Band Concert Band - Grade 2 SKU: CF.YPS105 Warm-Ups and Fundamentals(+)
Band Concert Band - Grade
2
SKU: CF.YPS105
Warm-Ups and
Fundamentals.
Composed by Larry Clark.
Collate - FS SWS - spine:
3/4 or .75. Young
Performance Series. Set
of Score and Parts. With
Standard notation.
16+4+8+8+4+10+4+4+8+8+8+1
2+4+6+2+2+4+2+20 pages.
Duration 2 minutes, 53
seconds. Carl Fischer
Music #YPS105. Published
by Carl Fischer Music
(CF.YPS105).
ISBN
9780825884870. UPC:
798408084875. 9 x 12
inches. Key: Bb
major.
Based on our
popular New Bennett Band
Book series, we have
compiled march-style
warm-ups in a separate
publication so they may
be used by all bands
wishing to learn from
them. These innovative
warm-ups and fundamental
drills are the ultimate
method of teaching and
reinforcing the March
style. How To Use the
March Warm-upsPlaying in
a march style can present
difficulties for young
students. The most
prevalent problem is that
students have a tendency
to play every note too
short. Conversely,
accented notes are
usually played
incorrectly with too much
tongue. Do marches
contain short notes?
Absolutely, but these
shortest of notes should
be reserved for notes
that precede an accent or
notes that are
specifically marked with
a staccato. Think of
unmarked notes as being
separated, but not short
and certainly not clipped
or stopped with the
tongue. Accented notes
should be played with
more weight using air and
more length, and not just
a harder tongue. Accents
are given to show
emphasis to a note and
should be thought of in
this manner.The warm-up
exercises provided in
this collection should
give you many
opportunities to stress
the above-mentioned
comments on march
performance style. The
following gives an
explanation on the
purpose and use of each
of these exercises.No. 1
– Basic Chords and
ModulationsOne of the
challenges of playing
marches with young
students is successfully
performing the key change
at the Trio. This
exercise presents the
three basic chords
(tonic, subdominant and
dominant) in each of the
three keys in this
collection of marches.
You can also use this
exercise to teach and
reinforce the style of
accented notes. You may
want to have your band
play major scales in
succession by fourths to
reinforce the concept of
modulation to the
subdominant that occurs
at the Trio (i.e. the
B≤-major scale,
then the E≤-major
scale, then the
A≤-major scale). I
might suggest getting the
students to try
continuing the pattern
all the way around the
circle of fourths.No. 2
– March Style in
B≤ MajorThis
exercise contains many
opportunities to teach
and reinforce the
difference between
staccato and accented
notes. The melody voices
move up and down the
B≤-major scale,
while other instruments
play chords commonly
found in the marches in
this collection. These
include diminished
chords, secondary
dominant chords (i.e. the
V of the V) and other
common chromatic chords
that Fillmore often
used.No. 3 –
Cakewalk Rhythm in
B≤ MajorThe simple
syncopated rhythm in this
exercise is common to
many marches. This drill
gives you the opportunity
to teach/ reinforce the
standard ar-ticulation
and natural accent of
this rhythmic pattern.
Again, this exercise uses
an ascending and
descending major-scale
pattern as the melodic
basis, accompanied by
chords commonly found in
American- style
marches.No. 4 –
The March Scale in
B≤ MajorI call this
exercise “The March
Scale,†because
often in marches (and
especially in these
marches) the descending
half-step is part of the
melodic material. These
chromatic figures give
the melodies of many
marches their charm and
flow. Thus, I devised
this exercise and others
like it in E≤ major
and A≤ major to
familiarize students with
these patterns. I would
suggest playing the
pattern in a variety of
ways different from what
is written. Here are some
other
possibilities:•
Tongue one, slur
three• Slur two,
tongue two• Tongue
two, slur two•
Tongue one, slur two,
tongue oneGradually
increase the tempo to the
march tempo and the
articulation style will
fall right into
place.Another important
consideration is the
performance of the bass
line and the bass-drum
part. Too often, the bass
drum and bass instruments
play their parts with
equal emphasis on both
beats in the measure.
