introduces the theme which is varied throughout the rest of the piece. An ominous opening with the soft piano notes acting as a church-bell. The phrases grow increasingly dissonant and intense, moving from chant to recitative (the moments in opera that act as “sung dialogue” in between arias). Still, the movement grows in intensity until…
2. Mechanical Dance
A flurry of notes from the piano and the off-kilter rhythms from the tuba characterize this movement. If the first movement is simmering anger, this movement is complete rage. While the movement might seem repetitive at first, nothing is ever exactly the same.
3. Meditation
A direct return to the phrases from Chant, this movement makes extensive use of multiphonics. For brass instruments, multiphonics are created by singing into the instrument while playing. The two pitches interact and resonate in the instrument creating very buzzy timbres. The piano is playing notes from the harmonic series created by the multiphonics.
4. Finale
Energy and rhythm ending in discord.
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