Mvt. 2 from Symphony
No. 6 (Three Places in
the East). Composed
by Dan Welcher. Full
score. 52 pages. Theodore
Presser Company
#165-00102F. Published by
Theodore Presser Company
(PR.16500102F).
ISBN
9781491131749. UPC:
680160680276.
Ever
since the success of my
series of wind ensemble
works Places in the West,
I've been wanting to
write a companion piece
for national parks on the
other side of the north
American continent. The
earlier work, consisting
of GLACIER, THE
YELLOWSTONE FIRES,
ARCHES, and ZION, spanned
some twenty years of my
composing life, and since
the pieces called for
differing groups of
instruments, and were in
slightly different styles
from each other, I never
considered them to be
connected except in their
subject matter. In their
depiction of both the
scenery and the human
history within these
wondrous places, they had
a common goal: awaking
the listener to the
fragile beauty that is in
them; and calling
attention to the ever
more crucial need for
preservation and
protection of these wild
places, unique in all the
world. With this new
work, commissioned by a
consortium of college and
conservatory wind
ensembles led by the
University of Georgia, I
decided to build upon
that same model---but to
solidify the process. The
result, consisting of
three movements (each
named for a different
national park in the
eastern US), is a
bona-fide symphony. While
the three pieces could be
performed separately,
they share a musical
theme---and also a common
style and
instrumentation. It is a
true symphony, in that
the first movement is
long and expository, the
second is a rather
tightly structured
scherzo-with-trio, and
the finale is a true
culmination of the whole.
The first movement,
Everglades, was the
original inspiration for
the entire symphony.
Conceived over the course
of two trips to that
astonishing place (which
the native Americans
called River of Grass,
the subtitle of this
movement), this movement
not only conveys a sense
of the humid, lush, and
even frightening scenery
there---but also an
overview of the entire
settling-of- Florida
experience. It contains
not one, but two native
American chants, and also
presents a view of the
staggering influence of
modern man on this
fragile part of the
world. Beginning with a
slow unfolding marked
Heavy, humid, the music
soon presents a gentle,
lyrical theme in the solo
alto saxophone. This
theme, which goes through
three expansive phrases
with breaks in between,
will appear in all three
movements of the
symphony. After the mood
has been established, the
music opens up to a rich,
warm setting of a
Cherokee morning song,
with the simple happiness
that this part of Florida
must have had prior to
the nineteenth century.
This music, enveloping
and comforting, gradually
gives way to a more
frenetic, driven section
representative of the
intrusion of the white
man. Since Florida was
populated and developed
largely due to the
introduction of a train
system, there's a
suggestion of the
mechanized iron horse
driving straight into the
heartland. At that point,
the native Americans
become considerably less
gentle, and a second
chant seems to stand in
the way of the intruder;
a kind of warning song.
The second part of this
movement shows us the
great swampy center of
the peninsula, with its
wildlife both in and out
of the water. A new theme
appears, sad but noble,
suggesting that this land
is precious and must be
protected by all the
people who inhabit it. At
length, the morning song
reappears in all its
splendor, until the
sunset---with one last
iteration of the warning
song in the solo piccolo.
Functioning as a scherzo,
the second movement,
Great Smoky Mountains,
describes not just that
huge park itself, but one
brave soul's attempt to
climb a mountain there.
It begins with three
iterations of the
UR-theme (which began the
first movement as well),
but this time as up-tempo
brass fanfares in
octaves. Each time it
begins again, the theme
is a little slower and
less confident than the
previous time---almost as
though the hiker were
becoming aware of the
daunting mountain before
him. But then, a steady,
quick-pulsed ostinato
appears, in a constantly
shifting meter system of
2/4- 3/4 in alteration,
and the hike has begun.
Over this, a slower new
melody appears, as the
trek up the mountain
progresses. It's a big
mountain, and the ascent
seems to take quite
awhile, with little
breaks in the hiker's
stride, until at length
he simply must stop and
rest. An oboe solo, over
several free cadenza-like
measures, allows us (and
our friend the hiker) to
catch our breath, and
also to view in the
distance the rocky peak
before us. The goal is
somehow even more
daunting than at first,
being closer and thus
more frighteningly steep.