This is incorrect, and
frequently makes the
marchNo. 5 – March
Style in E≤
MajorThis is a similar to
exercise No. 2, but with
a different rhythmic
pattern. Emphasize the
difference between
accented and unaccented
notes. Also, play the
exercise with line
direction moving the
musical line forward.
Experiment and play the
exercise with different
dynamic choices and with
hairpins up and down in
different ways.No. 6
– More March Style
in E≤ MajorExercise
No. 6 comprises more
rhythmic patterns and
harmonic materials in
E≤ major to teach
and reinforce the march
style. This exercise
em-phasizes the
sixteenth-note rhythm, as
notated in the third
measure of the exercise.
Young stu- dents have a
tendency to
“crush†the
sixteenths; consequently,
they lack clarity. It
would be a good idea to
work this rhythmic figure
on a scale pattern with
all of the instruments in
the band as an additional
warm-up exercise.No. 7
– The March Scale
in E≤ MajorSee the
information for No. 4 and
apply it to this
exercise. Use all of the
various articulations
described above as
well.No. 8 – March
Style in A≤
MajorSee the information
for No. 2 and apply it to
this exercise.No. 9
– Cakewalk Rhythm
in A≤ MajorSee the
information for No. 3 and
apply it to this
exercise.No. 10 –
The March Scale in
A≤ MajorSee the
information for No. 4 and
apply it to this
exercise.Other Ideas for
March PerformanceA
rehearsal practice that
has worked very well for
me is to start out by
having the band play the
march very slowly at
about Å’ = 60 in a
chorale/legato style. The
slow tempo is a fine
opportunity to work on
clarity of harmonic move-
ment and to work on the
balance and blend of the
tutti band sound. This
will pay great dividends
toward improving the
sound of your band.
Gradually increase the
tempo to the march tempo
and the articulation
style will fall right
into place.Another
important consideration
is the performance of the
bass line and the
bass-drum part. Too
often, the bass drum and
bass instruments play
their parts with equal
emphasis on both beats in
the measure. This is
incorrect, and frequently
makes the march.
For the Later Beginner. By Willard A. Palmer, Morton Manus, and Amanda Vick Leth...(+)
For the Later Beginner.
By Willard A. Palmer,
Morton Manus, and Amanda
Vick Lethco. For Piano.
Piano Method. Alfred's
Basic Piano Library.
Book. 48 pages. Published
by Alfred Publishing.
By William Shakespeare from A Midsummer Night's Dream, music by Ruth Morr...(+)
By William Shakespeare
from A Midsummer
Night's Dream, music
by Ruth Morris Gray.
Choir Secular. Women's
Choir. Choral Octavo.
Choral Designs. 12 pages.
Published by Alfred Music
Publishing
By William Shakespeare from A Midsummer Night's Dream, music by Ruth Morr...(+)
By William Shakespeare
from A Midsummer
Night's Dream, music
by Ruth Morris Gray.
Choir Secular. 3-Part
Mixed Choir (SAB). Choral
Octavo. Choral Designs.
12 pages. Published by
Alfred Music
Jubilate Agno.
Composed by Z. Randall
Stroope. 16 pages.
Duration 0:03:05. Carl
Fischer Music #CM9735.
Published by Carl Fischer
Music (CF.CM9735).
ISBN 9781491161159.
UPC: 680160919741. Key: A
minor. Latin, English.
Christopher Smart and
ZRS.
Origins of the
Tarantella The tarantella
is a popular southern
Italian dance with
origins in the 11th
century. (There is even
some mention of the
tarantella in ancient
Greek mythology.) Of the
possible sources of the
dance, the most popular
comes from the villages
of Tanto and Tarentum
(little spider), Italy.
During harvest, workers
in the field were
sometimes bitten by the
tarantula spider. To
combat the poison, the
afflicted workers went
into a frenetic, almost
musical exorcism to sweat
the venom out of their
pores. In the millennium
since, the very energetic
nature of the dance has
remained, although the
curative focus of the
dance has given way to
more enjoyable endeavors,
even stately courtship.
