TUBA MAGNA
PROGRAMME

FOUR RENAISSANCE DANCES
CLAUDE GERVAISE  (1540-1560)

Pavane; Gaillarde; Branie de Bourgogne; Allemande

Gervaise worked for most of his short life in Paris, where he was employed as a music editor for a small printing business. This experience brought him into contact with a wide circle of Parisian court musicians, and he developed a principal interest in composition for instrumental ensembles. Much of this music is based upon well-known dances such as the Allemande and upon regional dance like the Branel from Burgundy. Gervaise is also known for his fascinating arrangements of well-known polyphonic vocal music.

‘QUEEN OF THE NIGHTARIAS  from  MAGIC FLUTE
MOZART (1756-1791)

Mozart was engaged in writing his two act opera Magic Flute from March until July in 1791. It was first performed at the Theater auf der Wieden in Vienna in September that year, two months before he died, with the famous soprano Josefa Hofer in the role of the vengeful Queen. With a story bearing a strong relationship with freemasonary, the opera sparkles with musical themes that illuminate the characters, and there may be a possible link between Mozart’s Queen character and the historical Empress Mother Theresa. This awesome role contains some of the most thrillingly dramatic moments in all eighteenth vocal repertoire. 

DIVERTIMENTO
PERCY WHITLOCK (1903-1946)

The organist Percy Whitlock spent most of his professional life in the south of England. He became assistant organist at Rochester Cathedral by the time he was eighteen, and spent the last fourteen years of his life as borough organist at the Municipal Pavilion in Bournmouth .

His choral compositions are conservative in style but attractive, and his Plymouth Suite is still popular with organists. He also wrote a number of small and delightfully crafted instrumental chamber pieces such as this Divertimento.

SERENADE
DEREK BOURGEOIS (b.1941)

Dr Derek Bourgeois has become a notable figure in British musical life, especially in music education, having been conductor of the National Youth Orchestra, and a founder of the Youth Chamber Orchestra of GB in 1989. A prolific composer, he studied under Herbert Howells and has composed, among his extended works, six symphonies, eight concertos and an opera.

But, for many people, it is for his considerable number of works for Brass that he is especially known, all of  which, as here, show the composer’s keen understanding of these instruments’ sensitive expression as well as their richness and power.

‘Evergreen’
BARBARA STREISLAND

The name of Barbara Streisland hardly needs an introduction. Her career has been paved with gold with international popular acclaim in almost every area of show-business. Her first record album appeared in 1963, and, for her part in Funny Girl in 1968 she won an Academy Award for her motion picture debut. The famous song Evergreen is the love-song she wrote herself for her1976 hit film A Star is Born for which she won the first Academy Award to be given to a female composer.

Toccata   (from 5th ORGAN SYMPHONY)
WIDOR  (1844-1937
)

This Toccata achieved enormous acclaim, literally overnight, following its inclusion as the Postlude at the wedding of the Duke and Duchess of Kent at York Minster forty years ago. Since then it has become one of the most often-played pieces of music performed at celebratory functions in Church. Charles-Marie Widor was a brilliant organist and composition teacher, and counted among his pupils such as Louis Vierne, Honegger, Milhaud and Albert Schweitzer. Of Widor’s compositions, it is the ten great Organ Symphonies for which he is best remembered. Written primarily as concert works, they are composed on a huge orchestral scale often employing, as here, extreme virtuosity.  

TRUMPET CONCERTO                                        HAYDN    (1732-1801)

Allegro;  Andante;  Allegro;

Haydn’s Concerto was composed in 1796 for the Viennese trumpeter Anton Weidinger. Weidinger had been working on the development of a keyed trumpet to replace the earlier natural trumpet. This 4 – 6 keyed Eb trumpet was a remarkably versatile instrument compared to its forerunner, and Haydn gave ample opportunity for the player to demonstrate its capability in this Concerto. After the brisk opening movement, the Andante has a very long legato melody in which the player has very little rest! The sparkling final Allegro returns to its energetic (largely semi-quaver) figuration bringing the work to an exciting conclusion.

INTERVAL

 TRUMPET CONCERTO in Bb                                                 ALBINONI    (1671-1751)

Allegro; Andante; Allegro

Tomaso Albinoni, was born in Venice and his output was immense. The son of wealthy paper merchant, he began composing initially in the field of church music. But a number of appointments at regional courts (such as the famous court of the Duke of Mantua, where Albinoni briefly served) inspired the composer to write numerous sets of instrumental chamber works, operas, and concertos for solo instruments with strings.  Two significant works for solo trumpet (both probably written at or before the height of his career in 1722) were a Sonata (with strings) and the Sonata di Concerto (with strings and bass).

Fantasia on ‘CARMEN’   (arr. Lemarre)                     
BIZET (1838-1875)

Of all opera plots in the repertoire which burn, as Carmen does, with sensuous intrigue, passion (requited and unrequited) and murder, Bizet must surely receive an accolade for composing the jolliest tunes! His marvellous gift for melody, and (in the full score) his sensitive ear for orchestral sound, are second to none.  This Fantasia cleverly encourages us to enjoy again the wit and colourful Spanish atmosphere embodied in some of Bizet’s most imaginative music.   

‘Believe me if all those Endearing Young Charms'
A traditional Irish air.

ARRIVAL OF THE QUEEN OF SHEBA                                                HANDEL (1685-1759)

This famous piece is entitled Sinfonia by Handel and is placed as introductory music to Act 3 in his oratorio Solomon written in England in1749. It has become familiar today by its use in the film Four Weddings and a Funeral. However, Handel’s biblical oratorios were immensely popular in the composer’s day, and Handel toured the country with them to wide acclaim. Festival performances of Susanna, Solomon and Messiah were due to be performed in Bath a few months before the composer’s death, but he was too ill to attend. However, we can still enjoy the spirit of this fine piece (which originally included exciting parts for strings) in many fine settings - such as the one we are to hear tonight.

HORNPIPE HUMORESQUE                                                     NOEL RAWSTHORNE(b. 1929)

Noel Rawsthorne (not to be confused with Lancastrian composer, Alan Rawsthorne!) was a boy chorister at Liverpool Cathedral. He later studied at the organ in Manchester and eventually returned to Liverpool as Cathedral Organist. He is renowned as an performer of modern French music, and has made a substantial reputation as a interpreter of Bach in recitals for the BBC on the smaller Willis organ in the Cathedral Lady Chapel. With Alan Stringer, he has recorded important 20th century works for organ with trumpet.   

Variations on CARNIVAL OF VENICE                                      ARBAN   (1825-1889)

Joseph Arban was a well-known cornet and trumpet player in 19th century Paris. A respected teacher at the Paris Conservatoire his reputation was strengthened by his systematic approach to instruction embodied in his Grande Methode Complete - a tutorial still used today. His setting of Carnival, (a melody that has probably been known for a few hundred years), is a virtuoso piece for trumpeters requiring delicacy of attack combined with daring panache. Victorians loved this piece, and numerous player/composers made enjoyable, if curious, arrangements. The varied list has included settings for piano accordion, and a rather splendid high-flying one for piccolo!

Programme notes by Peter Case for South Holland Concerts

 BACK