SKU: PR.466411770
UPC: 680160640850. 9 x 12 inches.
Mississippi I. Father of Waters: born of the Highlands and the Lakes; the Glaciers, the Mountains, and the Prairies. The picture of your birth is clounded in the ice and mists of ancient ages but your spirit remains our life stream. II. The Red Man knew your bountiful gifts and gave thanks to the Great Spirit on your banks. -- The Spanish and French Fathers brought the glory of Christianity to America on Mississippi. But all men, white and dark; -- Indian, Spaniard, and Negro; Bourbon and Yankee, combined to make Mississippi the heart of America. Saga of the Mississippi Harl McDonald Born near Boulder, Colorado, July 27, 1899 Now living in Philadelphia The original suggestion for a symphonic work on the subject of the Mississippi came indirectly from the late Booth Tarkington who saw in it color and movement and atmosphere translatable into the terms of music. In the course of time, by the mysterious processes of composers' chemistry, it took shape as a tone-poem of two sections, one representing the rise of the great stream from its primeval geologic sources, the other the human history of the river. Mr. McDonald devised the following verbal outline of the general scheme of his diptych: I. Father of Waters: born of the Highlands and the Lakes; the Glaciers, the Mountains, and the Prairies. The picture of your birth is clounded in the ice and mists of ancient ages but your spirit remains our life stream. II. The Red Man knew your bountiful gifts and gave thanks to the Great Spirit on your banks. -- The Spanish and French Fathers brought the glory of Christianity to America on Mississippi. But all men, white and dark; -- Indian, Spaniard, and Negro; Bourbon and Yankee, combined to make Mississippi the heart of America. The first of the two movements, beginning molto andante, is vaguel modal to hint at antiquity. It is built upon the conventional two themes, with an episode, poco piu mosso, misterioso, for prehistoric murk and muck. There are various changes of pace and mood. The second, Allegro ma vigorosamente, prefigures an Indian ceremony. A theme presented by flute, clarinet and bassoon is a Canadian Indian fishing call collected by the late J.B. Beck. A later passage of quasi-Gregorian chant identifies the French and Spanish priests who made the great river their highway. The fishing-call is altered in rhythm and harmony to represent Negro field hands and roustabous. A turbulent close brings all these elemts together in the muddy swirling currents of the Mississippi. The work was begun in the summer of 1945, and was revised and completed in the summer of 1947. Harl McDonald, who is the manager of The Philadelphia Orchestra, has concerned himself with music as an art, as a science and as a business in course of his career. He was born on a cattle ranch in the Rockies, but since his was a musical family, his up-bringing combined piano lessons with ranch life. Years of study and professional experience followed in Los Angeles and in Germany. In 1927 he was appointed lecuter in composition at the University of Pennsylvania and he has since then made is home in Philadelphia. In 1933 under a grant of the Rockefeller FOundation he collaborated with physicists in research dealing with the measurement of instrumental and vocal tone, new scale divisions and the resultant harmonies. In that same year he was named head of the University's music faculty and conductor of its choral organizations. In 1939, having been a member of the Board of Directors for five years, he was appointed manager of The Philadelphia Orchestra. He continus to write, but otherwise his entire attention is now devoted to managerial duties. Chief items in the catalogue of his compositions are four symphonies, three orchestra suites, a half-dozen tone-poems, three concertos and considerable quantity of choral music.
SKU: PR.465000130
ISBN 9781598064070. UPC: 680160600144. 9x12 inches.
Following a celebrated series of wind ensemble tone poems about national parks in the American West, Dan Welcher’s Upriver celebrates the Lewis & Clark Expedition from the Missouri River to Oregon’s Columbia Gorge, following the Louisiana Purchase of 1803. Welcher’s imaginative textures and inventiveness are freshly modern, evoking our American heritage, including references to Shenandoah and other folk songs known to have been sung on the expedition. For advanced players. Duration: 14’.In 1803, President Thomas Jefferson sent Meriwether Lewis and William Clark’s Corps of Discovery to find a water route to the Pacific and explore the uncharted West. He believed woolly mammoths, erupting volcanoes, and mountains of pure salt awaited them. What they found was no less mind-boggling: some 300 species unknown to science, nearly 50 Indian tribes, and the Rockies.Ihave been a student of the Lewis and Clark expedition, which Thomas Jefferson called the “Voyage of Discovery,†for as long as I can remember. This astonishing journey, lasting more than two-and-a-half years, began and ended in St. Louis, Missouri — and took the travelers up more than a few rivers in their quest to find the Northwest Passage to the Pacific Ocean. In an age without speedy communication, this was akin to space travel out of radio range in our own time: no one knew if, indeed, the party had even survived the voyage for more than a year. Most of them were soldiers. A few were French-Canadian voyageurs — hired trappers and explorers, who were fluent in French (spoken extensively in the region, due to earlier explorers from France) and in some of the Indian languages they might encounter. One of the voyageurs, a man named Pierre Cruzatte, also happened to be a better-than-average fiddle player. In many respects, the travelers were completely on their own for supplies and survival, yet, incredibly, only one of them died during the voyage. Jefferson had outfitted them with food, weapons, medicine, and clothing — and along with other trinkets, a box of 200 jaw harps to be used in trading with the Indians. Their trip was long, perilous to the point of near catastrophe, and arduous. The dream of a Northwest Passage proved ephemeral, but the northwestern quarter of the continent had finally been explored, mapped, and described to an anxious world. When the party returned to St. Louis in 1806, and with the Louisiana Purchase now part of the United States, they were greeted as national heroes.Ihave written a sizeable number of works for wind ensemble that draw their inspiration from the monumental spaces found in the American West. Four of them (Arches, The Yellowstone Fires, Glacier, and Zion) take their names, and in large part their being, from actual national parks in Utah, Wyoming, and Montana. But Upriver, although it found its voice (and its finale) in the magnificent Columbia Gorge