Origins of the Text
Christopher Smart
(1722-1771), also known
as Kit Smart or Jack
Smart, was born in Kent,
England and suffered from
what is now believed to
be acute asthma and other
health issues as a child.
As such, he did not work
in the fields, but spent
much time reading and
writing, a passion that
he nurtured for a
lifetime. Well known in
London literary circles,
his career as a writer
floundered due to
mounting debts and his
falling out of favor with
the literary
establishment: Sadly, he
was forced to confinement
at St. Luke's Hospital
for Lunatics, though this
was based on his mounting
debt, and not on
insanity. (Confinement,
or debtor's prison, was
common during this period
if one's debts could not
be paid.) During his
confinement, he worked on
two of his most famous
works, Jubilate Agno and
A Song of David. (Part of
Jubilate Agno [Rejoice in
the Lamb] was set to
music by English
composer, Benjamin
Britten.) Smart's writing
style (which, at times,
bordered on the absurd),
along with his many
obsessions, lead to
frequent misperceptions
of his work and his
lucidity. In this present
work, portions of Smart's
Jubilate Agno were used
in mm. 24-31, 103-110 and
149-156. The remaining
text was gathered by the
composer, including the
rapid, almost
patter-like, delivery of
words from A-Z in the
alphabet. (Christopher
Smart had a preoccupation
with the alphabet.) These
words both rhyme and
accentuate the frenetic
nature of the spider
dance: theraphosa
[teh-rah-fo-sa] a genus
of tarantula spiders
bellicose
[beh-lee-ko-sah] hostile;
aggressive odiosa
[o-dee-o-sa] hateful;
vexation tenebrosa
[teh-neh-bro-sa]
creeping; dark nemorosa
[neh-mo-ro-sa] wooded;
shady lapidosa
[lah-pee-do-sa] stony
area; gritty The
convergence, then, of the
medieval tarantella
(spider dance), the
writings of a brilliant
poet who bordered on the
absurd, and the infusion
of strong, descriptive
and otherwise random,
rhyming words,
synthesizes to make
dramatic lyrics for this
work. About the Composer
Z. Randall Stroope is an
American composer and
conductor. He has served
as Professor of Music at
three universities (an
Endowed Professor at
two), conducted 47
all-state choirs, and
directed over 40 times at
Carnegie Hall, among
other American venues.
Randall guest conducts
full-time, and composes
from his home studios on
Merritt Island, Florida
and in Sandia Park, New
Mexico. Performance Notes
Text: In Latin, the r is
flipped; use s instead of
z on endings such as
phosa, cosa, and so on;
the Latin o is a cross
between oh and aw; in the
transliteration above, I
chose to simply use an o
for consistency. The
director will blend the
oh and aw in the
rehearsals to his/her own
preference. Lastly,
tarantula is pronounced
tah-rah-n-too-lah (avoid
teh-ran-choo-luh) within
the confines of this
text. Stomp: This can be
done by the entire
chorus, or just the first
row. It is as much visual
as it is auditory. The
string quartet is
preferred over piano when
that option affords
itself. I created a piano
score that is a viable
option and included it in
the piano/vocal score if
a performance uses
chorus/piano. The
tarantella is a popular
southern Italian dance
with origins in the 11th
century. (There is even
some mention of the
tarantella in ancient
Greek mythology.) Of the
possible sources of the
dance, the most popular
comes from the villages
of Tanto and Tarentum
(“little
spiderâ€), Italy.
During harvest, workers
in the field were
sometimes bitten by the
tarantula spider. To
combat the
“poison,†the
afflicted workers went
into a frenetic, almost
musical exorcism to sweat
the venom out of their
pores. In the millennium
since, the very energetic
nature of the dance has
remained, although the
curative focus of the
dance has given way to
more enjoyable endeavors,
even stately
courtship.Christopher
Smart (1722-1771), also
known as “Kit
Smart†or
“Jack Smart,â€
was born in Kent, England
and suffered from what is
now believed to be acute
asthma and other health
issues as a child. As
such, he did not work in
the fields, but spent
much time reading and
writing, a passion that
he nurtured for a
lifetime. Well known in
London literary circles,
his career as a writer
floundered due to
mounting debts and his
falling out of favor with
the literary
establishment: Sadly, he
was forced to confinement
at St. Luke’s
Hospital for Lunatics,
though this was based on
his mounting debt, and
not on insanity.
