Vaughan Williams Tuba concerto (Arranged for Brass Quintet)

The Tuba Concerto by Vaughan Williams was composed for the golden jubilee of the London Symphony Orchestra in 1954 with the orchestra's principal tuba player, Philip Catelinet, playing the solo part. The 1st movement entitled Prelude allows the Soloist to display some of the virtuosi capabilities of the tuba. The middle section requires the soloist to provide an almost eerie atmosphere to the concerto, then ends with a cadenza that displays the full range of the instrument. The 2nd movement, Romanza allows the soloist to display the lyrical quality of the tuba in the high register. The first melody reminds the listener of the composer’s folk-song writing heritage. There is then a brief faster section before a return to the opening theme. The final 3rd movement Finale is a rondo entitled "alla tedesca" – this requires the soloist to play some very intricate passages including plenty of trills. The description on the original recording states “The tuba romps amid the dancing strings, like Falstaff among the fairies in Windsor Forest". The movement ends with yet another difficult cadenza, backed by some virtuoso passages in the accompaniment. Technically, we would class this as fairly difficult If you wish to purchase this arrangement, then please go to http://www.undiscoveredbrass.co.uk/gallerydetail.php?a=134 'Concerto for Bass Tuba and Orchestra' by Ralph Vaughan Williams © Oxford University Press 1955. This arrangement © Oxford University Press 2017. Arrangement published under licence by Undiscovered Brass Ltd. All rights reserved.