Par VAN DER ROOST JAN. C’est en associant les caractéristiques de la musique traditionnelle slave à son talent de compositeur que Jan Van der Roost a créé cette suite de quatre danses originales tziganes. L’orchestration, fine et légère, est d’une grande richesse sonore qui permet d’exploiter les multiples facettes de l’Orchestre d’Harmonie. Puszta est une oeuvre dansante et expressive, empreinte d’une vivacité de caractère que l’on retrouve dans les Danses hongroises de Brahms, les Rhapsodies et Danses slaves de Dvorák ou les Rhapsodies hongroises de Liszt. / Niveau : 5 / Pièce de concert / Répertoire / Concert Band ou Harmonie

Anton Bruckner (1824-1896). Par BRUCKNER ANTON / DOSS THOMAS (Arr.). Anton Bruckner (b. 4.9.1824, Ansfelden, d. 11.10.1896, Vienna) didn?t have it easy. Throughout his life, the Austrian composer was plagued by self-doubt. Anton Bruckner came from a simple, rural background. After the death of his father, he was accepted as a choirboy at the monastery of Sankt Florian in 1837. After several years as a school assistant and his own organ and piano studies, he first worked as organist in St. Florian, then from 1855 as cathedral organist in Linz. Introduced to music theory and instrumentation by Simon Sechter and Otto Kitzler, he discovered Richard Wagner as an artistic role model, whom he admired throughout his life and also visited several times in Bayreuth. In 1868 Anton Bruckner became professor of basso continuo, counterpoint and organ at the Vienna Conservatory; ten years later court organist; and in 1891 finally honorary doctor of the University of Vienna. He was considered an important organ virtuoso of his era, but had to wait a long time for recognition as a composer. It was not until Symphony No.7 in E major, composed between 1881 and 1883, with the famous Adagio written under the effects of Wagner's death, that he achieved the recognition he had hoped for, even if he was reluctant to accept it given his inclination towards scepticism and self-criticism. Anton Bruckner was a loner who did not want to follow a particular school or doctrine. He composed numerous sacred vocal works, such as his three masses, the Missa Solemnis in B flat minor (1854), the Te Deum (1881-84) and numerous motets. As a symphonic composer, he wrote a total of nine symphonies and many symphonic studies from 1863 onwards, tending to revise completed versions several times over. Bruckner's orchestral works were long considered unplayable, but in fact were merely exceptionally bold for the tonal language of their time, uniting traditions from Beethoven through Wagner to folk music, on the threshold between late Romanticism and Modernism. Anton Bruckner composed about 40 motets during his lifetime, the earliest a setting of Pange lingua around 1835, and the last, Vexilla regis, in 1892. Thomas Doss has compiled some of these motets in this volume for symphonic wind orchestra. These motets show many characteristics of personal expression, especially Bruckner's colourful harmony in the earlier works, which is in places aligned with Franz Schubert (changes between major and minor; and movements in thirds). Later works are characterised by many components which, in addition to the expanded stature of the movements, include above all a sense of the instrumentation as an outward phenomenon and the harmony as a compositional feature that works more internally. Some aspects of Bruckner's work are the result of his long period of study, which familiarised him not only with the tradition of his craft, but also gave him insights into the 'modernity' of his time in such composers as Wagner, Liszt and Berlioz. From this developed his personal standpoint, which always pursues the connection between the old and the new. / Date parution : 2023-08-12/ Répertoire / Concert Band/Harmonie

Arr. Philip Sparke. Par MACDOWELL EDWARD. Edward MacDowell (1860-1908) est considéré comme le premier grand compositeur américain de l’histoire de la musique, bien qu’il refusait avec vigueur d’être associé à un quelconque courant musical nationaliste. Edward MacDowell a toujours considéré que la musique était une véritable langue internationale, et ses oeuvres sont fortement influencées par le style de composition européen, et plus particulièrement par l’écriture allemande. Compositeur adulé de son vivant dans son pays natal et à l’étranger, il était également un pianiste exceptionnel dont la virtuosité a impressionné l’un de ses plus brillants professeurs, Franz Liszt. Edward MacDowell a composé de nombreusesoeuvres pour piano, un grand nombre de lieder ainsi que plusieurs oeuvres orchestrales. Mais l’oeuvre la plus connue de son répertoire est une charmante suite de miniatures musicales pour piano, Woodland Sketches, une composition modeste et stylistiquement simple dont est extraite la plus célèbre de ces miniatures To a Wild Rose (“À une rose sauvage”). L’étonnante sincérité de la mélodie fit dire à un grand critique musical que cette mélodie valait toutes les oeuvres pour piano réunies de MacDowell. / Niveau : 2 / Musique pour célébration / Répertoire / Concert Band ou Harmonie

Based on Dies Irae. Cette oeuvre s’inspire du Dies Irae attribué à Tomaso da Celano, que l’on considère comme l’auteur de la version dé_x001C_finitive de ce poème écrit au XIIIe siècle. Plusieurs compositeurs célèbres tels que Berlioz, Saint-Saëns, Mahler et Liszt, ont intégré des passages de chant grégorien dans leurs oeuvres. Dans sa composition Song of David, dont le titre fait référence à la troisième ligne du texte original, Jan de Haan présente un thème à l’unisson qui sera repris ensuite dans diff_x001B_érentes couleurs orchestrales. / Niveau : 3 / Musique pour célébration / Répertoire / Concert Band ou Harmonie

Anton Bruckner (18241896). Par BRUCKNER ANTON / DOSS THOMAS (Arr.). Anton Bruckner composed about 40 motets during his lifetime, the earliest a setting of Pange lingua around 1835, and the last, Vexilla regis, in 1892. Thomas Doss has compiled some of these motets in this volume for symphonic wind orchestra. These motets show many characteristics of personal expression, especially Bruckner's colourful harmony in the earlier works, which is in places aligned with Franz Schubert (changes between major and minor; and movements in thirds). Later works are characterised by many components which, in addition to the expanded stature of the movements, include above all a sense of the instrumentation as an outward phenomenon and the harmony as a compositional feature that works more internally. Some aspects of Bruckner's work are the result of his long period of study, which familiarised him not only with the tradition of his craft, but also gave him insights into the 'modernity' of his time in such composers as Wagner, Liszt and Berlioz. From this developed his personal standpoint, which always pursues the connection between the old and the new. / Date parution : 2023-08-12/ Répertoire / Concert Band/Harmonie

Par BALAZS ARPAD. With its energetic impetus and brilliant instrumentation, Concertino is outstanding in the oeuvre of Árpád Balázs. Among his compositions for concert band, it is by far the most engaging and demanding work. Passing away and a will to live are simultaneously present in Concertino, which Árpád Balázs composed in memory of his beloved father. Its structure brings Liszt's Hungarian Rhapsodies to mind. Its solemn opening (which returns at the end) is followed by a slow and a fast movement- the funereal music of the slow movement evolves from a motif from Bach's St. Matthew Passion which intensifies in a manner similar to the lament in Grieg's Peer Gynt. The pulsing timpani is featured significantly at the beginning and the end of the funereal music. The fast movement represents resolution, resignation, and regained gaiety. This part, pulsating like a waltz and echoing the modulation technique of Richard Strauss, is followed by the solemn return of the opening chords. This music ensures a thrilling experience for listeners and performers alike/ Répertoire / Concert Band