(Confinement, or
debtor’s prison,
was common during this
period if one’s
debts could not be paid.)
During his confinement,
he worked on two of his
most famous works,
Jubilate Agno and A Song
of David. (Part of
Jubilate Agno
[“Rejoice in the
Lambâ€] was set to
music by English
composer, Benjamin
Britten.) Smart’s
writing style (which, at
times, bordered on the
absurd), along with his
many obsessions, lead to
frequent misperceptions
of his work and his
lucidity. In this present
work, portions of
Smart’s Jubilate
Agno were used in mm.
24-31, 103-110 and
149-156. The remaining
text was gathered by the
composer, including the
rapid, almost
patter-like, delivery of
words from A-Z in the
alphabet. (Christopher
Smart had a preoccupation
with the alphabet.) These
words both rhyme and
accentuate the frenetic
nature of the spider
dance:The convergence,
then, of the medieval
tarantella (spider
dance), the writings of a
brilliant poet who
bordered on the absurd,
and the infusion of
strong, descriptive and
otherwise random, rhyming
words, synthesizes to
make dramatic lyrics for
this work.Z. Randall
Stroope is an American
composer and conductor.
He has served as
Professor of Music at
three universities (an
Endowed Professor at
two), conducted 47
all-state choirs, and
directed over 40 times at
Carnegie Hall, among
other American venues.
Randall guest conducts
full-time, and composes
from his home studios on
Merritt Island, Florida
and in Sandia Park, New
Mexico. In Latin, the
“r†is
flipped; use
“s†instead
of “z†on
endings such as
“phosa,â€
“cosa,†and
so on; the Latin
“o†is a
cross between
“oh†and
“awâ€; in the
transliteration above, I
chose to simply use an
“o†for
consistency. The director
will blend the
“oh†and
“aw†in the
rehearsals to his/her own
preference. Lastly,
“tarantulaâ€
is pronounced
“tah-rah-n-too-lah
€ (avoid
“teh-ran-choo-luhâ
€) within the
confines of this
text.Stomp: This can be
done by the entire
chorus, or just the first
row. It is as much visual
as it is auditory. The
string quartet is
preferred over piano when
that option affords
itself. I created a piano
score that is a viable
option and included it in
the piano/vocal score if
a performance uses
chorus/piano. The
tarantella is a popular
southern Italian dance
with origins in the 11th
century. (There is even
some mention of the
tarantella in ancient
Greek mythology.) Of the
possible sources of the
dance, the most popular
comes from the villages
of Tanto and Tarentum
(“little
spiderâ€), Italy.
During harvest, workers
in the field were
sometimes bitten by the
tarantula spider. To
combat the
“poison,†the
afflicted workers went
into a frenetic, almost
musical exorcism to sweat
the venom out of their
pores. In the millennium
since, the very energetic
nature of the dance has
remained, although the
curative focus of the
dance has given way to
more enjoyable endeavors,
even stately
courtship.Christopher
Smart (1722-1771), also
known as “Kit
Smart†or
“Jack Smart,â€
was born in Kent, England
and suffered from what is
now believed to be acute
asthma and other health
issues as a child. As
such, he did not work in
the fields, but spent
much time reading and
writing, a passion that
he nurtured for a
lifetime. Well known in
London literary circles,
his career as a writer
floundered due to
mounting debts and his
falling out of favor with
the literary
establishment: Sadly, he
was forced to confinement
at St. Luke’s
Hospital for Lunatics,
though this was based on
his mounting debt, and
not on insanity.
(Confinement, or
debtor’s prison,
was common during this
period if one’s
debts could not be paid.)
