This study will include four compositions which were composed between the years 1955 and 1963. With the exception of the Serenade No. 12, for solo tuba, by Vincent Persichetti, all of the works are for the tuba and piano. The purpose of this thesis is to study each composition to determine the essential features of the music in regard to the composers' structural, melodic, and harmonic stylistic characteristics. The conclusions of the study will be found in the final chapter.

The lecture recital was given on June 16, 1980. The Ralph Vaughan Williams Concerto for Bass Tuba and the Paul Hindemith Sonate for Tuba and Piano were performed following a lecture on the historical evolution of the tuba in Europe. The lecture included a history of the predecessors of the tuba and their influence on the development of tuba playing traditions. Tuba performance practices in Europe developed around two playing traditions, one in France and England, and a second in Germany. The ophicleide enjoyed tremendous popularity in France and England during the early nineteenth century. Because this instrument was a major competitor of the tuba in these countries, the tuba was viewed as an ophicleide replacement. Tubists in Europe and England had to develop facility and sound quality equivalent to that of the older instrument. In Germany the tuba's main competitor was the Russian bassoon, a form of upright serpent. At this same time the serpent and its related forms were in decline. This lack of popularity with the older instruments provided an opportunity for the quick adoption of the tuba in Germany.