Quirks
Tuba - Sheet Music

SKU: P2.90109

Quirks was an idea long in the making. About five months before I started grabbing the notes of Quirks out of the tuba, I, as a tuba player myself, made a firm decision to compose a piece for unaccompanied contrabass tuba for an upcoming recital. As the composition developed, it eventually became a short four-movement reflection on the "quirks" of friends, family, and colleagues. Unpredictably is characterized by loud outbursts in otherwise quiet and melodic music. The middle section of the piece pushes on until the tubist careens out of control on a double-pedal G. Volatile; Furious begins with the tubist creating notes so loud that the bell of the horn just may split. This movement goes through several short ideas before returning and ending with opening material. I imagine some sort of divine battle waging on in the faster sections of this movement. Spacey reflects lovingly on one of my best friends who also happens to be a tuba player. The movement is written with him in mind. I once heard him play a particular Bach cello suite so beautifully, and that is where the main idea of this piece comes from. The multi-phonic sections presents the performer with the opportunity to give voice to the implied harmonies that were present--though not heard--at the beginning of the movement. Hyper is a Formula-1 race car with a brick on the gas pedal. The performer is encouraged to access and turn up his or her "hyper index" and play the music as fast (and accurately) as possible. This last movement brings back ideas from the other three in a rousing culmination that drives hard to the finish.