When we do push off
again, it's at a slower
pace, and with more
careful attention to our
footholds as we trek over
broken rocks. Tantalizing
little views of the
valley at every
switchback make our
determination even
stronger. Finally, we
burst through a stand of
pines and----we're at the
summit! The immensity of
the view is overwhelming,
and ultimately humbling.
A brief coda, while we
sit dazed on the rocks,
ends the movement in a
feeling of triumph. The
final movement, Acadia,
is also about a trip. In
the summer of 2014, I
took a sailing trip with
a dear friend from North
Haven, Maine, to the
southern coast of Mt.
Desert Island in Acadia
National Park. The
experience left me both
exuberant and exhausted,
with an appreciation for
the ocean that I hadn't
had previously. The
approach to Acadia
National Park by water,
too, was thrilling: like
the difference between
climbing a mountain on
foot with riding up on a
ski-lift, I felt I'd
earned the right to be
there. The music for this
movement is entirely
based on the opening
UR-theme. There's a sense
of the water and the
mysterious, quiet deep
from the very beginning,
with seagulls and bell
buoys setting the scene.
As we leave the harbor,
the theme (in a canon
between solo euphonium
and tuba) almost seems as
if large subaquatic
animals are observing our
departure. There are
three themes (call them
A, B and C) in this
seafaring journey---but
they are all based on the
UR theme, in its original
form with octaves
displaced, in an
upside-down form, and in
a backwards version as
well. (The ocean, while
appearing to be
unchanging, is always
changing.) We move out
into the main channel
(A), passing several
islands (B), until we
reach the long draw that
parallels the coastline
called Eggemoggin Reach,
and a sudden burst of new
speed (C). Things
suddenly stop, as if the
wind had died, and we
have a vision: is that
really Mt. Desert Island
we can see off the port
bow, vaguely in the
distance? A chorale of
saxophones seems to
suggest that. We push off
anew as the chorale ends,
and go through all three
themes again---but in
different
instrumentations, and
different keys. At the
final tack-turn, there it
is, for real: Mt. Desert
Island, big as life.
We've made it. As we pull
into the harbor, where
we'll secure the boat for
the night, there's a
feeling of achievement.
Our whale and dolphin
friends return, and we
end our journey with
gratitude and
celebration. I am
profoundly grateful to
Jaclyn Hartenberger,
Professor of Conducting
at the University of
Georgia, for leading the
consortium which provided
the commissioning of this
work.
Choir Secular Countertenor Solo - Children's Chorus - SATB choir- 2 piano - perc...(+)
Choir Secular
Countertenor Solo -
Children's Chorus - SATB
choir- 2 piano -
percussion
SKU:
PE.EP72698A
Cantata for Solo
Countertenor, Children's
Chorus, Adult Mixed
Chorus, Two Pianos and
Percussion. Composed
by Jonathan Dove. Choral
Works (inc. Oratorios).
Edition Peters. Book. 92
pages. Duration 00:25:00.
Edition Peters
#98-EP72698A. Published
by Edition Peters
(PE.EP72698A).
ISBN
9790577010519. 210 x
297mm inches.
English.
Commiss
ioned by Making Music
with funds from the
Nicholas Berwin
Charitable
Foundation
First
performance: 12th March
2016, Waltham Singers,
conducted by Andrew
Fardell, King Edward's
Grammar School,
Chelmsford.
Mus
ic runs through the story
of Arion, which begins
with a singing
competition in Sicily.
Arion wins the prize, and
this puts his life in
danger: his newfound
wealth excites the Greed
of the sailors who are
supposed to be bringing
him back to Corinth, and
they threaten to kill
him. They allow
Arion to sing one last
song, and the power of
his singing attracts
dolphins to the ship.
At The End of his
song, he jumps overboard,
and one of the dolphins
carries him to safety.
So Arion’s
musical gift gets him
into trouble, but it is
also his
salvation.
The idea of
being rescued by a
music-loving dolphin is
very appealing. In
Robert Graves’
account of the myth, the
dolphin could not bear to
be parted from Arion, and
accompanied him back to
court, where “it
soon succumbed to a life
of luxury.”
However, Herodotus
says that, after his
rescue and return to
Corinth, Arion failed to
return the dolphin to the
sea, and it died there.
Apollo placed the
dolphin among the stars,
and next to it,
Arion’s lyre, in
recognition of his
musical skill. This
is one of the mythical
explanations of the
origins of the
constellations Delphinus
and
Lyra.
It
seems natural to sing a
story that has singing at
its heart. When I
was asked by the Nicholas
Berwin Charitable Trust
to write a choral work
for Making Music,
something that would be
within reach of many
choirs, and involve
children, this story
struck me as ideal: the
men of the chorus could
be the bloodthirsty
sailors, and the women
could create an
atmosphere of mystery for
the arrival of the
dolphins, represented by
children’s voices.
There would be one
solo voice: Arion, the
marvellous singer.
Andrew Fardell, the
conductor who was advisor
to this commission, had
suggested that I might
use the same
instrumentation as a
popular arrangement of
Orff’s Carmina
Burana, a work that, as
well as using
children’s chorus,
features a solo
countertenor. I
thought the magical,
otherworldly quality of
this voice would help to
convey the extraordinary
effect Arion’s
singing had on all who
heard
it.
Choral (SATB) SKU: HL.1197742 Arranged by Brent Wells. Gentry Publication...(+)
Choral (SATB)
SKU:
HL.1197742
Arranged
by Brent Wells. Gentry
Publications. Octavo. 12
pages. Duration 300
seconds. Gentry
Publications #JG2622.
Published by Gentry
Publications
(HL.1197742).
UPC:
196288134732.
6.75x10.5x0.029
inches.
Here is
something truly different
- Brent Wells' new
arrangement of the
Chinese folk song Ao bao
Xiang Hui, “Let Us
Meet at the Aobao.â€
The arrangement begins
with a brief choral
introduction, where the
Erhu (violin) presents
the melody of the folk
song, complete with
traditional
ornamentation. The tenor
and bass verse recounts
the story of a young man
who goes to the aobao,
only to find that his
true love is not there.
The sopranos and altos
answer, giving voice to
her reassuring words:
“If you wait
patiently, I will run to
your side.â€
Finally, they find one
another - and under the
clear moonlit sky, sing
together. Your singers
will enjoy the challenge
of a different language,
presented in the setting
of a charming love story.
High school, college, and
festival choirs will
savor learning and
performing this unusual
piece.
By Jacques Offenbach (1819-1880). Arranged by Andreas van Zoelen. For Tenor Voic...(+)
By Jacques Offenbach
(1819-1880). Arranged by
Andreas van Zoelen. For
Tenor Voice, Male Choir
[ad lib.] and Concert
Band. From the Opera Les
contes d'Hoffman. Grade
3. Full score only.
Duration 5 minutes.
Published by Baton Music
Oregon Ensemble de cuivres - Intermédiaire De Haske Publications
Brass Band - Grade 4 SKU: BT.DHP-0890139-030 Composed by Jacob De Haan. I...(+)
Brass Band - Grade 4
SKU:
BT.DHP-0890139-030
Composed by Jacob De
Haan. Inspiration Series.
Concert Piece. Set (Score
and Parts). Composed
1989. De Haske
Publications #DHP
0890139-030. Published by
De Haske Publications
(BT.DHP-0890139-030).
This fantasy
tells the story of
Oregon, one of Americas
north-western states.
Traveling by train on the
Northern Pacific
Railroad, the listener is
taken through the
fascinating Oregon
landscape. Indians,
cowboys, golddiggers and
hooded wagons willfile
past on this adventurous
journey. The piece has
some similarities with a
soundtrack of a movie.
Various melodies, which
could be the main themes
of a movie, pass the
review.The piece begins
in a slow movement,
introducing the first
theme inminor. Then we
hear in the following
fast movement the
trombones imitate the
train, whistling the
steam-flute. We hear the
characteristic minor
theme again, but now in
different variants(also
in major). The rythmic
structure of western
stile androck succeed
each other. This is
leading to the slow
movement, where the
signals of horns and
trumpets introduce a
wonderful vocal melody.
After this characteristic
melody, the fast movement
appears shortly again,
the trombones whistling
thesteam-flute again (now
in major). We hear also
some musical elements,
that plays a part in the
following Presto.
Barchanges, jazzy chords,
interesting rhytmic
patterns (with bongo) and
an original theme are the
characteristics of this
Presto. Afterthis, the
horns announce the last
section of the piece.
Interesting is the fact
that we hear in this
Allegro section a variant
of the vocal melody in
the slow movement. Also
the Presto theme returns
shortly, followed by the
Allargando, which is
agrand characteristic end
of a soundtrack. The
movie of our travelling
fantasy has come to an
end.
