Sotto Voce NOMSSSSSSS

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In my last post I mentioned the tuba euphonium quartet, Sotto Voce.  Well, I want to talk about them now!  This group was founded in 1996.  They are internationally known, America's premiere professional quartets of its kind and one of the world's leading low brass ensembles.  Sotto Voce consists of two euphoniums and two tubas.  The euphonium members of this quartet are Demondrae Thurman and Mark Carlson.  The members who play tuba are Mike Forbes and Nat McIntosh.  

 Sotto Voce has been a blessing to the euphonium and tuba community.  Each of the members of this quartet perform at an extremely high level.  Luckily for us, they have been the center of attention for new music for euphonium and tuba type ensembles.  Many of the compositions that we have today for this type of ensemble comes from them commissioning music and composing music themselves.  Mike Forbes, tuba, has written several pieces that have been featured on their albums.  Composers have also seen what these musicians can do and have written more challenging music for the tuba euphonium quartet.  

 Through their travels across the U.S. and internationally they have demonstrated what it is to surpass the social norm of what tuba and euphonium players can do.  Anybody can assume that they will hear "um pa" with a low brass group like this.  Sotto Voce demonstrates virtuosic playing that breaks this norm.  Anthony Plog's Fantasy Movements (2010) was commissioned by Sotto Voce.  This is one of the most challenging pieces for the tuba quartet. Below are some comments by Anthony Plog himself.  I will also attach a Spotify link from Sotto Voce's recording of this piece from their album "Take This Hammer".  

 "Fantasy Movements is a work for tuba/euphonium quartet that seeks to exploit both the musical, emotional and technical potential of a tuba/euphonium quartet.  The writing ranges from slow and expressive to fast, rhythmic, and driving.  A particular challenge was to employ all four instruments in a way that allowed for solo playing within the ensemble context.  Fantasy Movements was commissioned by and written for the Sotto Voce Quartet."

-Tony Plog

 https://open.spotify.com/user/1239327455/playlist/7ASeEtZ7yVtiLRC1jJnEfM





Comments

  1. BApril 21, 2019 at 7:10 PM

    I have never been a huge fan of tuba/euph ensembles, but I must say this group does sound fantastic. When they have short, quiet, rapid technical section is just sounds so precise. I enjoyed this piece, though I had to listen to it on youtube because I don't use Spotify.

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  2. ABEL CentralApril 24, 2019 at 5:41 AM

    Please create hyperlinks (instead of just pasting a URL, use a word like "here", or "see link" or "Sotto Voce" to actually create a clickable hyperlink to send the reader to that internet address. Also, using Spotify links requires the reader to use or subscribe to Spotify. You may be better off with a free streaming source like YouTube.

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