Le Dernier Bastion - Tuba Solo Thibaut Bruniaux

Le Dernier Bastion
Thibaut Bruniaux, concerto in 3 movements for Solo Tuba and Concert/Wind Band(Solo Part available in C, Eb TC, Eb BC, Bb TC and Bb BC)

"Le Dernier Bastion" is a concerto for tuba and concert/wind band, in 3 movements.
If the title at first glance evokes the famous Vauban and the fortified past of the city of Valenciennes, it's actually a wink. The title of the piece is in fact inspired by the true story of "Monsieur Jack Kawi", to whom this concerto pays tribute.

"Monsieur Jack Kawi" was a passionate Australian schoolteacher who, throughout his career, passionately transmitted the values he held dear. Right up to the end, he fought to ensure that the conditions for quality learning remained in place, giving priority to sharing, high standards, hard work, recognition and the pleasure of being together around a common passion.

The three movements of the piece are written in the spirit of the traditional concerto:
The fast 1st movement sets to music the value of hard work, with the seriousness that characterizes it: self-sacrifice, rigor but also flexibility are the key words. Like a quality apprenticeship, the music strives to strike a balance between rigor and flexibility, alternating moments of dizzying precision where the rhythm advances relentlessly with more relaxed episodes where the music becomes more fluid.
The slower second movement sets to music a certain Epicurean idea of transmission, pleasure, passion and sharing. The music is more exalted, the time broader, the soloist and orchestra become one, sharing long, lyrical melodic lines.
The fast-paced third movement sets the musical tone for the madness needed to win over the audience. The music is extravagant, sometimes rock, sometimes funky, sometimes asymmetrical, often zany.

The story doesn't tell us why "Monsieur Jack Kawi "bowed out - perhaps the end of a cycle? Whatever the case, he will have shaped and marked several generations, grateful for his generosity and the fine values instilled throughout a rich and passionate career...