Deze fantasie
vertelt het verhaal van
Oregon, een van de
noordwestelijke staten
van Amerika. Een
treinreis over de
Northern Pacific Railroad
voert de luisteraar mee
door het boeiende
landschap van Oregon.
Tijdens deze
avontuurlijke reis
isdromen over een ver
verleden onvermijdelijk.
Indianen, cowboys,
goudzoekers en huifkarren
met paarden ervoor
passeren hierbij de
revue. Het werk heeft
overeenkomsten met de
soundtrack van een
film.
In
Oregon entführt
Sie Jacob de Haan auf
eine abenteuerliche
Zugfahrt durch die
faszinierende Landschaft
einer der nordwestlichen
Staaten Amerikas. Ein
langsames Thema in Moll,
gepaart mit Variationen
in Western- und
Rockrhythmen
undmelodiösen Passagen
sind nur einige der
Elemente, die diese Reise
so spannend und
abwechslungsreich
gestalten.
Elburg Fantasy Fanfare [Conducteur et Parties séparées] - Intermédiaire De Haske Publications
Fanfare Band - Grade 4 SKU: BT.DHP-1135396-020 Composed by Jacob De Haan....(+)
Fanfare Band - Grade 4
SKU:
BT.DHP-1135396-020
Composed by Jacob De
Haan. Concert and Contest
Collection Brass Band en
Fanfare. Concert Piece.
Set (Score & Parts).
Composed 2013. De Haske
Publications #DHP
1135396-020. Published by
De Haske Publications
(BT.DHP-1135396-020).
9x12 inches.
English-Dutch.
This
musical fantasy depicts
the history of the Dutch
fortified town of Elburg.
The work begins with an
atmospheric medieval
picture of the Convent of
St Agnes, the nunnery
that was built in the
first half of the 15th
century. We hear the
sound of the convent
bells together with an
upward motif, which will
reappear later in the
work. Next, the rest of
Elburg is featured,
including the fortress -
from which the bells of
the Sint-Nicolaaskerk
(Saint Nicholas Church)
are ringing. Then,
cheerful sounds can be
heard at the Vischpoort
(Fish Gate), where a
dancing group is
performing a 16th century
French folk dance (a
branle des chevaux). We
also hear old wagons
rumbling over the
town’scobble
stones. Trade made this
Hanseatic town a lively
place. The repetitive
upward motif first heard
in the introduction now
develops into a more
distinct feature,
reflecting the mercantile
spirit of the town
residents.Then follows
the slow middle movement,
in which the clock has
been turned back to the
time when Elburg was
still lying on the
Zuiderzee (which was a
bay of the North Sea),
and was struggling with
floods. After the second
St. Marcellus Flood
(1362) and the water
flood of 1367 it was
decided that the town
would be relocated. We
now hear the theme of
branle des chevaux in a
minor key, followed by a
death bell sounding in
remembrance of the
drowned citizens of the
former town. Back in our
own time, a slow,
expressive theme in
Baroque style mirrors
Elburg’s tranquil
places, such as the
Feithenhof (Feithen
Court) and the
Weduwenhofje (Widow
Court). Then the bustle
returns with motifs from
the introduction,
followed by an attractive
theme in which
present-day Elburg is
portrayed with its many
tourists. Now, suddenly,
there is an echo from the
past, depicting the
dramatic floods and wars
that once plagued the
town. This leads to the
grand closing theme:
branle des chevaux
is heard for a final time
from the perspective of
the historic town centre.
Deze muzikale
fantasie vertelt de
geschiedenis van de
Nederlandse vestingstad
Elburg. Het werk begint
met een middeleeuws
sfeerbeeld vanuit het
Agnietenklooster, het
nonnenklooster dat in de
eerste helft van de 15e
eeuw werd gebouwd. We
horen de kloosterklok
samen met een opwaarts
motief, dat ook later in
het werk terugkomt.
Vervolgens komt de rest
van Elburg aan bod,
inclusief de vesting -
van waaruit de klokken
van de Grote of
Sint-Nicolaaskerk
weergalmen. Dan klinken
bij de Vischpoort de
vrolijke geluiden van een
dansgroep die daar een
16e-eeuwse Franse
volksdans (branle des
chevaux) uitvoert.
Ook horen we oude karren
over de kinderkopjes van
de stad denderen.
Dehandel maakt deze
Hanzestad tot een
levendige plaats. Het
zich steeds herhalende
opwaartse motief uit de
inleiding krijgt hier een
nadrukkelijker karakter
en verbeeldt de
handelsgeest van de
stedelingen.Dan volgt het
langzame middendeel,
waarin de klok wordt
teruggedraaid naar de
tijd dat Elburg nog
direct aan de Zuiderzee
lag en te kampen had met
overstromingen. Na de
tweede
Sint-Marcellusvloed
(1362) en de watervloed
van 1367 werd besloten
dat de stad verplaatst
zou worden. We horen het
thema van de branle des
chevaux in mineur,
gevolgd door een
doodsklok, die de
verdronken inwoners van
de voormalige stad
herdenkt. Terug in onze
eigen tijd verklankt een
langzaam, expressief
thema in barokke stijl de
verstilde plekken in de
stad, zoals het
Feithenhof en het
Weduwenhofje. Dan keert
de levendigheid terug met
motieven uit de
inleiding, gevolgd door
een aansprekend thema
waarin het Elburg van nu
met zijn vele toeristen
doorklinkt. Plotseling is
er dan nog even een echo
uit het verleden: de
dramatiek van de
overstromingen en
oorlogen die de stad ooit
teisterden. Hieruit
vloeit het grootse
slotthema voort: de
branle des chevaux is
voor de laatste keer te
horen vanuit het
perspectief van de
historische
binnenstad.
Elburg Fantasy Fanfare [Conducteur] - Intermédiaire De Haske Publications
Fanfare Band - Grade 4 SKU: BT.DHP-1135396-120 Composed by Jacob De Haan....(+)
Fanfare Band - Grade 4
SKU:
BT.DHP-1135396-120
Composed by Jacob De
Haan. Concert and Contest
Collection Brass Band en
Fanfare. Concert Piece.
Score Only. Composed
2013. 52 pages. De Haske
Publications #DHP
1135396-120. Published by
De Haske Publications
(BT.DHP-1135396-120).
9x12 inches.
English-Dutch.
This
musical fantasy depicts
the history of the Dutch
fortified town of Elburg.
The work begins with an
atmospheric medieval
picture of the Convent of
St Agnes, the nunnery
that was built in the
first half of the 15th
century. We hear the
sound of the convent
bells together with an
upward motif, which will
reappear later in the
work. Next, the rest of
Elburg is featured,
including the fortress -
from which the bells of
the Sint-Nicolaaskerk
(Saint Nicholas Church)
are ringing. Then,
cheerful sounds can be
heard at the Vischpoort
(Fish Gate), where a
dancing group is
performing a 16th century
French folk dance (a
branle des chevaux). We
also hear old wagons
rumbling over the
town’scobble
stones. Trade made this
Hanseatic town a lively
place. The repetitive
upward motif first heard
in the introduction now
develops into a more
distinct feature,
reflecting the mercantile
spirit of the town
residents.Then follows
the slow middle movement,
in which the clock has
been turned back to the
time when Elburg was
still lying on the
Zuiderzee (which was a
bay of the North Sea),
and was struggling with
floods. After the second
St. Marcellus Flood
(1362) and the water
flood of 1367 it was
decided that the town
would be relocated. We
now hear the theme of
branle des chevaux in a
minor key, followed by a
death bell sounding in
remembrance of the
drowned citizens of the
former town. Back in our
own time, a slow,
expressive theme in
Baroque style mirrors
Elburg’s tranquil
places, such as the
Feithenhof (Feithen
Court) and the
Weduwenhofje (Widow
Court). Then the bustle
returns with motifs from
the introduction,
followed by an attractive
theme in which
present-day Elburg is
portrayed with its many
tourists. Now, suddenly,
there is an echo from the
past, depicting the
dramatic floods and wars
that once plagued the
town. This leads to the
grand closing theme:
branle des chevaux
is heard for a final time
from the perspective of
the historic town centre.
Deze muzikale
fantasie vertelt de
geschiedenis van de
Nederlandse vestingstad
Elburg. Het werk begint
met een middeleeuws
sfeerbeeld vanuit het
Agnietenklooster, het
nonnenklooster dat in de
eerste helft van de 15e
eeuw werd gebouwd. We
horen de kloosterklok
samen met een opwaarts
motief, dat ook later in
het werk terugkomt.
