As Andreas Martin Hofmeir puts it: “With so many pipes, one more can’t hurt.” With Barbara Schmelz, Director of Sacred Music at Stift Nonnberg in Salzburg, in charge of the manuals, ECHO prizewinner Hofmeir cheerfully blows into his rolled-up “16-foot”. Hofmeir’s tuba is a worthy partner to the marvelous sound world of the organ – “The Queen of Instruments”. With masterful versatility, Barbara Schmelz provides continuo accompaniment in arrangements of Baroque masterpieces, and also conjures the sounds of a gentle string ensemble (in Ralph Vaughan Williams’s English Folk Songs Suite) or a street musician’s hurdy-gurdy (in Gade’s Tango Jalousie). This musical framework allows Hofmeir to confirm what the world has long suspected: the tuba is the finest sounding, most beautiful, most advanced, and generally fabulous instrument ever created. Yes, now it can be said.
Current Program: Northern Winds
| Edvard Grieg (1843-1907) | op. 65, No. 5 I balladetone (Im Balladenton) op. 68, No. 2 Bestemors menuett (Großmutters Menuett) op. 68, No. 5 Bådnlåt (An der Wiege) aus den Lyrischen Stücken |
| John Rutter (*1942) | Of a Rose, a lovely Rose |
| Barbara Schmelz (*1988) | Improvisation über ein schwedisches Sommerlied |
| Schwedisches Volkslied | Uti vår hage (Auf unserer Wiese) |
| Ralph Vaughan Williams (1872-1958) | Six studies in English folksongs: Lovely on the water Spurn Point Van Dieman’s Land She borrowed some of her Mother’s Gold The Lady and the Dragoon As I walked over London Bridge |
| Dietrich Buxtehude (1637-1707) | Präludium in D- Dur BWV 139 |
| Sergei Rachmaninoff (1873-1943) | Vocalise aus 14 Romanzen op. 34 |
| Martin Akerwall (*1963) | Meditation |
| Jörg Duda (*1968) |
No. 2 Nocturne: Rautjärvi aus Matkalla |
| Jacob Gade (1879-1963) | Tango Jalousie |
What the Critics Say
“Tuba and Organ in Perfect Harmony”
Südwest Presse, 5 February 2018
“Like a gentle summer wind!”
Passauer Neue Presse, 16 August 2017