BJ Brooks- Laws of Motion*
Steven Winteregg- A Time For…*
Nicolo Paganini/tr. Palton- Cantabile in D Major, op. 17*
Krzysztof Penderecki- Capriccio for Solo Tuba
Barbara York- Three Romances*
Alec Wilder- Sonata for Tuba and Piano
Zsolt Nagy/tr. Palton- Happy Blues*
Alice Gomez- Azucar!*
Roland Szentpali- Allegro Fuoco
*First Recording
"Award-winning tuba soloist George Palton has created an extremely diverse and engaging album, with Tuba in Motion. The extensive liner notes begin with a desire to “push the envelope” with repertoire and style, focusing on new literature, including music for developing musicians, and paying homage to the early era of solo-tuba composition. These goals are achieved, handily, with this recording.
This album includes works for solo tuba, tuba with piano, tuba with percussion, but the most satisfying textural combination for this reviewer was tuba and guitar, a combination very conspicuous in our community in the 1990’s with the Travelin’ Light recordings featuring Sam Pilafian, but rarely heard since. Dr. Palton uses this combination for a transcription of a Paganini Cantabile, and the light, fluid texture comes off quite effectively. Other highlights for this reviewer are the beautiful Three Romances for Susie by Barbara York. This work is approachable by developing musicians and lies well on the CC tuba, but it is saturated with the romantic, playful, inviting musicality for with Ms. York is well known. Azucar! by Alice Gomez for tuba and percussion is both technically impressive and musically alluring, and would surely be an audience favorite, as would be Happy Blues by Zsolt Nagy, originally for solo horn. Rounding out the program are Laws of Motion by BJ Brooks, A Time For… by Steven Winteregg, Cappriccio by Krzysztof Penderecki, Sonata by Alec Wilder and Allegro Fuoco by Roland Szentpali. Every composition on this album is both musically and technically enjoyable, and it amounts to a very well rounded program.
George Palton’s playing is supremely nimble, detailed, expressive and precise. His tone is simultaneously focused and robust, and the range and technical control displayed on this recording are enviable. He plays both F and CC tuba on this recording, and his F tuba playing has all the depth and warmth of the larger instrument, while the CC tuba playing is extremely focused an buoyant. Guitarist Julio Alves, Percussionist Steve Hall and pianist Henning Vauth are compelling and imaginative collaborators with Dr. Palton, and buoy this recording to a truly excellent level throughout."
~Alexander Lapins, DM. Northern Arizona University
Spring 2014 edition of the Journal for the International Tuba/Euphonium Assoication
This album includes works for solo tuba, tuba with piano, tuba with percussion, but the most satisfying textural combination for this reviewer was tuba and guitar, a combination very conspicuous in our community in the 1990’s with the Travelin’ Light recordings featuring Sam Pilafian, but rarely heard since. Dr. Palton uses this combination for a transcription of a Paganini Cantabile, and the light, fluid texture comes off quite effectively. Other highlights for this reviewer are the beautiful Three Romances for Susie by Barbara York. This work is approachable by developing musicians and lies well on the CC tuba, but it is saturated with the romantic, playful, inviting musicality for with Ms. York is well known. Azucar! by Alice Gomez for tuba and percussion is both technically impressive and musically alluring, and would surely be an audience favorite, as would be Happy Blues by Zsolt Nagy, originally for solo horn. Rounding out the program are Laws of Motion by BJ Brooks, A Time For… by Steven Winteregg, Cappriccio by Krzysztof Penderecki, Sonata by Alec Wilder and Allegro Fuoco by Roland Szentpali. Every composition on this album is both musically and technically enjoyable, and it amounts to a very well rounded program.
George Palton’s playing is supremely nimble, detailed, expressive and precise. His tone is simultaneously focused and robust, and the range and technical control displayed on this recording are enviable. He plays both F and CC tuba on this recording, and his F tuba playing has all the depth and warmth of the larger instrument, while the CC tuba playing is extremely focused an buoyant. Guitarist Julio Alves, Percussionist Steve Hall and pianist Henning Vauth are compelling and imaginative collaborators with Dr. Palton, and buoy this recording to a truly excellent level throughout."
~Alexander Lapins, DM. Northern Arizona University
Spring 2014 edition of the Journal for the International Tuba/Euphonium Assoication