in Oregon, is about a much larger region. This piece, like its brother works about the national parks, doesn’t try to tell a story. Instead, it captures the flavor of a certain time, and of a grand adventure. Cast in one continuous movement and lasting close to fourteen minutes, the piece falls into several subsections, each with its own heading: The Dream (in which Jefferson’s vision of a vast expanse of western land is opened); The Promise, a chorale that re-appears several times in the course of the piece and represents the seriousness of the presidential mission; The River; The Voyageurs; The River II ; Death and Disappointment; Return to the Voyage; and The River III .The music includes several quoted melodies, one of which is familiar to everyone as the ultimate “river song,†and which becomes the through-stream of the work. All of the quoted tunes were either sung by the men on the voyage, or played by Cruzatte’s fiddle. From various journals and diaries, we know the men found enjoyment and solace in music, and almost every night encampment had at least a bit of music in it. In addition to Cruzatte, there were two other members of the party who played the fiddle, and others made do with singing, or playing upon sticks, bones, the ever-present jaw harps, and boat horns. From Lewis’ journals, I found all the tunes used in Upriver: Shenandoah (still popular after more than 200 years), V’la bon vent, Soldier’s Joy, Johnny Has Gone for a Soldier, Come Ye Sinners Poor and Needy (a hymn sung to the tune “Beech Springâ€) and Fisher’s Hornpipe. The work follows an emotional journey: not necessarily step-by-step with the Voyage of Discovery heroes, but a kind of grand arch. Beginning in the mists of history and myth, traversing peaks and valleys both real and emotional (and a solemn funeral scene), finding help from native people, and recalling their zeal upon finding the one great river that will, in fact, take them to the Pacific. When the men finally roar through the Columbia Gorge in their boats (a feat that even the Indians had not attempted), the magnificent river combines its theme with the chorale of Jefferson’s Promise. The Dream is fulfilled: not quite the one Jefferson had imagined (there is no navigable water passage from the Missouri to the Pacific), but the dream of a continental destiny.
SKU: PR.11641867L
UPC: 680160683215.
Contextures: Riots -Decade '60 was commissioned by Zubin Mehta and the Southern California Symphony Association after the successful premiere of the Concerto for Four Percussion Soloists and Orchestra. It was written during the spring and summer months of 1967. Riots stemming from resentment against the racial situation in the United States and the war in Vietnam were occurring throughout the country and inevitably invaded the composer's creative subconscious. Contextures, as the title implies, was intended to exploit various and varying textures. As the work progressed the correspondence between the fabric of music and the fabric of society became apparent and the allegory grew in significance. So I found myself translating social aspects into musical techniques. Social stratification became a polymetric situation where disparate groups function together. The conflict between the forces of expansion and the forces of containment is expressed through and opposition of tonal fluidity vs. rigidity. This is epitomized in the fourth movement, where the brass is divided into two groups - a muted group, encircled by the unmuted one, which does its utmost to keep the first group within a restricted pitch area. The playful jazzy bits (one between the first and second movements and one at the end of the piece) are simply saying that somehow in this age of turmoil and anxiety ways of having fun are found even though that fun may seem inappropriate. The piece is in five movements, with an interlude between the first and second movements. It is scored for a large orchestra, supplemented by six groups of percussion, including newly created roto-toms (small tunable drums) and some original devices, such as muted gongs and muted vibraphone. There is also an offstage jazz quartet: bass, drums, soprano saxophone and trumpet. The first movement begins with a solo by the first clarinetist which is interrupted by intermittent heckling from his colleagues leading to a configuration of large disparate elements. The interlude of solo violin and snare-drum follows without pause. The second movement, Prestissimo, is a display piece of virtuosity for the entire orchestra. The third movement marks a period of repose and reflection and calls for some expressive solos, particularly by the horn and alto saxophone. The fourth movement opens with a rather lengthy oboe solo, which is threatened by large blocks of sound from the orchestra, against an underlying current of agitated energy in the piano and percussion. This leads to a section in which large orchestral forces oppose one another, ultimately bringing the work to a climax, if not to a denouement. Various thematic elements are strewn all over the orchestra, resulting in the formation of a general haze of sound. A transition leads to the fifth movement without pause. The musical haze is pierced gently by the offstage jazz group as if they were attempting to ignore and even dispel the gloom, but a legato bell sound enters and hovers over both the jazz group and the orchestra, the latter making statements of disquieting finality. Two films were conceived to accompany portions of Contextures. The first done by Herbert Kosowar, was a chemography film (painting directly into the film using dyes and various implements) with fast clips of riot photographs. The second was a film collage made by photographically abstracting details from paintings of Reginald Pollack. The purpose was to invoke a non-specific response - as in music - but at the same time to define the subject matter of the piece. The films were constructed to correspond with certain developments in the piece and in no way affect the independence and musical flow of the piece, having been made after the piece was completed. Contextures: Riots - Decade '60 is dedicated to Mehta, the Southern California Symphony Association and the Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra. The news of the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King came the afternoon of the premiere, April 4, 1968. That evening's performances, and also the succeeding ones, were dedicated to him and a special dedication to Dr. King has been inserted into he score. All the music that follows the jazz group - beginning with the legato bell sound playing the first 2 notes to We shall overcome constitutes a new ending to commemorate Dr. King's death.
SKU: PR.11641867S
UPC: 680160683208.
SKU: PR.416415760
UPC: 680160636532. 9 x 12 inches.