Vervolgens komt de rest
van Elburg aan bod,
inclusief de vesting -
van waaruit de klokken
van de Grote of
Sint-Nicolaaskerk
weergalmen. Dan klinken
bij de Vischpoort de
vrolijke geluiden van een
dansgroep die daar een
16e-eeuwse Franse
volksdans (branle des
chevaux) uitvoert.
Ook horen we oude karren
over de kinderkopjes van
de stad denderen.
Dehandel maakt deze
Hanzestad tot een
levendige plaats. Het
zich steeds herhalende
opwaartse motief uit de
inleiding krijgt hier een
nadrukkelijker karakter
en verbeeldt de
handelsgeest van de
stedelingen.Dan volgt het
langzame middendeel,
waarin de klok wordt
teruggedraaid naar de
tijd dat Elburg nog
direct aan de Zuiderzee
lag en te kampen had met
overstromingen. Na de
tweede
Sint-Marcellusvloed
(1362) en de watervloed
van 1367 werd besloten
dat de stad verplaatst
zou worden. We horen het
thema van de branle des
chevaux in mineur,
gevolgd door een
doodsklok, die de
verdronken inwoners van
de voormalige stad
herdenkt. Terug in onze
eigen tijd verklankt een
langzaam, expressief
thema in barokke stijl de
verstilde plekken in de
stad, zoals het
Feithenhof en het
Weduwenhofje. Dan keert
de levendigheid terug met
motieven uit de
inleiding, gevolgd door
een aansprekend thema
waarin het Elburg van nu
met zijn vele toeristen
doorklinkt. Plotseling is
er dan nog even een echo
uit het verleden: de
dramatiek van de
overstromingen en
oorlogen die de stad ooit
teisterden. Hieruit
vloeit het grootse
slotthema voort: de
branle des chevaux is
voor de laatste keer te
horen vanuit het
perspectief van de
historische
binnenstad.
Composed
by Lowell Liebermann.
Full score. Duration 15
minutes. Theodore Presser
Company #116-41139S.
Published by Theodore
Presser Company
(PR.11641139S).
UPC:
680160682119.
Barca
rolles for a Sinking City
was inspired by the city
of Venice, a place that
has long held the
fascination of artists,
writers and composers,
and which I have been
lucky enough to visit on
several occasions. Sadly
it seems that future
generations may not be so
lucky: in addition to the
city's slow sinking and
recently discovered
tilting, studies predict
that if global warming
and the resultant rise of
ocean levels is unabated,
the entire city (as well
as many other coastal
cities around the globe)
will be under water by
2100. I. Funeral
Gondola The late, cryptic
piano works of Franz
Liszt made a profound
impression on me as a
young composer, among
them two works he
entitled La Lugubre
Gondola (usually
translated as The Funeral
Gondola ) which were said
to be a premonition of
Wagner's death in Venice,
his coffin transported
through the canals in a
black gondola. These late
pieces of Liszt acquired
even greater significance
to me after I spent two
summers in Bayreuth under
the patronage of
Friedelind Wagner, the
granddaughter of Wagner
and great-granddaughter
of Liszt. This movement
is a meditation on
Wagner, Liszt, Venice and
its own evanescence. II.
Barcarolle/Quodlibet The
Quodlibet (Latin for what
pleases) is a musical
form dating back to the
15th century where many
disparate melodies are
juxtaposed. Popular in
the Renaissance, sacred
and secular melodies were
combined, often to
comical effect due to the
resultant incongruity of
the words. The form was
considered the ultimate
test of a composer's
mastery of counterpoint.
The most famous Quodlibet
is without doubt the
final Variation of Bach's
Goldberg Variations. As a
form the Quodlibet is
less common in more
recent music, although
examples can be found in
the works of Kurt Weill
and David Del Tredici.
My own
Barcarolle/Quodlibet was
inspired by the (perhaps
apocryphal) story of the
funeral where musicians
were asked to play a Bach
Choral, but due to
miscommunication played
instead the Bacarolle
from The Tales of
Hoffmann. Here, the Bach
Choral Allen Menschen
mussen sterben (All Men
Must Die) is heard in the
strings pizzicato, with a
tempo indication In slow
motion. The alto line of
the Bach suggests a
phrase from Beethoven's
Ninth Symphony (Alle
Menchen werden Bruder)
heard in the muted
trombone. Before long,
the famous tune from
Offenbach's opera is
heard, followed by
quotations from iconic
Barcarolles by Chopin,
Mendelssohn and Faure, as
well as two Venetian
popular songs and more
Beethoven. III.
