The Edel Rhapsody
It was 1993 in Carlisle City Cathedral in the North of England: composer Stephen Caudel was present at the World Premiere of his "Edel Rhapsody".
According to Wikipedia, this is believed to be the first time that a work for solo Bb Tenor Wagner tuba and orchestra had ever been performed in the UK, or indeed anywhere in the world. (Photo: Stephen Caudel)
Read Wikipedia's page about the Edel Rhapsody.
US Premiere
Following a revision of the orchestral score, the Edel Rhapsody has since been performed in the United States including its US Premiere (2018). Click here to read a Special Feature about these performances and the Wagner tuba soloists involved.
Extract from the Clevelandclassical.com review of the performance in Cleveland Heights:
"The Wagner horn sang like a world-famous balladeer. References to composers from Holst and Vaughan Williams to Grainger, Mendelssohn and Mahler, floated by as the soloist spun out melodies in brief contrasting sections. A deftly handled shift in key near the end concluded the performance with a glimpse of the beautiful and unexpected."
(Photo: Tren Cheshier performs the Edel Rhapsody with the Cleveland Heights Orchestra)
Recital Performance
Caudel has also produced a piano reduction version for solo Bb Tenor Wagner Tuba and piano. This has proven popular with horn players around the world, from music students interested in learning to play the Wagner tuba to internationally acclaimed horn players who enjoy the opportunity to play the instrument in a recital setting. The Edel Rhapsody has to date been performed in recitals as far afield as Australia, the United States, The Netherlands and Germany.
Composer's Notes
Here are the composer's notes from the 1993 World Premiere:
"It is not every day that a composer has the opportunity to create a 'world first' and for me this was a challenge I could not refuse.
When I first heard the instrument at close quarters I was immediately struck by the richness and fullness of its tone and to me this suggested a work in which the Wagner Tuba would be featured in a lyrical and romantic vein.
The Edel Rhapsody, therefore, along with most of my musical output, represents a return to the 'late romantic' ideals of melodic and emotional intensity, values coincidentally championed by Richard Wagner who first made good use of this wonderful instrument. - Stephen Caudel May 1993"
To contact Stephen Caudel or for more information regarding The Edel Rhapsody send an email to: admin@stephencaudel.com.
The Wagner Tuba
The Wagner Tuba (right) is probably one of the most unfamiliar instruments in the modern orchestra. Compared to other instruments, the history of the Wagner Tuba is relatively short yet the background to its creation amongst the most notable ever. The Wagner tuba was first played in a public concert in 1875 with Richard Wagner conducting. A set of four were used, made by the Bavarian brass instrument maker Georg Ottensteiner. Since that time, it has mainly been used in sections of four in large orchestral works, notably those of Richard Wagner and then later by Richard Strauss (including his Alpine Symphony and Elektra), Bruckner (final three symphonies, numbers 7, 8 and 9) and Stravinsky (most notably his Firebird Suite).
The leading resource for this fascinating and lyrical instrument is here: