$75
Duration: 8 min.
Instrumentation: Tuba 1 (Bass Tuba preferred), Tuba 2 (Contrabass Tuba preferred), and Piano
Commission/dedication:
commissioned by the Yamaha Tuba Duo (Sérgio Carolino & Shimpei Tsugita) for their 2024 live performance in Fukuoka, Japan
Program Notes:
"I'm continually amazed by how well I come up with ideas when I have a good title.
While I was working on this long-overdue piece for my dear friend, Sérgio Carolino, I came across the word "spectacle." What attracted me about this word was not only its sound, aesthetic, and the way it rolls off the tongue, but its several meanings:
A "spectacle" can be a striking or impressive display, a grand event, an unusual or unexpected happenstance, or even a pair of glasses. I became intrigued by how I could capture these meanings sonically. I sought to create "grand" music that would capture—no, demand—the attention of passersby, music that was flashy and impressive on the outside, but simple on the inside. Or, perhaps there's more to the spectacle than what meets the eye, and if you were to look more closely (maybe with a pair of spectacles yourself), you'd find a depth and beauty beyond its attention-grabbing exterior.
At the end of the day, I just wanted the music to sound like a
spectacle, whatever that may mean to the listener.
I hope I did my job.
When you think about it, two large, glistening (and loud) Tubas are quite a
spectacle in and of itself..."
Press: