SKU: P2.60044
For many years I have coached brass quintets at the USC Thornton School of Music. One of the outstanding young quintets was the Valente Brass: Yurie Yoshida, and Jessica Cruz, Trumpets; Erika Miras, Horn; Jonathan Sie, Trombone; and Jake Kraft, Bass Trombone. They kept urging me to write a quintet for them and thus was born HoopLA. This short (4:30 min) one movement piece was premiered by them at the Live at Basset Hall 8 concert, April 13, 2014. It was during this same time that I was writing two other works, Intrepideedoodah and Pocket Change. In all three I used 6/4 meter as the main rhythmic structure. I call it my 6/4 period. That meter translates easily into 12/8 and many other groupings of 2s, 3s, 4,s and 6s--the glories of hemiola abound. A unison intro leads to a Latin set-up in the trumpets and a tricky groove in the trombones. The horn has a haunting melody over that. A middle waltz section follows with imitative solos in the trumpets and a series of duets between the all of the players--giving the impression of odd meters. The main theme returns with a rousing ending. The brass quintet members named the piece HoopLA and, as the title suggests, it's a lot of fun in Los Angeles. -Jim Self.
SKU: P2.60051
Methods of Cooking originated as a piece for brass septet that was later arranged for the brass quintet format. It is a multimovement work that explores several variations of a main theme that is found throughout all four movements. Each movement seeks to evoke a certain style associated with a type of cooking. The first movement, Simmer , introduces the main thematic material of the piece from the beginning. Simmering indicates a temperature below boiling that generally is softer or gentler in food preparation. Hence, the movement is a bit more restrained, without breaking up the material a great deal. Boil follow as the second movement, and as the temperature rises, so too does the pace of the music! Boiling can sometimes lead to chaotic situations in the kitchen, and the movement looks to capture the energy of both the food as it boils, as well as the preparer as they make their way around the kitchen. This variation brings the thematic material into 6/8 time, as well as introducing new ideas that help make the music even more dynamic. The third movement slows things back down with Braise , which tends to be a longer method of cooking. The thematic material is surrounded with thicker harmonies and slowly announced throughout the movementI! this mimics the richness of flavor often associated with braising foods, and signifies the amount of time this process often takes to complete. Sautee is the final movement and looks to stay true to its original meaning in French, to jump or bounce. The melody quickly bounces back and forth between various instruments and the entire movement is bright and playful throughout. It also serves as a high energy ending to bring the entire piece together.
