Brekalo, Matko: Game of Kobalos, for tuba alone

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Composition Game of Kobalos for tuba solo (2015) by young composer Matko Brekalo, who drew his inspiration – judging by the title – from Greek mythology: Kobalos is ‘a mischievous, cheeky, nasty and thieving dwarf-creature’, a type of gnome, surreal mythical rogue that is always up to all kinds of mischiefs even towards the heroes and demigods, such as Heracles. His musical image turned out to be a very successful one: the abruptness and whimsicality of his moves and the play is reflected in sudden melody shifts and frequent leaps of tuba, as well as in completely free rhythmical expression – a kind of music prose. But in this seemingly irrational and whimsical play of a strange creature, there are still clear indications of order and composer’s intention, and Brekalo’s composition left musical traces of him as of an inspired artist. Tuba part was written in an exciting way, and one of its features is also the intensity and keeping the tension from the first to the last note of the composition.

 

(Davor Merkaš, text from CD MONOLOG, From the pen of Croatian composers, Krunoslav Babić - tuba i Srebrenka Poljak - piano)