The 1712 Overture stands out in P.D.Q. Bach's oeuvre for two reasons, among others: it is by far the most programmatic instrumental piece among those by the minimeister of Wein-am-Rhein so far unearthed, and 2) its discovery has led to a revelation about the composer's father, Johann Sebastian Bach, that has exploded like a bombshell on the usually serene musicological landscape. The overture is based on an anecdote told to P.D.Q. Bach by a cousin, Peter Ulrich. Since P.U. Bach lived in Dudeldorf, only a few miles down the road from Wein-am-Rhein, he was P.D.Q.'s closest relative, and he was, in fact, one of the few members of the family who was on speaking terms with P.D.Q. The story, related to P.D.Q. (fortunately for us posterity types) in a letter, may be summarized thus: The town of Dudeldorf was founded by two brothers, Rudi and Dieter Dudel, early in the 18th century. Rudi remained mayor of the newborn burg for the rest of his long life, but Dieter had a dream of starting a musicians' colony, an entire city devoted to music, which dream, he finally decided, could be realized only in the New World. In 1712, he and several other bagpipers sailed to Boston, never to return to Germany. (Henceforth, Rudi became known as der deutscher Dudel and Dieter as the Yankee Dudel). Unfortunately, the head of the Boston Musicians' Guild had gotten wind of Dudel's plans, and Wilhelm Wiesel (pron. VEE-zle), known none too affectionately around town as Wiesel the Weasel, was not about to share what few gigs there were in colonial America with more foreigners and outside agitators. He and his cronies were on hand to meet Dudel's boat when it pulled into Boston Harbor; they intended to prevent the newcomers' disembarkation, but Dudel and his companions managed to escape to the other side of the bay in a dinghy, landing with just enough time to rent a carriage and horses before hearing the sound of The Weasel and his men, who had had to come around the long way. The Germans headed West, with the Bostonians in furious pursuit. soon the city had been left far behind, and by midnight so had the pursuers; Dieter Dudel decided that it was safe for him and his men to stop and sleep until daybreak. When they awoke, they found that they were in a beautiful landscape of low, forested mountains and pleasant fields, warmed by the brilliant morning sun and serenaded by an entrancing variety of birds. Here, Dudel thought, her is where I will build my colony. The immigrants continued down the road at a leisurely pace until they came upon a little church, all by itself in the countryside, from which there suddenly emanated the sounds of a pipe organ. At this point, the temptation to quote from P.U. Bach's letter to P.D.Q. cannot be resisted: They went inside and, after listening to the glorious music for a while, introduced themselves to the organist. And who do you think it was? Are you ready for this -- it was your old man! Hey, no kidding -- you know, I'm sure, that your father was the guy to get when it came to testing new organs, and whoever had that one in Massachusetts built offered old Sebastian a tidy sum to go over there and check it out. The unexpected meeting with J.S. Bach and his sponsors was interrupted by the sound of horse hooves, as the dreaded Wiesel and his men thundered on to the scene. They had been riding all night, however, and they were no spring chickens to start with, and as soon as they reached the church they all dropped, exhausted, to the ground. The elated Germans rang the church bells and offered to buy everyone a beer at the nearest tavern. There they were taught, and joined in singing, what might be called the national anthem of the New World. The melody of this pre-revolutionary patriotic song is still remembered (P.D.Q. Bach quotes it, in the bass instruments, near the end of the overture), but is words are now all but forgotten: Freedom, of thee we sing, Freedom e'er is our goal; Death to the English King, Long live Rock and Ross. The striking paucity of biographical references to Johann Sebastian Bah during the year 1712 can now be explained: he was abroad for a significant part of that year, testing organs in the British Colonies. That this revelation has not been accepted as fact by the musicological establishment is no surprise, since it means that a lot of books would have to be rewritten. The members of that establishment haven't even accepted the existence of P.D.Q. Bach, one of whose major works the 1712 Overture certainly is. It is also a work that shows Tchaikowsky up as the shameless plagiarizer that some of us have always known he was. The discovery of this awesome opus was made possible by a Boston Pops Centennial Research Commission; the first modern performance took place at the opening concert of the 100th anniversary season of that orchestra, under the exciting but authentic direction of John Williams.
SKU: PR.41641576L
UPC: 680160636549. 11 x 17 inches.
SKU: BT.GOB-000758-140
Glitter and glamour, good-looking people, a lot of Bling Bling and fast cars images like these will cross our minds when we think of the movie world. However, reality proves to be different : as a rule, a tremendous amount of work will have been done on the set before a film is ready to be shown on the big screen. A visit to an actual movie set inspired John Emerson Blackstone to write a composition bearing the same name. He had both seen a number of characteristic attributes and heard the typical phrases used in film making, and he incorporated them into ‘On the Movie Set’ . In the first part, ‘The Clapboard’, a ‘director’s assistant’ is supposed to shout “Quieton the set’” and “Action!”, as is done before a real scene is shot. Subsequently, in order to create the right atmosphere, the clacking of a ‘Clapboard’ should be heard. During a romantic scene we should be transported to another world by means of sweet sounds in the background, so romantic music is of course heard in the next part, ‘Love Scene’. At the end of a long working day ‘It’s a wrap’ is called on the set to inform everyone that the filming on that day is completed. Now there is only one more thing left to dream of : an Oscar..... Perf. Note: The use of the right props will add to the performance and appreciation of ‘On the Movie Set’. A red carpet and a glamorous reception should give your audience the feeling they are attending a real ‘opening night’! ‘Glamour’ en ‘Glitter’, mooie mensen, veel ‘bling bling’ en snelle auto’s. Zomaar een aantal zaken waar we aan denken als het om de filmwereld gaat. Maar voordat de film klaar is voor de bioscoop moet er doorgaans hard gewerkt wordentijdens het draaien op de filmset. Een bezoekje op een filmset inspireerde John Emerson Blackstone tot het schrijven van ‘On the Movieset’. Hij zag een aantal zeer karakteristieke attributen en hoorde kreten die hij verwerktein deze compositie. In het eerste deel: ‘The Clapboard’, is het de bedoeling dat de assistent van de regisseur ‘de bekende kreten’ (Quiet on the set of And Action!) roept, voordat er een take opgenomen wordt. Daarnamoet natuurlijk met een ‘Clapboard’ geklakt worden. Bij een ‘Love Scene’ hoort uiteraard sfeerverhogende romantische muziek. Want zwijmelen bij een film gaat nu eenmaal niet zonder zoete klanken. Aan het einde van eenlange dag klinkt altijd ‘It’s a wrap’. Dit betekent dat het laatste shot van de dag gemaakt is. Nu maar hopen dat er een oscar in het verschiet ligt. Perf. Note: Het gebruik van de juiste rekwisieten zalde uitvoering en waardering van ‘On the Movieset’ ten goede komen. Een rode loper en een chique ontvangst zullen uw gasten een echt ‘premi?re’ gevoel geven.
SKU: BT.GOB-000758-010
SKU: BT.GOB-000801-120
SKU: BT.GOB-000801-020
SKU: BT.GOB-000802-130
SKU: BT.GOB-000802-030
SKU: CF.YAS10
ISBN 9780825848261. UPC: 798408048266. 8.5 X 11 inches. Key: D major.
When traveling through the desert southwest of the United States, you may be fortunate enough to come across a strange looking brown and white streaked bird called the Roadrunner. It has a blue patch of skin circling the eyes, a tiny dot of bright red behind the eyes, a bushy crest on the top of its head and a long tail that bobs up and down. A member of the cuckoo family, it is New Mexico's state bird, and can run in bursts of speed from between ten to twenty miles per hour. Because it is equipped to run rather than fly, its feet are different from other bird species, having two toes in front and two toes in the back. Its tracks looks like the letter X. Although roadrunners can become airborne, they are basically ground birds and do not fly. They eat insects, scorpions, small rodents, birds, lizards and snakes. They do make noise when in danger; however, the clicks and clatters do not resemble the sound of a honking horn that we think of from the Hollywood cartoon version of roadrunners. The repeated notes in the opening melody of Roadrunner Rally will remind you of the sight of a roadrunner traveling along at breakneck speed. A crisp spiccato accompanied by pizzicato in the cello and bass paints the picture of the bird running through the desert. At m. 17 you will hear that raucous honk, honk that is associated with the roadrunner saying Out of my way! The syncopation can easily be learned by feel as well as by counting carefully. At m. 25 and similar passages, the first violins will have fun learning the jazz licks. The walking bass like at m.69 with the jerky sound of the octaves in the upper strings will remind you of the awkward appearance of this ungainly bird. And of course, Roadrunner Rally ends with a loudly emphasized honking noise, the beep that we associate with the humorous picture of the roadrunner.When traveling through the desert southwest of the United States, you may be fortunate enough to come across a strange looking brown and white streaked bird called the Roadrunner. It has a blue patch of skin circling the eyes, a tiny dot of bright red behind the eyes, a bushy crest on the top of its head and a long tail that bobs up and down. A member of the cuckoo family, it is New Mexico's state bird, and can run in bursts of speed from between ten to twenty miles per hour. Because it is equipped to run rather than fly, its feet are different from other bird species, having two toes in front and two toes in the back. Its tracks looks like the letter X. Although roadrunners can become airborne, they are basically ground birds and do not fly. They eat insects, scorpions, small rodents, birds, lizards and snakes. They do make noise when in danger; however, the clicks and clatters do not resemble the sound of a honking horn that we think of from the Hollywood cartoon version of roadrunners. The repeated notes in the opening melody ofA Roadrunner Rally will remind you of the sight of a roadrunner traveling along at breakneck speed. A crisp spiccato accompanied by pizzicato in the cello and bass paints the picture of the bird running through the desert. At m. 17 you will hear that raucous honk, honk that is associated with the roadrunner saying Out of my way! The syncopation can easily be learned by feel as well as by counting carefully. At m. 25 and similar passages, the first violins will have fun learning the jazz licks. The walking bass like at m.69 with the jerky sound of the octaves in the upper strings will remind you of the awkward appearance of this ungainly bird. And of course,A Roadrunner Rally ends with a loudly emphasized honking noise, theA beep that we associate with the humorous picture of the roadrunner.When traveling through the desert southwest of the United States, you may be fortunate enough to come across a strange looking brown and white streaked bird called the Roadrunner. It has a blue patch of skin circling the eyes, a tiny dot of bright red behind the eyes, a bushy crest on the top of its head and a long tail that bobs up and down. A member of the cuckoo family, it is New Mexico's state bird, and can run in bursts of speed from between ten to twenty miles per hour. Because it is equipped to run rather than fly, its feet are different from other bird species, having two toes in front and two toes in the back. Its tracks looks like the letter X. Although roadrunners can become airborne, they are basically ground birds and do not fly. They eat insects, scorpions, small rodents, birds, lizards and snakes. They do make noise when in danger; however, the clicks and clatters do not resemble the sound of a honking horn that we think of from the Hollywood cartoon version of roadrunners. The repeated notes in the opening melody ofA Roadrunner Rally will remind you of the sight of a roadrunner traveling along at breakneck speed. A crisp spiccato accompanied by pizzicato in the cello and bass paints the picture of the bird running through the desert. At m. 17 you will hear that raucous honk, honk that is associated with the roadrunner saying Out of my way! The syncopation can easily be learned by feel as well as by counting carefully. At m. 25 and similar passages, the first violins will have fun learning the jazz licks. The walking bass like at m.69 with the jerky sound of the octaves in the upper strings will remind you of the awkward appearance of this ungainly bird. And of course,A Roadrunner Rally ends with a loudly emphasized honking noise, theA beep that we associate with the humorous picture of the roadrunner.When traveling through the desert southwest of the United States, you may be fortunate enough to come across a strange looking brown and white streaked bird called the Roadrunner. It has a blue patch of skin circling the eyes, a tiny dot of bright red behind the eyes, a bushy crest on the top of its head and a long tail that bobs up and down. A member of the cuckoo family, it is New