Title: For Beth My One and Only
Commission/Dedication: Written for Thomas Stein in honor of his wife’s birthday, 2019.
Premiere: Premiered by Tom Stein in October of 2019.
Composer: Barbara York
Publisher: Cimarron Music Press
Year: 2019
Program notes from the composer:
None.
Conversation with the commissioner:
Author assessment and pedagogical considerations:
“For Beth My One and Only” was written in honor of Beth Stein, Tom Stein’s wife (Tom Stein is Associate Professor of Euphonium and Tuba at UMKC Conservatory). This piece is an ode from Stein’s perspective on his feelings for Beth. The opening rhythm:
This rhythm imitates the words ‘For Beth’ and reoccurs throughout the piece. The Più agitato section at letter ‘D’ is indicative of the journey that Tom and Beth took to arrive together. For details, watch the conversation with the commissioner linked above. In short, they had met one another but were dating other people at the time and took four years to finally come together. When studying the score, the soloist will notice that the accompaniment at ‘D’ is in a duple feel, while the soloist is playing triplets. The two instruments never quite line up as if they are frustrated but are still syncing with one another and trying to come together. At letter ‘E’, the piano interjects measures of triplets and has conversation with the tuba as they respond back and forth, and they eventually come together.
This section is immediately followed by a cadenza from the tuba that Stein describes as a ‘triumph’ or a ‘I finally got the girl!’ moment. The piece ends with the beautiful, heartfelt lyrical melody seen at the beginning as the opening rhythm returns and Stein’s ode to Beth is complete.
In preparing this work, the soloist should be aware of the leap in mm. 93 going into mm. 94. It’s written as a Bb4 up to a Gb4, resolving down to an F4. While this piece is accessible for most collegiate level tubists, this could present a disruption in the beauty of the work. I would recommend taking those measures down one octave and experimenting to see what works best for your interpretation.
To work on the rest of the piece, metronome work would be appropriate, and I think this piece lends a great opportunity to do some work with drones (set to a Bb) and enhance your intonation and aural skills. It’s also written in a range that most male-born tubists could easily sing along with that drone and really grasp the singing quality Stein is presenting to Beth.
Recordings:
No recordings exist as of this publication.
