Posted by Gary Press on January 07, 2002 at 22:57:22:
In Reply to: Shostakovich Tuba Parts posted by Tubist on January 07, 2002 at 21:03:34:
Sorry to clog up webspace with what follows, but I thought it might be interesting for any interested in SHostakovich or, at worst, for those who like to have reading material in the bathroom!
Shostakovich wrote 15 symphonies. All of them have tuba parts, except for the 14th, which is a chamber symphony with Soprano and Bass soloists.
Most of his works have excellent tuba parts, although the 6th Symphony is pretty annoying with its several pages full of 1-bar rests. Of all of them, I think the 7th Symphony "Leningrad" stands out, as far as his tuba writing goes. There is a lot to play and the tuba functions in many different roles. Definitely worth checking out!
The 10th Symphony is quite challenging as well, in that there is a lot of loud, sustained low playing. The 4th Symphony is a blast and he wrote two tuba parts for this one. The two parts provide a lot of power in octaves in many places and thickens the texture when playing 3rds, 4ths and 5ths together. The two parts also work independently in places.
The 13th Symphony "Babi Yar" has a very exposed tuba solo in the 4th movement entitled "Fears". There are some very meaty parts elsewhere in the symphony as well. The 15th Symphony is really whacky. Shostakovich quotes verbatim form works of Wagner and Rossini and there is an extended duet for trombone and tuba in the second movement. His Festive Overture also has a very nice part with a big soli section for low brass.
I should also mention his Concerto #1 for Violin and Orchestra. The brass section consists only of 4 horns and a tuba. The slow movement "Passacaglia" features a beautiful chorale for winds, horns and tuba that recurs several times. This piece is a LOT of fun to play!
Shostakovich parts rarely show up on auditions, it seems. I have occasionally seen the Festive Overture or the 5th Symphony crop up, but otherwise its mostly Wagner, Berlioz, Prokofiev and the like that are requested.
I would say the works that get programmed the most or his 5th, and 10th Symphonies, Festive Overture, Violin Concertos and Piano Concertos.
I would like to see more of his suites get programmed such as the suite for the opera "Katerina Ismailova" and the 5 Ballet Suites.
If you are looking for some great recordings of Shostakovich's music, Neeme Jarvi recorded a substantial amount of his well--known and not so well-known works on Chandos with the Scottish National Orchestra. These are for the most part very well played and very exciting recordings. Also, Bernard Haitink recorded one of the premier Shostakovich symphony cycles.
If you want a really good source of info on Shostakovich, try reading "Testimony: The Memoirs of Dmitri Shostakovich" (link below). This was written and edited by Solomon Volkov and is a really very fascinating look into what his life was like under the reign of Stalin. It is forthright and honest, which is why Shostakovich requested that the book not be published until after his own death.
Hope this helps. Feel free to email me if you need more info.