Mexico's state bird, and can run in bursts of speed from between ten to twenty miles per hour. Because it is equipped to run rather than fly, its feet are different from other bird species, having two toes in front and two toes in the back. Its tracks looks like the letter X. Although roadrunners can become airborne, they are basically ground birds and do not fly. They eat insects, scorpions, small rodents, birds, lizards and snakes. They do make noise when in danger; however, the clicks and clatters do not resemble the sound of a honking horn that we think of from the Hollywood cartoon version of roadrunners. The repeated notes in the opening melody of Roadrunner Rally will remind you of the sight of a roadrunner traveling along at breakneck speed. A crisp spiccato accompanied by pizzicato in the cello and bass paints the picture of the bird running through the desert. At m. 17 you will hear that raucous honk, honk that is associated with the roadrunner saying Out of my way! The syncopation can easily be learned by feel as well as by counting carefully. At m. 25 and similar passages, the first violins will have fun learning the jazz licks. The walking bass like at m.69 with the jerky sound of the octaves in the upper strings will remind you of the awkward appearance of this ungainly bird. And of course, Roadrunner Rally ends with a loudly emphasized honking noise, the beep that we associate with the humorous picture of the roadrunner.When traveling through the desert southwest of the United States, you may be fortunate enough to come across a strange looking brown and white streaked bird called the Roadrunner. It has a blue patch of skin circling the eyes, a tiny dot of bright red behind the eyes, a bushy crest on the top of its head and a long tail that bobs up and down. A member of the cuckoo family, it is New Mexico's state bird, and can run in bursts of speed from between ten to twenty miles per hour. Because it is equipped to run rather than fly, its feet are different from other bird species, having two toes in front and two toes in the back. Its tracks looks like the letter X. Although roadrunners can become airborne, they are basically ground birds and do not fly. They eat insects, scorpions, small rodents, birds, lizards and snakes. They do make noise when in danger; however, the clicks and clatters do not resemble the sound of a honking horn that we think of from the Hollywood cartoon version of roadrunners. The repeated notes in the opening melody of Roadrunner Rally will remind you of the sight of a roadrunner traveling along at breakneck speed. A crisp spiccato accompanied by pizzicato in the cello and bass paints the picture of the bird running through the desert. At m. 17 you will hear that raucous honk, honk that is associated with the roadrunner saying Out of my way! The syncopation can easily be learned by feel as well as by counting carefully. At m. 25 and similar passages, the first violins will have fun learning the jazz licks. The walking bass like at m.69 with the jerky sound of the octaves in the upper strings will remind you of the awkward appearance of this ungainly bird. And of course, Roadrunner Rally ends with a loudly emphasized honking noise, the beep that we associate with the humorous picture of the roadrunner.When traveling through the desert southwest of the United States, you may be fortunate enough to come across a strange looking brown and white streaked bird called the Roadrunner. It has a blue patch of skin circling the eyes, a tiny dot of bright red behind the eyes, a bushy crest on the top of its head and a long tail that bobs up and down. A member of the cuckoo family, it is New Mexico's state bird, and can run in bursts of speed from between ten to twenty miles per hour. Because it is equipped to run rather than fly, its feet are different from other bird species, having two toes in front and two toes in the back. Its tracks looks like the letter X. Although roadrunners can become airborne, they are basically ground birds and do not fly. They eat insects, scorpions, small rodents, birds, lizards and snakes. They do make noise when in danger; however, the clicks and clatters do not resemble the sound of a honking horn that we think of from the Hollywood cartoon version of roadrunners.The repeated notes in the opening melody of Roadrunner Rally will remind you of the sight of a roadrunner traveling along at breakneck speed. A crisp spiccato accompanied by pizzicato in the cello and bass paints the picture of the bird running through the desert. At m. 17 you will hear that raucous honk, honk that is associated with the roadrunner saying Out of my way! The syncopation can easily be learned by feel as well as by counting carefully. At m. 25 and similar passages, the first violins will have fun learning the jazz licks. The walking bass like at m.69 with the jerky sound of the octaves in the upper strings will remind you of the awkward appearance of this ungainly bird. And of course, Roadrunner Rally ends with a loudly emphasized honking noise, the beep that we associate with the humorous picture of the roadrunner.
SKU: AP.50862
ISBN 9781470666743. UPC: 038081585352. English.
The Quest of the Magi was one of the working titles for John Henry Hopkins Jr.'s famous carol, We Three Kings. Written in 1857 for a Christmas pageant in New York City, We Three Kings tells the tale of the Magis' journey to find a newly born king in a faraway land and the precious gifts they brought with them. This piece focuses more on the journey of following yonder star. Traveling across many countries in the first century was a perilous task, full of danger, thievery, and possible death, not to mention these men were traveling with some of the most precious and expensive cargo one could possess. This piece chronicles the magi acquiring myrrh, frankincense, and gold for their journey. Each treasure is represented by its own motif and woven into Hopkins' original carol. (2:45).
SKU: AP.50862S
ISBN 9781470666750. UPC: 038081585369. English.
SKU: PR.416414310
ISBN 9781598064834. UPC: 680160603749. 9x12 inches.
