TubaNews.com News

Roger Bobo DVD

News - Tuba/Euphonium News

The idea to make a DVD has been in my mind for a few years. The decision to go ahead with it solidified last summer at Le Domaine Forget Académie de Musique et de Danse in Quebec, Canada, and I’ve been working on it ever since. The first step was to tell the Musashino Academy of Music about the project, which put me in contact with the Plarm Digital Imaging Company. Plarm then took on the project, which was completed only a few days ago.

I’m tempted to tell of the projects excellence, the student’s excellence and Plarm’s excellence (which was extraordinary) but somehow it seems imprudent to speak in superlatives before the project is even edited not to mention arriving on the market; I’m sure the critics will have something to say!

And probably the first thing the critics will point out is that the first student I work with is Cynthia Adamek from Quebec, a horn student. So how can a tuba masterclass start with a horn, you might ask?

Two reasons: I enjoy very much teaching horn and since we tubists frequently borrow and adapt horn

 repertoire, I thought it would be very interesting to examine that trend. The first work of the masterclass is the Strauss First Horn Concerto with horn, then the same concerto on tuba with Bobbie Ford, also a Canadian. I’m looking forward to editing these two successive lessons into a single event. It is absolutely guaranteed to be interesting.

Also interesting was working with Hiroki Ishizaka on the Variations in Olden Style by Thomas Stevens. Of course, the focus was on musical matters but Mr. Ishizaka also presented us with the rare opportunity of hearing the same piece with the same player on both Eb and F tubas.

Other players and works were Miko Morifuji with the Bozza Concertino; Jens Peterson, Vaughn Williams Concerto; Akria Nakayama, Trygve Madsen Sonata; Hidehiro Fujita, Koetsier Concertino; and Keisuke Iwasawa, Schumann Adagio and Allegro.

We finished recording the project only a few days ago and I cannot remember enjoying a project more; I can still feel the high energy and positive atmosphere surrounding the sessions; I’ve already started thinking about the next DVD masterclass.

Frequently after big projects I experience a sort of completion depression, a let down after the excitement; this time I can’t do that, there’s just no time since I’ll be conducting a band concert in Kyoto next weekend and am only now learning the pieces!

This is the way I enjoy life the most.

May 17, 2007, Tokyo


Page two is Maestro Bobo's Prologue to the DVD Masterclass. Written one week before filming, it offers its own unique insights into the project. Click below for page two...