Barcarola/Ostinato/Carill
on An ostinato is a
repeated musical figure,
and carillon is Italian
for music box. This
movement references the
obsolete genre of salon
pieces that imitated
music boxes: such works
by composers like Liadov
and Gretchaninov used to
be a mainstay of
pianists' encore
repertoire. This movement
is however much darker in
conception than those
pleasant trifles.
Utilizing the full
battery of percussion,
the carefully notated
temporal slowing of the
ostinato becomes
overwhelmed by a poignant
chorale melody before
this box is snapped shut.
IV. Barcarolle
Oubliee (Forgotten
Barcarolle) Marked
limpido (still) the final
movement begins with the
sound of rain produced by
a percussion instrument
called (appropriately) a
rain stick. Halting
phrases in the harp
coalesce into the
accompaniment for a
plangent melody heard in
the clarinet. The central
Adagio of this movement
leads to a shattering
climax, before the
opening phrases return
and dissipate into
nothingness.
Composed
by Lowell Liebermann.
Large Score. Duration 15
minutes. Theodore Presser
Company #116-41139L.
Published by Theodore
Presser Company
(PR.11641139L).
UPC:
680160682126.
Barca
rolles for a Sinking City
was inspired by the city
of Venice, a place that
has long held the
fascination of artists,
writers and composers,
and which I have been
lucky enough to visit on
several occasions. Sadly
it seems that future
generations may not be so
lucky: in addition to the
city's slow sinking and
recently discovered
tilting, studies predict
that if global warming
and the resultant rise of
ocean levels is unabated,
the entire city (as well
as many other coastal
cities around the globe)
will be under water by
2100. I. Funeral
Gondola The late, cryptic
piano works of Franz
Liszt made a profound
impression on me as a
young composer, among
them two works he
entitled La Lugubre
Gondola (usually
translated as The Funeral
Gondola ) which were said
to be a premonition of
Wagner's death in Venice,
his coffin transported
through the canals in a
black gondola. These late
pieces of Liszt acquired
even greater significance
to me after I spent two
summers in Bayreuth under
the patronage of
Friedelind Wagner, the
granddaughter of Wagner
and great-granddaughter
of Liszt. This movement
is a meditation on
Wagner, Liszt, Venice and
its own evanescence. II.
Barcarolle/Quodlibet The
Quodlibet (Latin for what
pleases) is a musical
form dating back to the
15th century where many
disparate melodies are
juxtaposed. Popular in
the Renaissance, sacred
and secular melodies were
combined, often to
comical effect due to the
resultant incongruity of
the words. The form was
considered the ultimate
test of a composer's
mastery of counterpoint.
The most famous Quodlibet
is without doubt the
final Variation of Bach's
Goldberg Variations. As a
form the Quodlibet is
less common in more
recent music, although
examples can be found in
the works of Kurt Weill
and David Del Tredici.
My own
Barcarolle/Quodlibet was
inspired by the (perhaps
apocryphal) story of the
funeral where musicians
were asked to play a Bach
Choral, but due to
miscommunication played
instead the Bacarolle
from The Tales of
Hoffmann. Here, the Bach
Choral Allen Menschen
mussen sterben (All Men
Must Die) is heard in the
strings pizzicato, with a
tempo indication In slow
motion. The alto line of
the Bach suggests a
phrase from Beethoven's
Ninth Symphony (Alle
Menchen werden Bruder)
heard in the muted
trombone. Before long,
the famous tune from
Offenbach's opera is
heard, followed by
quotations from iconic
Barcarolles by Chopin,
Mendelssohn and Faure, as
well as two Venetian
popular songs and more
Beethoven. III.
Barcarola/Ostinato/Carill
on An ostinato is a
repeated musical figure,
and carillon is Italian
for music box. This
movement references the
obsolete genre of salon
pieces that imitated
music boxes: such works
by composers like Liadov
and Gretchaninov used to
be a mainstay of
pianists' encore
repertoire. This movement
is however much darker in
conception than those
pleasant trifles.
