Category: SOLOS - Euphonium Composer: Sergei Rachmaninov Arranger: Steven Mead
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Universally recognised as one of the finest euphonium players in the world, Steven Mead has edited the solo part in line with his own interpretation and prefaces each piece in the series with helpful advice on practice and performance.
Steven Mead writes :
This provides what must be one of the most challenging slow melodies set for euphonium and at the same time one of the most suitable for the character of the euphonium tone at its best. Quality of tone, musicianship, breath control and stamina are the key ingredients to really make this work. If you get the chance, please listen to the original for wordless voice, for without understanding the composer’s intentions there is the risk of losing the flow and the musical sense in this wonderful music.
Take great care with intonation, particularly the concert E flat, E and F. Constant sharpness will provide a source of irritation to all those who hear you. Show as much dynamic shading as you think is merited, and be careful never suddenly to jab notes or distort the long lines that Rachmaninov writes. Crescendos and diminuendos aid the flow and should never become a dominant feature in their own right. Try to show subtle changes of nuance in the repeats without sounding as if you are looking for things to do and keep your musical approach focussed on the shape and line of the melodies.
This piece will help you develop stamina, so long as your breathing technique is functioning satisfactorily. The fatigue you may be feeling at the end should not be evident in the quality of the sound in the final bars, so work on using all the air in your lungs before you take in more, don’t overfill and remember to keep the face and neck relaxed when you inhale deeply. This music really is worth the effort.
Category: SOLOS - Euphonium Composer: W.A. Mozart Arranger: Philip Littlemore
Duration : 2.30
Mozart's opera, The Marriage of Figaro, was based on what was a rather scandalous play by Pierre Beaumarchais, because the drama involves an incompetent nobleman being upstaged by a crafty, quick-witted servant named Figaro, in their quest for the same woman. The action takes place in just one day and offers a series of awkward and humorous situations, complete with a vibrant dialogue between the all the main characters. Voi Che Sapete is performed by Cherubino, who is about to be sent off to the army because the Count finds him a nuisance. When Cherubino appears before the Countess and Susanna to tell them of his fate, this aria is sung at the request of Susanna for a love song. Cherubino is characterized as a young adolescent who is in love with every woman he meets.
A Euphonium feature, “Wade in the Water” is an Afro-American Spiritual. The song relates to both the Old and New testaments and reflects the Israelites escape out of Egypt, There is a popular belief that Wade in the Water contained explicit instructions to fugitive slaves on how to avoid capture. In this arrangement, Mark Bassey has been influenced by Norman Symmons fine arrangement for the Johnny Griffin orchestra and was recorded by Superbrass on their “Brass Taps” CD with Andy Wood as soloist.
Percussion: 3 Players playing drum kit, bongos and tambourine
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