Tucker, Tui st. George (1924-2004)
( b Fullerton , CA , 25 Nov 1924 ; d Boone , NC , 21 April 2004 ). American composer and recorder player. She attended Occidental College , Los Angeles , from 1941 to 1944 and in 1946 moved to New York , where she became known as a recorder virtuoso and a composer, describing herself as ‘underground’. Much of the inspiration for her compositions came from her yearly summer retreats to the mountains of North Carolina, where she settled permanently in 1985; she began conducting and composing for the Springhouse Farm Choir of Valle Crucis in 1988. A strong melodic bias, ranging from plainsong-like expanses and baroque angularities to expressionist convolutions, characterizes much of her music, in which a pervasive sense of tonality, folk elements, musical quotations and startling, often humorous juxtapositions of disparate elements can also be found. Tucker’s music for recorder reflects her highly developed capacities as a performer, making use of extended ranges, quarter-tones, unusual trills, nature sounds and multiphonics. Some of these devices, especially quarter-tones, are also used in other works, for example Little Pieces for Quarter-tone Piano. In later microtonal compositions such as Vigil 1 (1985) and Vigil 2 (1989), for microtonal organ, she focussed on key-orientated explorations of intervals above and beyond the outlined major triad of the overtone series (past harmonics 4:5:6). Ave verum (1992), an evening-length piano work, is written for a conventionally tuned instrument.
Music:
If you intend to perform this music in a paid performance, please contact Robert Jurgrau to obtain permission to perform Ms. Tucker’s music in paid public performances. Ms. Tucker left Mr. Jurgrau the rights to her music in her will. As it is his goal to encourage and facilitate the performance of her music, permission to perform her music in a paid public forum will not be unreasonably withheld. Feel free to contact him also if you have any questions about Ms. Tucker or if you would like to contribute material about her to this website.
Robert Jurgrau, 35-26 79th St. #51, Jackson Heights, NY 11372 Email: Robert_Jurgrau@hotmail.com
Romanza 2 for solo alto recorder (handwritten).
The Bullfinch Sonata for solo alto recorder (printed).
The Bullfinch Sonata for solo alro recorder (handwritten).
Sonata for recorder and piano (handwritten).
Ralph & Edward – Rondo for recorder and harpsichord.
Hypertonic Sonata for alto recorder solo (handwritten).
There are Different Kinds of Writing, part 1 – for recorder and narrator.
There are Different Kinds of Writing, part 2 – for 2 recorders and narrator.
Concertino – The Canary – for sopranino recorder solo
Amoroso – for alto recorder solo
Amoroso 2 – for alto recorder solo
Blue moon – for 2 alto recorders
Duo Sonata – for recorder and another woodwind instrument:
Lament for the Bird – for 4 recorders
Trio – for 3 recorders
Sonata – for recorder and piano
The Syrinx – sonata for 2 recorders
Andante – for 2 recorders and piano (recorder parts here)
Prelude and Allegro – for 4 recorders, SATB
Quatertone Carol – for alto voice, tenor and bass recorders
First Quartertone Lullaby – for recorder trio ATB
Second Quarternote Lullaby – for recorder trio ATB
Third Quarternote Lullaby – for alto recorder, flute, clarinet
The Mockingbird – for Tenor recorder, flute
Happy Birthday, Dear Krzysztof – for recorder, string quartet, harpsichord, bass. score , parts
The official Tui st. George Tucker Site
Arrangements & Transcriptions:
