20th Century Tuba Concertos (2008)

The booklet notes for this Swedish release are superbly done. Did you know that Henry Mancini, Nelson Riddle, André Previn, Jerry Goldsmith, and John Williams all studied with Mario Castelnuovo-Tedesco? Williams' Concerto for tuba and orchestra is one of four little-known but delightful works for tuba and orchestra brought together here. Williams was modest about the work ("I hope it has enough events in it to make it fun"), but it may be the highlight of the group, with an effective fusion of the composer's cinematic idiom ... Read More

The booklet notes for this Swedish release are superbly done. Did you know that Henry Mancini, Nelson Riddle, André Previn, Jerry Goldsmith, and John Williams all studied with Mario Castelnuovo-Tedesco? Williams' Concerto for tuba and orchestra is one of four little-known but delightful works for tuba and orchestra brought together here. Williams was modest about the work ("I hope it has enough events in it to make it fun"), but it may be the highlight of the group, with an effective fusion of the composer's cinematic idiom with the tensions of classical concerto form. The stage is effectively set at the beginning, with its opposition of very low tuba lines and high, one might say galactic, string figures that are very smoothly executed by the Singapore Symphony Orchestra's players. This Asian group has been among the inspired finds of the BIS label as it has rediscovered and explored the virtuoso repertory of the twentieth century. Many of the works thus unearthed have dated from the early part of the... Read Less