ANTHONY O'TOOLE
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JOURNEY THROUGH SPACE

for Tuba - Euphonium Ensemble

​Review:  ITEA JOURNAL VOLUME 39 NUMBER 2 (WINTER 2012)

Journey Through Space: A Gallactic Tone Poem is a fun, dynamic piece written for four euphoniums and four tubas. The work is quite tonal in nature although O’Toole does not shy from dissonance. His use of the euphonium and tuba sonorities is fantastic as he expertly writes for the voices individually as well as together. He creates tremendous interest for the listener as he consistently moves from transparent, solo parts totutti sections letting the each voice of the ensemble take the melody at times. Educationally, this is tremendous as well as every member of the ensemble becomes the leader at some point during the piece.

The work begins in an andante tempo with the euphoniums creating a soft, ethereal setting. The slow dramatic swells of sound create a great basis for the work and put us in the mood for what is to come. It really does sound like a soundtrack to traveling through space. It continues to build adding the low voices as the tempo increases. The tempo ignites at quartet note equals 150 and is labeled fierce. The work now becomes technical setting up an image of bumps in the road (or maybe traveling through an asteroid field!). There are numerous meter changes that add to the uneasiness of this section. An andante con moto comes back briefly with a beautiful euphonium solo over the rest of the voices. It grows again and launches into an allegro giocoso with quartet note at 152. This sets up an intense conclusion moving between large, tutti sections at forte and soft rhythmic, bouncy sections. The drama continues until we are pulled back into the soft, ethereal world that we began the piece. A restatement of the original theme leads us to a freely written, pianissimo conclusion making use of rubato.  
  
 The range for euphonium is G - c2.  The tuba range is CC - e-flat1. The work is suited well for a college tuba-euphonium ensemble. The ensemble needs to be comfortable with mixed meters as they are prevalent throughout. The range of the first tuba part is not too high (it only peaks at e-flat1) but I would suggest the use of a F or Eb tuba as is stays consistently in the upper register.  The score and parts are clearly printed and easy to read.

--Steven Maxwell, Kansas State University

Available at Cimarron Music Press

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  • Home
  • Biography
  • Music
    • Band >
      • Grade 2-3 >
        • Anthracite
        • Industrial Complex
      • Grade 4 >
        • ...As it is in Heaven
        • The Beltway Breakdown
        • Frenetico
        • First Snow
        • Hung Aloft the Night
        • Longing
        • Metamorphosis
        • Once in Royal David's City
        • Pastorale
        • Pro Humanitate
      • Grade 5 >
        • The Battle Cry of Freedom
        • The Crossroads
        • Dash
        • Electrons Dancing
        • Fanfare to "The Hammer"
        • Latin Dance Movements
        • Now is the Time (A Song of Hope)
        • Prelude to Something Big
        • Uncommon Valor
        • Up
        • War Machine
    • Orchestra >
      • String Orchestra >
        • The Gardener
        • Locum Sacrum
        • Pastorale
        • Talcott Notch
      • Chamber Orchestra >
        • Divertimento
        • Fathom
      • Frenetico
      • Light up the Night
      • Now is the Time (A Song of Hope)
    • Brass Ensemble / Brass Band >
      • Brass Band >
        • DoubleThink
        • Frenetico
        • Kingsfold Variations
        • Syzygy
        • Saturnalia
      • A Beauty Untold
      • Concrete Waves
      • Elegy
      • Deep River
      • From Above
      • First Snow
      • The Golden Gate
      • Kingsfold Variations
      • Latin Dance Movements
      • A New Birth of Freedom
      • Phalanx
      • Theme & Variations on A Mighty Fortress
    • Chamber Ensembles >
      • Brass >
        • Brass Quintet >
          • A Christmas Fantasy
          • Quintet No. 1
          • Quintet No. 2
        • Ad Astra
        • Colloquy
        • Jam-Bourrée
        • Introit
        • Iridescence
        • Liturgical Suite
        • Pedal to the Metal
        • Zelienople Suite
      • Low Brass >
        • Quartet >
          • 2011: A Tuba Odyssey
          • Ascend
          • Bittersweet Memories
          • Cantus Firmest
          • FYEWZ
          • Passage to Atlantis
          • Scarborough Variations
          • Shake and Bake
          • The Summit
          • War Machine
          • War Tubas
        • Sextet - Ensemble >
          • Animal Style
          • Big Orange Sky
          • Blowfest
          • BLOWFEST II
          • Celebratio
          • Child's Play
          • DoubleThink
          • Journey Through Space
          • Partita No. 1
          • Preghiera
          • System
      • Strings >
        • Cadgwith Caper
        • Happy Birthday Fugue
        • String Quartet No. 1
      • Woodwinds >
        • The Catacombs of Callixtus
        • Chicken Scratch
        • Finzi's Brain
        • Flea Circus
        • Partita No. 4
        • Quintet No. 1
        • Silva Sanctum
    • Choral - Voice >
      • Our Heart
      • Longing
      • The Road to Twilight
    • Concerti & Solo >
      • Unaccompanied - Duet >
        • 3 Miniatures
        • BOOM!
        • Funky Lumps
        • Krump
        • Stages
        • Topaz
        • Xocotzin
      • Solo with Large Ensemble >
        • Coalescence
        • Concerto for Euphonium
        • Concerto for Marimba
        • Concerto for Tuba No. 1
        • Concerto for Tuba No. 2
        • Double Concerto for Alto Saxophone and Euphonium
        • Full Circle
        • HiJinks
      • Solos and Duos with Piano >
        • Chronicles
        • Full Blast
        • The Immortal Game
        • Partita No. 3
        • Sea Isle Rhapsody
        • Sonata for Euphonium
        • Sonata for Trumpet
  • Arrangements
  • Residencies / Engagements
    • 2015 Young Composer Mentor Project
    • Colorado State University - Pueblo
    • Fort Wayne, Indiana
    • Marywood University
    • Hiram College
    • Irvine Valley College
    • Tampa Metropolitan Youth Orchestra
    • Wabasha-Kellogg School District
    • Wake Forest University
    • 2017 Wisconsin All-State Band
    • Youngstown State University
  • Links
  • Contact