Various Cpsrs: Viola Concertos

Advantages: Good tuba muisc
Disadvantages: None

...The tuba has generally been ignored as a solo instrument, and although it enjoyed some success in Berlioz's Symphonie Fantastique and the operas of Wagner, it didnt really emerge as a solo instrument until the 20th century. However, recently the tuba's potential as a soloist has been realised through the children's tale, Tubby the Tuba, where the whole point of the story is to highlight the fact that most peoploe would not think the tuba of being capable in taking a soloistic role, but the fact that it can take this role, and take it extremely successfully is shown here in this CD with these four Tuba Concerti, that were all written in the years after Tubby the Tuba. The first Tuba Concerto on the CD is Tuba Concerto (1978) by Edward Gregson. 1 - Allegro deciso 2 - Lento e mesto 3 - Allegro giocoso This concerto begins... Read review

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Advantages: Beautiful relaxing music. Rich instrumentation. Played with passion.
Disadvantages: Not all instruments are from the period.

...!! The second concerto is completely different with an unexpected but delectable quartet of trumpet, recorder, oboe, and violin soloists set against the main body of strings and continuo. The third concerto is more conventional and straightforward using just three violins, three violas and three cellos with harpsichord and bass continuo. Each of the three instruments are given equal dominance and the music flows almost conversationally between rising to a boisterous bursts of energy. In the fourth concerto, recorders are heard in the distance over the stringed accompaniment. The recorders, played by brothers Christopher and Richard Taylor (famous for playing flutes with the Beatles on Fool on the Hill and Magical Mystery Tour) with clarity and precision, exude an irresistible charm and sweetness. This is often considered to be the lightest... Read review

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Advantages: It is simply one of the finest pieces of music ever written
Disadvantages: How dare you ask of any disadvantges!?!

...of agitated questioning ("What do you want? What is happening?") with gentle string heaves trying to calm the soloist down. For a moment the soloist does calm down for a sorrowful refrain from the strings, clarinets and horns that tries to cry, but are too feeble, faltering down into sobs. The cello, now almost trying to comfort the orchestra with a hesitatingly rising scale allows the orchestra to form what it has been trying to say. The violas launch into the 9/8 lament Elgar wrote after his surgery, which has become the most widely known melody of the concerto. This is the first idea that Elgar came up with; it is this melody that most readily identifies the concerto's fame of "autumnal feeling and regret of a world gone away"; it is this melody Elgar hummed on his death bed to his friend and said: "If ever after I'm dead you hear someone... Read review

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