Matthew Murphy

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Publication Date

11-29-2007

Year of Release

2007

Note(s)

Matthew Murphy, tuba

accompanied by:

Mark Smith, piano

Clark Littlepage, congas

This recital is presented in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in performance. Mr. Murphy is a student in the tuba studio of Mr. George Palton.

Program Notes

Daniel Perantoni, Professor of Tuba at Indiana University, is a world renowned solo tuba artist as well as pedagogue. Perantoni is well known as co-founder of the Perantucci line of professional tubas along with Bob Tucci. Perantoni is also a founding member of various ensembles including Summit Brass, Symphonia, and the Saint Louis Brass Quintet. He has been a leader in the advancement of the technique and visibility of the tuba through master classes, private teaching, and public performance. His more significant contribution to the tuba are his premieres of a number of original compositions for the instrument. On this program, two such works will be performed tonight, including Anthony Plog's Three Miniatures, and Robert Jager's Concerto for Bass Tuba.

Anthony Plog's Three Miniatures is a short work of three contrasting movements. The work was commissioned by Custom Music Corporation to be played by Daniel Perantoni at the 1992 International Tuba Euphonium Conference. The work was originally scored for piano and then later orchestrated for large string ensemble.

The primary harmonic base for this piece is the octatonic scale and the diminished triad. Movement one is fast, and is comprised mainly of tongued, angular sixteenth notes which are contrasted with legato, linear figures. Movement two is slow and free in nature, in a quasi cadenza style. Movement two leads into movement three which composed of a mix of fast, linear sixteenth notes and sections of short, heavily articulated eighth notes.

A trumpeter with no formal studies in composition, Plog began writing exclusively for brass instruments, pulling from his vast experience with performance and composition in the brass field in both America and Europe. With great success on trumpet, Mr. Plog chose to retire from a career of performing to pursue careers in teaching and composition.

Elizabeth Raum's Romance for Tuba was commissioned by Estelle Gravois-Murr as a birthday gift for Gravois-Murr's husband, Ray Murr. This composition is a beautiful, lyric piece with dense chords and a legato melody. Receiving her degree from the Eastman School of Music in oboe performance, Raum seemingly incorporates the singing qualities of the oboe in this composition through the use of this legato melody. The piece was premiered by John Griffiths, a long-time friend and colleague of Raurn's. Sadly, Mr. Griffiths passed away this past summer. 2007.

Robert Jager's Concerto for Bass Tuba was written for Daniel Perantoni by commission of the Illinois Wind Ensemble and at the personal requests of Perantoni. "Perantoni' s request was that the concerto not be 'spaced-out' but a composition to bring the audience to its feet at the end, applauding"' Mr. Jager was up for this challenge and composed Concerto for Bass Tuba. Unlike most concerti, this work is in one movement comprised of five distinct sections." This work explores many pitch centers as well as metric shifts from duple to triple. Each section of the piece can be best noted through the changes in tempi and stylistic differences, from slow to fast, legato to staccato. As the title of the piece infers, bass tuba (as opposed to contrabass tuba) is best suited for this work as the tessitura is in the middle to upper range of the instrument. With this in mind, there are four ossia sections in the solo tuba part that provide alternate melodic material. This allows for more accessibility to this piece as it removes notes from the upper most register of the tuba.

Latin Jazz Suite by Alice Gomez was a piece originally composed for C trumpet and conga drums. The work was premiered in 2003 at the International Women Brass Conference by Lauraine Carpenter on trumpet and Ms. Gomez on congas. Velvet Brown, tubist, heard the performance and immediately asked the composer to have the work arranged for tuba. Granting the request, Gomez rearranged the work for tuba and conga drums. Toe work has since been recorded by Ms. Brown on her album Perspectives in Rhythm.

This work features the tuba performing in various Latin jazz styles assisted by the beats of two conga drums. Though this piece does not employ improvisation, the rhythm of this work is very indicative of the Latin Jazz style, with influences from the Cubop era of Jazz, This work is five movements in total, of which three will be played in this performance.

The Classical era in modem art music is most defined by its standard forms and recognizable harmonic structures. Neo-classicism on the other hand is a modem-day mutation of those concepts, crossing Classical style and form with contemporary ideas. Jan Koetsier's Concertina is one such composition which falls in this modem day Classical style. Movement one employs standard traditional concepts such as its Concerto-Allegro form and a cadenza towards the latter part of the movement. Immediately though, harmonies more characteristic of Copland or Bernstein rather than Haydn or Mozart can be heard and persist throughout the composition. Movement two opens in a slow, romantic air with a smooth, legato melody. A scherzo interrupts the air incorporating sudden dynamics and articulations, but this disappears near the end of the movement, returning to the legato style found at the beginning. Movement three is a Bavarian five part rondo. Bavaria, a region in southern Germany, is known for its strong folk culture and Oktoberfest traditions. The stereotypical image of drinking beer and wearing lederhosen is appropriate imagery for this movement. The melodies of this movement are indicative of this type of happy Germanic folk style. Sudden articulations and dynamic changes occur throughout the movement as well, creating an additional level of excitement.

Note

Smith Recital Hall

Disciplines

Arts and Humanities | Fine Arts | Music | Music Performance

Marshall University Music Department Presents a Senior Recital, Matthew Murphy, tuba

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