Baadsvik was born in Trondheim, Norway in 1966. He only started playing the tuba when he was 15 years old and only three years later won a national soloists competition. Since 1991 Baadsvik has played with orchestras all around the world as a soloist, including with the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra last year. He is considered by many to be the best tuba soloist in the world.
Baadsvik has released 10 CDs and we will be choosing the program today from a selection of those CDs:
We start the show with 4 tracks from his 2010 CD, Ferry Tales, which has Baadsvik being accompanied by Erland Skomsvoll on Piano and The Trondheim Soloists.
1. Déjà Vu (composed by Ø. Baadsvik)
This was titled thus because when the theme first popped in his head he was convinced that he had heard it before. After some thorough research he was satisfied that this is a new composition.
2. Sommernatt ved fjorden (Summer Night by the Fjord) (arr. E. Skomsvoll for tuba, piano and strings)
This seems to be a northern European classic song, but I love Baadsvik's explanation of the words to the song -
... when a young man goes out on the town, planning to pick up the girl he's in love with, and how those things gradually deteriorate until all that's left is to go home to Mummy for tea and sympathy.3. The Wizard of Oz: Over the Rainbow (arr. E. Skomsvoll for tuba and strings)
This was originally composed by Harold Arlen and sung by Judy Garland in the 1939 movie The Wizard of Oz. That song won an Academy Award and was also voted as the best song of the century by the Recording Industry Association of America.
4.Vise (A Simple Melody) (composed by Ø. Baadsvik)
This was composed in 1997. The string arrangement was a project during composition classes with composer Bertil Palmar Johansen.
5. Tuba Concerto (composed by John Williams)
This is from the CD 20th Century Tuba Concertos, and is performed by Baadsvik with the Singapore Symphony Orchestra, released in 2008.
John Williams is best known for his movie music (think Star Wars, Jaws, Raiders of the Lost Ark, etc.) but Williams has also composed a number of orchestral works. Williams composed this concerto whilst he was a conductor with Boston Pops Orchestra, in response to a commission for the orchestra's centenary in 1985. It was dedicated to the orchestra's tuba player at the time, Chester Schmitz
The concerto is in three movements:
- Allegro moderato
- Andante
- Allegro molto
6. Ellens Gesang III (Ave Maria!), Op. 52, No. 6, D. 839, "Hymne an die Jungfrau" (arr. Ø. Baadsvik)
In 2011 Baadsvik released a Christmas CD called Snowflakes - A Classical Christmas, performing with Cantus (a women's choir) and the Trondheim Symphony Orchestra. There are some great renditions of traditional Christmas songs here, but as we are quite a few months out from that time of year, I have chosen Franz Schubert's Ave Maria, which can be found on many Christmas albums, although not composed for that purpose.
Tuba Carnival was released in 2003, and highlights the technical mastery that Baadsvik has of the tuba. A number of the pieces on this CD were not originally written for the tuba, but the arrangements for tuba would be a beastly challenge for most tuba players. Baadsvik is accompanied here by Musica Vitae.
7. Winter from The Four Seasons (arr. Ø. Baadsvik)
Antonio Vivaldi composed The Four Seasons in 1723, some 112 years before the invention of the tuba. This arrangement replaces the violin with the tuba, in one of the trickiest pieces I have heard yet for this instrument. Winter is in three movements:
- Allegro Non Molto
- Largo
- Allegro
This piece, composed originally by Jean-Baptiste Arban as part of his 12 Fantasies with Theme, is part of the standard repertoire for brass soloists, though not often for tuba. This particular version has been arranged by Anna Baadsvik, Øystein's wife, who is an accomplished composer in her own right.
Chameleon was also released by Baadsvik in 2011 features a number of tuba works accompanied by the Fanfare Band of the Royal Netherlands Army 'Mounted Regiments'
9. Did You Do? (composed Ø. Baadsvik)
This is a word play on didgeridoo (or didjeridu), one of the oldest instruments in the world. Baadsvik bought one when he first toured Australia. This piece, as you will guess, is not played on the tuba, but on the aforementioned instrument.
10. Chameleon (composed M. Hamers)
Chameleon was the first work composed by Dutch composer Maurice Hamers and describes the ability of the chameleon to change colour depending on its surroundings and mood.
11. Memory of a Rose (composed A. Baadsvik)
Described in Anna's own words:
the piece was conceived after a very lifelike dream about the most unthinkable thing; the loss of that which one holds dearest to life. I was absorbed by the idea, and feeling deeply for all those who have actually experienced this, I set down my dream in music: an all-enveloping personal disaster which encompasses moods ranging from fury, the darkest sorrow and chaos to happy memories, heart-breaking loss and resignation.I heard this work being performed by Baadsvik accompanied by Kew Band when he was in Melbourne last year, and was blown away by it. This is a profoundly moving piece.
12.Minuano (Six Eight) (arr. R. Farr)
This piece was originally from the album Still Life (Talking) by the Pat Methany Group. The title is taken from the name of the cold wind that blows in the south of Brazil and Uruguay. Ray Farr's arrangement is a popular piece to showcase the talents of the tuba player.
13. Fnugg Blue (composed Ø. Baadsvik)
If Baadsvik was best known for a specific work it would be for Fnugg, which went viral on YouTube a few years ago.
This extended adaptation of this piece is performed together with Christian Lindberg on trombone and the Swedish Wind Ensemble, from the album Baadsvik, Oystein: Prelude, Fnugg and Riffs, released in 2009. A great way to finish the show tonight.
Next week, after being set a challenge by one of our local identities up here in the Kinglake Ranges, the theme of the show will be "Swing!".
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