Etienne Crausaz “Sonatina for Euphonium and Piano” Complete Sonatina

Sonatina for Euphonium & Piano

Movement I. Moderato deciso @0:00
Movement II. Largo e misterioso @3:48
Movement III. Allegro con fuoco @7:40

Etienne Crausaz, composer
Phillip Marion, euphonium

About the Piece:
To write this work, the composer was inspired by French music of the early 20th century. The first movement is modeled on the classic sonata form, with two thematic materials that develop. The second movement is meant to be mysterious. A cadence allows the soloist to express himself fully. Towards the end of the movement, we can hear harmonies tinged with jazz. It is in the form of a saltarelle that the third movement concludes the work. We feel in this music a strong influence of Debussy. Rather classic, this sonatina tries to modestly complement the academic repertoire for euphonium.

About the Composer:
Etienne Crausaz, born in 1981, began his professional tuba studies with Guy Michel at the High School of Music in Bern, Switzerland. In 2006 he obtained his teaching diploma swiftly followed in 2007 by his concert diploma. In 2009, at the High School of Music of Zurich, he received his soloist diploma under the guidance of Anne Jelle Visser.

Etienne Crausaz plays regularly with the chamber orchestras of Lausanne, Fribourg and Basel, the Symphony Orchestra of Bern as well as the Gstaad Festival Orchestra. He makes regular chamber music appearances with “Les Tubadours” (tuba quartet) and “Drum’n Basses” (2 tubas and drums).

As a composer, Etienne Crausaz is self-taught despite studies in aural, analysis, harmony and orchestration. His harmonic language is tonal with influences ranging from the music of the beginning of the 20th-century to Hollywood composers, jazz and more traditional music.