Utilizing the full
battery of percussion,
the carefully notated
temporal slowing of the
ostinato becomes
overwhelmed by a poignant
chorale melody before
this box is snapped shut.
IV. Barcarolle
Oubliee (Forgotten
Barcarolle) Marked
limpido (still) the final
movement begins with the
sound of rain produced by
a percussion instrument
called (appropriately) a
rain stick. Halting
phrases in the harp
coalesce into the
accompaniment for a
plangent melody heard in
the clarinet. The central
Adagio of this movement
leads to a shattering
climax, before the
opening phrases return
and dissipate into
nothingness.
(Piano/Vocal). By Neil Bartram. For Keyboard; Piano; Voice. This edition: ...(+)
(Piano/Vocal). By Neil
Bartram. For Keyboard;
Piano;
Voice. This edition:
Piano/Vocal. Book;
Piano/Vocal/Chords; Shows
&
Movies. Broadway. 120
pages.
Published by Alfred Music
Publishing
Voice, Mezzo-Soprano and Orchestra SKU: HL.14030960 Composed by Bent Sore...(+)
Voice, Mezzo-Soprano and
Orchestra
SKU:
HL.14030960
Composed
by Bent Sorensen. Music
Sales America. Classical.
Score. 78 pages. Music
Sales #KP01442. Published
by Music Sales
(HL.14030960).
ISBN
9788759889480.
Danish.
Intermezzi
from the opera Under
Himlen was composed by
Bent Sorensen in 2003.
Scored for 2
Mezzosoparanos and
Orchestra. Text by Peter
Asmussen. Programme Note:
In March 2003, when the
Royal Theatre premiered
the composer Bent
Sorensen's and the
dramatist Peter
Asmussen's opera Under
the Sky, it was not only
Bent Sorensen's first
opera on the large scale,
but also his first work
as a music dramatist at
all. The challenge of
composing an opera came
from the general manager
of the Danish National
Symphony Orchestra/DR,
Per Erik Veng, who had
asked Asmussen in 1996
whether he would write
the libretto for an opera
and pick out a composer
to work with on it.
Asmussen was willing, and
he pointed to Bent
Sorensen as the composer.
Bent Sorensen reacted
positively to Per Erik
Veng's suggestion of an
opera collaboration with
Asmussen, and with the
opera agreement settled,
the Danish National
Symphony Orchestra/DR was
then offered an
independent work. It is
related to the opera, but
sheds light on it from a
different angle - Bent
Sorensen himself compares
it to a film 'trailer'.
The result is Intermezzi,
a suite in five
movements. Intermezzi is
expressly not just a
garland of selected
episodes from the opera,
but an independent work
built up in one long
symmetrical sequence with
instrumental passages in
the middle of the first,
third and fifth movements
as well as the purely
instrumental second and
fourth movements, as the
bearing pillars of the
work. Fragments of the
story of Ida and Molte
(both mezzo-sopranos) are
told, but they do not
happen in the same order
or with the same
conclusion as in the
opera. In this way
Intermezzi becomes a
comment on how not
everything in the past is
necessarily what it
seems, or what one at
first makes of it. In the
first movement Ida sings
to Magius that she is
carrying Molte's child,
while from afar Molte
observes the idyllic
world from the outside.
The second movement is
instrumental, while the
third begins with Ida's
love aria, which merges
into a great instrumental
passage before the
movement ends with
Molte's cynical remark
that Ida is simply a
fairytale, a book one
closes. After a brief
instrumental fourth
movement comes the fifth,
where Molte laments his
coldness and isolation
amidst all the riches,
and seduces Ida by urging
her to liberate him with
her warmth. Jakob
Levinsen.
A Guide for the Claw-less!. Composed by Dan Levenson. Squareback saddle s...(+)
A Guide for the
Claw-less!. Composed
by Dan Levenson.
Squareback saddle stitch.
Book and online audio.
Published by Mel Bay
Publications, Inc
(MB.20190M).
Jeannette, Isabella Orchestre d'harmonie [Conducteur] - Débutant Manhattan Beach Music
By Traditional French Carol. Arranged by William Ryden. Concert band. Suitable f...(+)
By Traditional French
Carol. Arranged by
William Ryden. Concert
band. Suitable for
elementary and middle
school bands. Christmas.
Grade 1. Conductor Full
Score. Duration 1:45.
Published by Manhattan
Beach Music