Posted by Joe S. on October 17, 2002 at 07:24:47:
Since the cancellation of our guest artist from Hungary, we had to scramble. Fortunately David Graves, a former Memphian who is now teaching the tuba students at Baylor (formerly U.S.A.F. bandsman and Corpus Christi orchestra), had most of a recital ready to go and with his added presence we were able to stretch "Pro-Night" over two evenings.
David did a really nice job on Schumann ("A.& A.") and Vivaldi (flute) pieces, as well as "Encounters II". John Mueller, the new trombone/euphonium professor at the University of Memphis (formerly Principal Euphonium in Pershing's Own) offered some flawless performances both nights and pretty much held up the euphonium responsibilities on his own. He performed beautiful ballads as well as a suite of variations by Robert Russell Bennett, the Wilder "Sonata", and a sousa-era theme-and-variations. Charles Schulz, the tuba professor at the University of Memphis, presented some really interesting and amazing OPHICLEIDE performances both nights. Charles has, in the last year or so, become truly an ARTIST on the ophicleide (very thankfully, playing beautiful in-tune, lyrical, and virtuoso-esque music and not just some no-chops "music history professor" [which he is not, though qualified to be a music history professor] "grunts and groans". Rather than some of the virtuoso-level baroque bassoon and 'cello works that I've heard him practice during the last year, Monday Charles performed a piece based on middle-eastern themes (Gary Buttery arrangement) and on Tuesday hs played a great piece (with electronic sounds) of aboriginal (Australian) themes by Neal Corwell. COOL !!! I told him (particularly after the Monday piece) the ophicleide (to me, when played very well - as he does) sort of reminds me "sound-wise" of a "wind sitar". He also played some very nice solo tuba works on F tuba (Jager "Concerto" et al) and at the end pulled out good ol' "Beelzebub" (paired off with Mueller's "Beautiful Colorado"). I (being the one who sort of looks away from "tuba" literature) played a Beethoven violin piece and a Debussy flute piece. Matt Simmons (S. Carolina State band/tuba college teacher who is working on his D.M.A. at U. of M.) played the great Broughton "Concerto" on one of those great old Yamaha EEb tubas (' wish I had one of those). At the end of each night, we played a couple of "lite" tuba quartets. The finale on Tuesday (appropriate to our U. of M. location) was a quick arrangement of "Tiger Rag" which was full of "hot licks".
I would encourage the "powers" of T.U.B.A. to NOT ONLY restore its proper name , but particularly to consider programming performances of Dr. Schulz' ophicleide playing ESSENTIAL for upcoming major conferences.