THE MUSICAL COMPOSITIONS FOR UNACCOMPANIED SOLO TUBA BY FOUR AMERICAN PERFORMER-COMPOSERS by DAVID MCLEMORE (Under the Direction of DAVID ZERKEL) ABSTRACT The solo repertoire for tuba is characterized by its small size and lack of stylistic diversity. As with other instruments in Western Art music, a solution to this dearth of repertoire has involved the worked of performer-composers, virtuoso instrumentalists who have created new works for their instrument. This study examines the solo tuba compositions of four American performer-composers: Mike Forbes, Grant Harville, Benjamin Miles, and John Stevens. Each composer’s compositional style and approach is discussed, followed by a musical analysis of their music for tuba alone. As some of these compositions are already staples in the solo tuba repertoire, this study provides a resource to performers and teachers who will perform, study, or teach these compositions. Furthermore, composers and other performer-composers will benefit from the analysis of each performer-composer’s musical style. INDEX WORDS: Mike Forbes, Grant Harville, Benjamin Miles, John Stevens, Music, Tuba, Unaccompanied, Solo, Composer, Performer-Composer THE MUSICAL COMPOSITIONS FOR UNNACOMPANIED SOLO TUBA BY FOUR AMERICAN PERFORMER-COMPOSERS by DAVID MCLEMORE BM, University of Southern California, 2009 MM, University of Michigan, 2011 A Dissertation Submitted to the Graduate Faculty of The University of Georgia in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree DOCTOR OF MUSICAL ARTS ATHENS, GEORGIA 2014 © 2014 David McLemore All Rights Reserved THE MUSICAL COMPOSITIONS FOR UNACCOMPANIED SOLO TUBA BY FOUR AMERICAN PERFORMER-COMPOSERS by DAVID MCLEMORE Approved: Major Professor: DAVID ZERKEL Committee: ADRIAN CHILDS JEAN MARTIN-WILLIAMS Electronic Version Approved: Julie Coffield Interim Dean of the Graduate School The University of Georgia December 2014 TABLE OF CONTENTS Page LIST OF EXAMPLES ................................................................................................................... vi CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION .........................................................................................................1 Need for Study .........................................................................................................3 2 MIKE FORBES .............................................................................................................6 Analytical Observations from The Grumpy Troll and Polar Vortex .....................10 3 GRANT HARVILLE ...................................................................................................22 Analytical Observations from Caprice and Suite in B-Flat Minor ........................27 4 BENJAMIN MILES ....................................................................................................34 Analytical Observations from Perspectives and Contraptions ..............................39 5 JOHN STEVENS .........................................................................................................45 Analytical Observations from Stevens’ Solo Tuba Compositions ........................52 6 COMMONALITIES AND DISTINCTIONS BETWEEN THE PERFORMER-COMPOSERS ........................................................60 Concluding Remarks ..............................................................................................72 BIBLIOGRAPHY ..........................................................................................................................74 APPENDICES A INTERVIEW WITH MIKE FORBES.........................................................................76 B INTERVIEW WITH GRANT HARVILLE ..............................................................100 iv C INTERVIEW WITH BENJAMIN MILES ................................................................111 D INTERVIEW WITH JOHN STEVENS ....................................................................122 E LECTURE RECITAL SCRIPT .................................................................................131 v LIST OF MUSICAL EXAMPLES Page Example 1: Forbes, The Grumpy Troll – measures 1-2 .......................................................................11 Example 2: Forbes, The Grumpy Troll – measure 4 ...........................................................................11 Example 3: Forbes, The Grumpy Troll – measure 14 .........................................................................12 Example 4: Forbes, Polar Vortex – measure 1 ...................................................................................12 Example 5: Forbes, Polar Vortex – measure 16 .................................................................................12 Example 6A/6B: Forbes, The Grumpy Troll – measures 88-89 & 97-98 .............................................13 Example 7: Forbes, Polar Vortex – measures 102-103 .......................................................................14 Example 8: Forbes, The Grumpy Troll – measures 49-51 ...................................................................14 Example 9: Forbes, Polar Vortex – measures 40-43 ...........................................................................15 Example 10: Forbes, The Grumpy Troll – measure 46 .......................................................................18 Example 11: Forbes, The Grumpy Troll – measure 37 .......................................................................19 Example 12: Harville, Caprice – measures 1-5 .................................................................................28 Example 13: Harville, Caprice – measure 25 ....................................................................................28 Example 14: Harville, Caprice – measures 7-10 ................................................................................29 Example 15: Harville, Suite in B-flat Minor, 2nd movement – measures 16-17 .....................................31 Example 16: Miles, Perspectives – measures 1-4 ..............................................................................39 Example 17: Miles, Contraptions, “Roller Coaster” – Measures 1-2 ...................................................39 Example 18: Miles, Contraptions, “Conveyor Belt” – Measures 21-23 ...............................................40 vi Example 19: Miles, Contraptions, “Hot Air Balloon” – Measures 1-2 ................................................40 Example 20: Miles, Perspectives – Measures 38-45 ..........................................................................41 Example 21: Miles, Perspectives – Measures 23-30 ..........................................................................41 Example 22: Miles, Perspectives – Measures 98-101 ........................................................................41 Example 23: Miles, Contraptions, “Hot Air Balloon” – Measures 16 .................................................43 Example 24: Miles, Contraptions, “Conveyor Belt” – Measures 49-50 ...............................................44 Example 25: Miles, Contraptions, “Conveyor Belt” – Measure 52 .....................................................44 Example 26: Stevens, Remembrance – Measures 1-4 ........................................................................53 Example 27: Stevens, Salve Venere, Salve Marte – Measures 1-3.......................................................53 Example 28: Stevens, Elegy – Measures 56-59 .................................................................................55 Example 29: Stevens, Triumph of the Demon Gods – Measure 53 ......................................................56 Example 30: Stevens, Salve Venere, Salve Marte - 9-6 measures before rehearsal letter L....................57 Example 31: Stevens, Remembrance – Measure 46 ...........................................................................57 Example 32: Stevens, Salve Venere, Salve Marte – Rehearsal G ........................................................58 Example 33: Stevens, Remembrance – Measures 112-117 .................................................................58 vii CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION The solo repertoire for the tuba is far younger and smaller than that of most other instruments in western art music. This is a result of the tuba’s relatively young age, having been invented in the mid-19th century, as well as the lack of solo works for tuba prior to the middle of the 20th century. In 1954 and 1955 the first major tuba sonata and concerto were published, respectively Paul Hindemith's Sonata for Tuba and Piano and Ralph Vaughan Williams' Concerto for Bass Tuba in F minor. These compositions marked the first time that well-known composers in western art music treated the tuba as a legitimate solo instrument. Following these publications, composers began to take an interest in the tuba as a viable solo voice but, at only 60 years of age, the solo repertoire for tuba remains among the youngest and smallest among the orchestral wind instruments in western art music. Naturally, this places limitations on the stylistic breadth of solo repertoire available to the tubist. The repertoire does not have the benefit of shifting stylistic periods which generate a considerable variety of musical material in the solo repertoire of other instruments. The horn, for instance, possesses a solo repertoire spanning several stylistic periods in western music, including the Baroque, Classical, Romantic, and Contemporary periods. The tuba, by comparison, only occupies the latter half of the 20th century going