Urban Sprawl grew directly from the composer's months-long search for a new home. In looking over many prospects, he began to wonder about the variety of home owners and their approaches to their wildly different dwellings, resulting in this funky, jazzy, kitschy, and hopefully fun ode, as he describes it. Duration: 6'30.After spending months looking, my wife and I bought a home in the suburbs. While looking, I increasingly became intrigued by the overall “funkyness†of the insides of a number of houses we were shown by our realtor. From the crazy wallpaper, to the downright hideous paint colors, to the do-it-yourself projects gone wrong, to the fresh smells of wacky tobacky, some of these homes were real “standouts.†After seeing so many of these homes, I began to imagine who these current homeowners were. I started picturing them moving about their homes, doing these crazy projects, and dancing a quirky new dance I called the “urban sprawl†(think Nixon dancing in “Nixon in Chinaâ€). Urban Sprawl is a 6½-minute funky, jazzy, kitschy, and hopefully fun ode to “Suburban Life†(which was the working title). The work was written for and premiered by Alarm Will Sound at the 201111 Mizzou New Music Summer.
SKU: HL.49046544
ISBN 9781705122655. UPC: 842819108726. 9.0x12.0x0.224 inches.
I composed the Piano Concerto in two stages: the first three movements during the years 1985-86, the next two in 1987, the final autograph of the last movement was ready by January, 1988. The concerto is dedicated to the American conductor Mario di Bonaventura. The markings of the movements are the following: 1. Vivace molto ritmico e preciso 2. Lento e deserto 3. Vivace cantabile 4. Allegro risoluto 5. Presto luminoso.The first performance of the three-movement Concerto was on October 23rd, 1986 in Graz. Mario di Bonaventura conducted while his brother, Anthony di Bonaventura, was the soloist. Two days later the performance was repeated in the Vienna Konzerthaus. After hearing the work twice, I came to the conclusion that the third movement is not an adequate finale; my feeling of form demanded continuation, a supplement. That led to the composing of the next two movements. The premiere of the whole cycle took place on February 29th, 1988, in the Vienna Konzerthaus with the same conductor and the same pianist. The orchestra consisted of the following: flute, oboe, clarinet, bassoon, horn, trumpet, tenor trombone, percussion and strings. The flautist also plays the piccoIo, the clarinetist, the alto ocarina. The percussion is made up of diverse instruments, which one musician-virtuoso can play. It is more practical, however, if two or three musicians share the instruments. Besides traditional instruments the percussion part calls also for two simple wind instruments: the swanee whistle and the harmonica. The string instrument parts (two violins, viola, cello and doubles bass) can be performed soloistic since they do not contain divisi. For balance, however, the ensemble playing is recommended, for example 6-8 first violins, 6-8 second, 4-6 violas, 4-6 cellos, 3-4 double basses. In the Piano Concerto I realized new concepts of harmony and rhythm. The first movement is entirely written in bimetry: simultaneously 12/8 and 4/4 (8/8). This relates to the known triplet on a doule relation and in itself is nothing new. Because, however, I articulate 12 triola and 8 duola pulses, an entangled, up till now unheard kind of polymetry is created. The rhythm is additionally complicated because of asymmetric groupings inside two speed layers, which means accents are asymmetrically distributed. These groups, as in the talea technique, have a fixed, continuously repeating rhythmic structures of varying lengths in speed layers of 12/8 and 4/4. This means that the repeating pattern in the 12/8 level and the pattern in the 4/4 level do not coincide and continuously give a kaleidoscope of renewing combinations. In our perception we quickly resign from following particular rhythmical successions and that what is going on in time appears for us as something static, resting. This music, if it is played properly, in the right tempo and with the right accents inside particular layers, after a certain time 'rises, as it were, as a plane after taking off: the rhythmic action, too complex to be able to follow in detail, begins flying. This diffusion of individual structures into a different global structure is one of my basic compositional concepts: from the end of the fifties, from the orchestral works Apparitions and Atmospheres I continuously have been looking for new ways of resolving this basic question. The harmony of the first movement is based on mixtures, hence on the parallel leading of voices. This technique is used here in a rather simple form; later in the fourth movement it will be considerably developed. The second movement (the only slow one amongst five movements) also has a talea type of structure, it is however much simpler rhythmically, because it contains only one speed layer. The melody is consisted in the development of a rigorous interval mode in which two minor seconds and one major second alternate therefore nine notes inside an octave. This mode is transposed into different degrees and it also determines the harmony of the movement; however, in closing episode in the piano part there is a combination of diatonics (white keys) and pentatonics (black keys) led in brilliant, sparkling quasimixtures, while the orchestra continues to play in the nine tone mode. In this movement I used isolated sounds and extreme registers (piccolo in a very low register, bassoon in a very high register, canons played by the swanee whistle, the alto ocarina and brass with a harmon-mute' damper, cutting sound combinations of the piccolo, clarinet and oboe in an extremely high register, also alternating of a whistle-siren and xylophone). The third movement also has one speed layer and because of this it appears as simpler than the first, but actually the rhythm is very complicated in a different way here. Above the uninterrupted, fast and regular basic pulse, thanks to the asymmetric distribution of accents, different types of hemiolas and inherent melodical patterns appear (the term was coined by Gerhard Kubik in relation to central African music). If this movement is played with the adequate speed and with very clear accentuation, illusory rhythmic-melodical figures appear. These figures are not played directly; they do not appear in the score, but exist only in our perception as a result of co-operation of different voices. Already earlier I had experimented with illusory rhythmics, namely in Poeme symphonique for 100 metronomes (1962), in Continuum for harpsichord (1968), in Monument for two pianos (1976), and especially in the first and sixth piano etude Desordre and Automne a Varsovie (1985). The third movement of the Piano Concerto is up to now the clearest example of illusory rhythmics and illusory melody. In intervallic and chordal structure this movement is based on alternation, and also inter-relation of various modal and quasi-equidistant harmony spaces. The tempered twelve-part division of the octave allows for diatonical and other modal interval successions, which are not equidistant, but are based on the alternation of major and minor seconds in different groups. The tempered system also allows for the use of the anhemitonic pentatonic scale (the black keys of the piano). From equidistant scales, therefore interval formations which are based on the division of an octave in equal distances, the twelve-tone tempered system allows only chromatics (only minor seconds) and the six-tone scale (the whole-tone: only major seconds). Moreover, the division of the octave into four parts only minor thirds) and three parts (three major thirds) is possible. In several music cultures different equidistant divisions of an octave are accepted, for example, in the Javanese slendro into five parts, in Melanesia into seven parts, popular also in southeastern Asia, and apart from this, in southern Africa. This does not mean an exact equidistance: there is a certain tolerance for the inaccurateness of the interval tuning. These exotic for us, Europeans, harmony and melody have attracted me for several years. However I did not want to re-tune the piano (microtone deviations appear in the concerto only in a few places in the horn and trombone parts led in natural tones). After the period of experimenting, I got to pseudo- or quasiequidistant intervals, which is neither whole-tone nor chromatic: in the twelve-tone system, two whole-tone scales are possible, shifted a minor second apart from each other. Therefore, I connect these two scales (or sound resources), and for example, places occur where the melodies and figurations in the piano part are created from both whole tone scales; in one band one six-tone sound resource is utilized, and in the other hand, the complementary. In this way whole-tonality and chromaticism mutually reduce themselves: a type of deformed equidistancism is formed, strangely brilliant and at the same time slanting; illusory harmony, indeed being created inside the tempered twelve-tone system, but in sound quality not belonging to it anymore. The appearance of such slantedequidistant harmony fields alternating with modal fields and based on chords built on fifths (mainly in the piano part), complemented with mixtures built on fifths in the orchestra, gives this movement an individual, soft-metallic colour (a metallic sound resulting from harmonics). The fourth movement was meant to be the central movement of the Concerto. Its melodc-rhythmic elements (embryos or fragments of motives) in themselves are simple. The movement also begins simply, with a succession of overlapping of these elements in the mixture type structures. Also here a kaleidoscope is created, due to a limited number of these elements - of these pebbles in the kaleidoscope - which continuously return in augmentations and diminutions. Step by step, however, so that in the beginning we cannot hear it, a compiled rhythmic organization of the talea type gradually comes into daylight, based on the simultaneity of two mutually shifted to each other speed layers (also triplet and duoles, however, with different asymmetric structures than in the first movement). While longer rests are gradually filled in with motive fragments, we slowly come to the conclusion that we have found ourselves inside a rhythmic-melodical whirl: without change in tempo, only through increasing the density of the musical events, a rotation is created in the stream of successive and compiled, augmented and diminished motive fragments, and increasing the density suggests acceleration. Thanks to the periodical structure of the composition, always new but however of the same (all the motivic cells are similar to earlier ones but none of them are exactly repeated; the general structure is therefore self-similar), an impression is created of a gigantic, indissoluble network. Also, rhythmic structures at first hidden gradually begin to emerge, two independent speed layers with their various internal accentuations. This great, self-similar whirl in a very indirect way relates to musical associations, which came to my mind while watching the graphic projection of the mathematical sets of Julia and of Mandelbrot made with the help of a computer. I saw these wonderful pictures of fractal creations, made by scientists from Brema, Peitgen and Richter, for the first time in 1984. From that time they have played a great role in my musical concepts. This does not mean, however, that composing the fourth movement I used mathematical methods or iterative calculus; indeed, I did use constructions which, however, are not based on mathematical thinking, but are rather craftman's constructions (in this respect, my attitude towards mathematics is similar to that of the graphic artist Maurits Escher). I am concerned rather with intuitional, poetic, synesthetic correspondence, not on the scientific, but on the poetic level of thinking. The fifth, very short Presto movement is harmonically very simple, but all the more complicated in its rhythmic structure: it is based on the further development of ''inherent patterns of the third movement. The quasi-equidistance system dominates harmonically and melodically in this movement, as in the third, alternating with harmonic fields, which are based on the division of the chromatic whole into diatonics and anhemitonic pentatonics. Polyrhythms and harmonic mixtures reach their greatest density, and at the same time this movement is strikingly light, enlightened with very bright colours: at first it seems chaotic, but after listening to it for a few times it is easy to grasp its content: many autonomous but self-similar figures which crossing themselves. I present my artistic credo in the Piano Concerto: I demonstrate my independence from criteria of the traditional avantgarde, as well as the fashionable postmodernism. Musical illusions which I consider to be also so important are not a goal in itself for me, but a foundation for my aesthetical attitude. I prefer musical forms which have a more object-like than processual character. Music as frozen time, as an object in imaginary space evoked by music in our imagination, as a creation which really develops in time, but in imagination it exists simultaneously in all its moments. The spell of time, the enduring its passing by, closing it in a moment of the present is my main intention as a composer. (Gyorgy Ligeti).
