Title: Three Romances for Susie
Commission/Dedication: Commissioned and written for Mike Lynch, on the occasion of his upcoming wedding.
Premiere: Details unknown
Composer: Barbara York
Publisher: Cimarron Music Press
Year: 2006
Program notes from the composer:
Three Romances for Susie was written for my dear friend, Mike Lynch, on the occasion of his upcoming wedding. Mike had originally asked me to compose a short piece for him in celebration of his marriage but after exchanging several correspondences with him, I found it very difficult to express all of his many feelings for his bride in a single movement. My final choice was to write three short, romantic pieces and to name them somewhat in homage to Robert Schumann’s “Three Romances.”
All of the movements have both vocal and lyrical inspiration for me, although I never did fully write lyrics for the pieces. The first piece could be subtitled, “You always were there,” and the third, “Ever will I treasure you.” The second piece is more exuberant, upbeat and even humorous, and might remind one of a strophic Art Song with folk song undertones. Imagine the ardent lover pledging that he will never leave his bride to wander again, and then cataloguing all the many reasons why he would stay at home, as much for his own reassurance as for hers. Her sparkling eyes, he infectious laughter, her good humor, patience and constancy would keep him faithful, no matter how temporarily appealing might be the urge to seek for greener fields, or even for more tubas to add to his collection.
Author assessment and pedagogical considerations:
In discussions with York, she associated each movement (three total) with a composer: the first, Faure, in the style of one of his French songs, the second, a folk song in the style of Vaughan Williams, or even a cabaret song depicting a young man in love, and the third in the style of Schumann, the composer she channeled in writing “Three Romances.”
Preparation for the piece:
I.- The septuplets should be practiced with a metronome, so they are even and polished. Letter ‘B’ presents the soloist with a chance to take charge and be a ‘diva.’ This section is very fluid and dramatic with lots of swells. Don’t be afraid of it!
II.- This movement could be described as a cabaret piece written for tuba, which harkens back to York’s career in the theatre. The soloist should heed the marking at the beginning of the movement: Joyfully, quarter equals 104. This movement should push forward and avoid stagnation at all costs. Throughout the movement, mostly at the ends of phrases, the soloist should let the pianist take charge on the ritardando.
III.- The final movement is the most straight-forward out of the work. Letter ‘B’ presents a Più mosso and should push forward to help grow and build excitement. Going into letter ‘D’, the soloist should simply follow the pianist’s lead and try not to do anything overly fancy. Through the rest of the work, there are several fermata that lend an opportunity for the tubist to vocalize and show off their musicality.
Recordings:
