SKU: SU.94010764

Dedicated to Bryan Young, Principal Bassoon, Baltimore Chamber OrchestraBassoon Duration: 5'3 Composed: 2020 Published by: Subito Music Publishing PROGRAM NOTE: The year 2020 has definitely been a very challenging year with many upheavals. During this time of the COVID-19 health crisis, wearing masks, and high racial tensions, I decided to compose four short solo woodwind works for flute, oboe, clarinet, and bassoon, which represent the core woodwind section in an orchestra. I was inspired to compose these short pieces after I first heard Igor Stravinsky's three short pieces for clarinet, which totals a little more than four minutes in duration. I thought that it would be nice to highlight and honor my African-American male colleagues in the orchestral music world. I wanted to celebrate the fact that they are the principal player in the section of their respective orchestras. The short pieces are as follows: Principal Brother No. 1 for flute solo for Demarre McGill, Principal Flute of the Seattle Symphony Orchestra, Principal Brother No. 2 for oboe solo for Titus Underwood, Principal Oboe of the Nashville Symphony Orchestra, Principal Brother No. 3 for clarinet solo for Anthony McGill, Principal Clarinet of the New York Philharmonic, and Principal Brother No. 4 for bassoon solo for Bryan Young, Principal Bassoon of the Baltimore Chamber Orchestra. These works all begin with notes that are representative of their name; D for Demarre, B for Titus (ti in solfège starting on C), A for Anthony, and Bb for Bryan. There is also a rhythmic figure in the opening measures of each piece, which represent the utterance of their names. All four of these works are rhapsodic in nature with elements of improvisation. - James Lee III.

SKU: BT.MUSM570362271

English.

Metamorphoses after Britten was written for Melinda Maxwell, for UYMP's Signals volume of new music for Oboe. It was first performed by Melinda at York University on 24th November 2010. I - A Mountain II - Fixation III - Flowers IV - Fountains Metamorphoses after Britten by philipvenables Metamorphoses after Britten are just that: four miniatures, each inspired by one of Benjamin Britten’s Six Metamorphoses after Ovid for solo oboe. Each movement, over its short course, transforms gradually from one thing to another, ending, with the exception of Fountains, in a short, cathartic coda. Some of the movements also take specific musical elements from Britten’s pieces. I verymuch viewed these pieces as musical Haiku, and in that sense I hope they embody a sense of peace, brevity and simplicity. The oboe version of Metamorphoses after Britten is dedicated to Melinda Maxwell. The saxophone version of Metamorphoses after Britten, with an additional movement, is dedicated to Vicki and Andrew Vaughan      - Philip Venables     .