SKU: BT.GOB-000508-140
The Odyssee tells the story of Odysseus, the undaunted hero. In times long ago the blind poet Homer wrote this famous epic. The Odyssey follows the Iliad, the story of the bloody war between the Greek and the Trojans. This battle endsafter ten years thanks to the Odysseys famous trick. the Trojan Horse. The Odyssey is not a war epic, but a story about perseverance, loyalty, adventure, and the survival instinct of its ingenious hero. In The Odyssey, Homer describes howOdysseus, the king of Ithaca, had to endure another ten years of affliction after the ten years of war in Troy before he could finally return to his home land. During those years, his wife, Penelope, had to try and keep her many admirers away.These men not only wanted het hand but also the kingship. To prove her husbands worth, she played a trick: As soon as I have finished weaving this shroud for my father-in-law, Laertes, I will choose one of you to become my husband, she promisedthem. But during the night, she secretly loosened what she had woven during the day, prolonging the time until Odysseus would finally return. After twenty long years, when he finally stood at the door, she wondered: Is this really my husband? Ishe an imposter? Cunningly, she asked him to move the bed, because only she and her husband know that the bed was immovable and was build around an old three trunk! Odysseus was deeply moved: this really was his wife, his Penelope! Nearly threethousands years later, the loyalty and strength of this character, and all the dangerous adventures that Odysseus survived thanks to courage and intelligence, still moves us today. Odyssee by Jan Bosveld is not just an adventure story, butrather a characteristic piece in which memories of Homers story can be heard. The composition opens with a firm, stirring theme describing our hero, Odysseus, in detail: This man is not to be taken lightly. The further development of thisshort introduction completes this character sketch: trustworthy, perseverant, and a genius. After that we can picture Odysseus on the lonely beach of Ogygia. Do the trumpets depict his memories of the war of Troy? Does he think of his wife, as werecognise the weaving loom of Penelope in the murmuring eighth? In the solemn, plaintive part that follows, we can imagine Penelope feeling lonely, sitting in the womens room with her servants.One of the girls plays the harp, but that does notclear the sombre atmosphere. Then we can imagine seeing the sorceress Circe, who changed Odysseus men into swine. After she gives a simple magic sign something follows that reminds us of the sound of pigs grunting. Then the Odysseus theme resounds:the hero comes to savi his comrades. Assisted by Hermes, he forces Circe to lift the spell. The piece ends the same way as it began, with an animated theme: Odysseus is still the same, undefeated and not to be taken lighty!Het muzikale relaas van de Griekse schrijver Homerus over de held Odyssee in een karakterstuk vol herinneringen. Een stevig opgewekt thema symboliseert de grootsheid van Odyssee en zijn karaktertrekken - betrouwbaar, volhardenden vernuftig. De tegenslagen welke hij tegenkomt en in het tweede tragische gedeelte dreigen te escaleren, nemen in het derde snelle gedeelte bij zijn verschijning toch weer een positieve wending. Nijmegenaar Jan Bosveld bewijstin dit originele werk dat hij op de hoogte is van de onmogelijkheden, maar vooral de ongekende mogelijkheden van muzikanten uit de lagere afdelingen.
SKU: BT.GOB-000432-120
The Odyssee tells the story of Odysseus, the undaunted hero. In times long ago the blind poet Homer wrote this famous epic. The Odyssey follows the Iliad, the story of the bloody war between the Greek and the Trojans. This battle endsafter ten years thanks to the Odysseys famous trick. the Trojan Horse. The Odyssey is not a war epic, but a story about perseverance, loyalty, adventure, and the survival instinct of its ingenious hero. In The Odyssey, Homer describes howOdysseus, the king of Ithaca, had to endure another ten years of affliction after the ten years of war in Troy before he could finally return to his home land. During those years, his wife, Penelope, had to try and keep her many admirers away.These men not only wanted het hand but also the kingship. To prove her husbands worth, she played a trick: As soon as I have finished weaving this shroud for my father-in-law, Laertes, I will choose one of you to become my husband, she promisedthem. But during the night, she secretly loosened what she had woven during the day, prolonging the time until Odysseus would finally return. After twenty long years, when he finally stood at the door, she wondered: Is this really my husband? Ishe an imposter? Cunningly, she asked him to move the bed, because only she and her husband know that the bed was immovable and was build around an old three trunk! Odysseus was deeply moved: this really was his wife, his Penelope! Nearly threethousands years later, the loyalty and strength of this character, and all the dangerous adventures that Odysseus survived thanks to courage and intelligence, still moves us today. Odyssee by Jan Bosveld is not just an adventure story, butrather a characteristic piece in which memories of Homers story can be heard. The composition opens with a firm, stirring theme describing our hero, Odysseus, in detail: This man is not to be taken lightly. The further development of thisshort introduction completes this character sketch: trustworthy, perseverant, and a genius. After that we can picture Odysseus on the lonely beach of Ogygia. Do the trumpets depict his memories of the war of Troy? Does he think of his wife, as werecognise the weaving loom of Penelope in the murmuring eighth? In the solemn, plaintive part that follows, we can imagine Penelope feeling lonely, sitting in the womens room with her servants.One of the girls plays the harp, but that does notclear the sombre atmosphere. Then we can imagine seeing the sorceress Circe, who changed Odysseus men into swine. After she gives a simple magic sign something follows that reminds us of the sound of pigs grunting. Then the Odysseus theme resounds:the hero comes to savi his comrades. Assisted by Hermes, he forces Circe to lift the spell. The piece ends the same way as it began, with an animated theme: Odysseus is still the same, undefeated and not to be taken lighty!Het muzikale relaas van de Griekse schrijver Homerus over de held Odyssee in een karakterstuk vol herinneringen. Een stevig opgewekt thema symboliseert de grootsheid van Odyssee en zijn karaktertrekken - betrouwbaar, volhardend en vernuftig. Detegenslagen welke hij tegenkomt en in het tweede tragische gedeelte dreigen te escaleren, nemen in het derde snelle gedeelte bij zijn verschijning toch weer een positieve wending. Nijmegenaar Jan Bosveld bewijst in dit originele werk dat hij opde hoogte is van de onmogelijkheden, maar vooral de ongekende mogelijkheden van muzikanten uit de lagere afdelingen.Gobelin Music Publications.
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