Tuba Solo - Level 5 - Digital Download SKU: A0.917229 Composed by Robert Chamberlin. 20th Century,Contemporary. Individual part. 5 pages. Robert Chamberlin #4622313. Published by Robert Chamberlin (A0.917229). Dr. Gary Bird assembled and edited a volume in 1994 called Program Notes for the Solo Tuba. In it, he assembled information on what were determined to be the eighty-eight most important works for solo tuba written to that point in time. Robert Chamberlin’s Elegy (for solo tuba) was very deservedly included in the catalogue of works in that very important assemblage. Elegy was composed in 1981 for tubist, Jerry Young, and was written in collaboration with both Young and Daniel Perantoni. It was composed as a response to the assassination of Anwar Sadat, the Egyptian head-of-state who, along with Israeli Premier Menachem Begin and U.S. President Jimmy Carter, forged the peace agreement between those two countries that endures to this day. Chamberlin said: It is an expression of my sadness and anger that people resort to that particular type of violence for political gain. Since its premiere performance by Jerry Young at Webster University in 1981, the work has been performed in many venues by many soloists, and it almost always resonates with and touches very diverse audiences. The work uses a wide variety of expressive techniques, including multiphonics, pitch bends, half-valve technique, glissandi, whispering through the instrument, and the tuba mute. Perhaps the most striking and emotionally touching effect is that the entire work is played with the bell of the instrument pointed into the open lid of a grand piano with the sustain pedal depressed. The harmonic and echo-like acoustic effects created are stunning in every performance and venue. This is an outstanding musical artwork appropriate for any recital, but also very effective in settings where unexpected or tragic loss are being marked. It speaks to listeners of all backgrounds in a very pronounced way that few works seem to achieve. While it is in every sense a virtuoso work, it is one that repeatedly rewards both performer and audience.