During his confinement,
he worked on two of his
most famous works,
Jubilate Agno and A Song
of David. (Part of
Jubilate Agno
[“Rejoice in the
Lambâ€] was set to
music by English
composer, Benjamin
Britten.) Smart’s
writing style (which, at
times, bordered on the
absurd), along with his
many obsessions, lead to
frequent misperceptions
of his work and his
lucidity. In this present
work, portions of
Smart’s Jubilate
Agno were used in mm.
24-31, 103-110 and
149-156. The remaining
text was gathered by the
composer, including the
rapid, almost
patter-like, delivery of
words from A-Z in the
alphabet. (Christopher
Smart had a preoccupation
with the alphabet.) These
words both rhyme and
accentuate the frenetic
nature of the spider
dance:The convergence,
then, of the medieval
tarantella (spider
dance), the writings of a
brilliant poet who
bordered on the absurd,
and the infusion of
strong, descriptive and
otherwise random, rhyming
words, synthesizes to
make dramatic lyrics for
this work.Z. Randall
Stroope is an American
composer and conductor.
He has served as
Professor of Music at
three universities (an
Endowed Professor at
two), conducted 47
all-state choirs, and
directed over 40 times at
Carnegie Hall, among
other American venues.
Randall guest conducts
full-time, and composes
from his home studios on
Merritt Island, Florida
and in Sandia Park, New
Mexico.In Latin, the
“r†is
flipped; use
“s†instead
of “z†on
endings such as
“phosa,â€
“cosa,†and
so on; the Latin
“o†is a
cross between
“oh†and
“awâ€; in the
transliteration above, I
chose to simply use an
“o†for
consistency. The director
will blend the
“oh†and
“aw†in the
rehearsals to his/her own
preference. Lastly,
“tarantulaâ€
is pronounced
“tah-rah-n-too-lah
€ (avoid
“teh-ran-choo-luhâ
€) within the
confines of this
text.Stomp: This can be
done by the entire
chorus, or just the first
row. It is as much visual
as it is auditory. The
string quartet is
preferred over piano when
that option affords
itself. I created a piano
score that is a viable
option and included it in
the piano/vocal score if
a performance uses
chorus/piano.
In All Major and Minor Keys. Composed by J. B. Albert. Edited by Julie DeRoche...(+)
In All Major and Minor
Keys.
Composed by J. B. Albert.
Edited by Julie DeRoche.
Book.
With Standard notation.
32
pages. Carl Fischer Music
#O99X. Published by Carl
Fischer Music
By Jerry Silverman. For piano/vocal. Songbook. American. Level: Intermediate. Bo...(+)
By Jerry Silverman. For
piano/vocal. Songbook.
American. Level:
Intermediate. Book. Size
8.75x11.75. 272 pages.
Published by Mel Bay
Publications, Inc.
Guitar (flatpicking) - Intermediate SKU: MB.WBM44M Composed by William Ba...(+)
Guitar (flatpicking) -
Intermediate
SKU:
MB.WBM44M
Composed by
William Bay.
Saddle-stitched, Featured
Products, Tunebooks,
Solos, Celtic / Irish,
Folk. Guitar Picking
Tunes. Style. Book and
online audio. 48 pages.
Mel Bay Publications, Inc
#WBM44M. Published by Mel
Bay Publications, Inc
(MB.WBM44M).
ISBN
9780999698075. 8.75 x
11.75 inches.
This collection of
47 favorite guitar
picking tunes includes
reels, jigs, waltzes,
fiddle tunes and more,
each presented in
standard notation and
tablature with backup
chords. As these melodies
lend themselves well to
jamming, this collection
is sure to bring any
guitarist many hours of
picking pleasure.Â
Includes access to an
online audio recording of
the author performing
each piece on a 12-string
guitar.
Method, Procedures, Planning, and Core Vocal Exercises. Composed by James Jordan...(+)
Method, Procedures,
Planning, and Core Vocal
Exercises. Composed by
James Jordan. Evoking
Sound Series. Music
Education. Book. 326
pages. GIA Publications
#6397. Published by GIA
Publications
For flute players of all ages. Composed by Christine Potter. This edition...(+)
For flute players of
all ages. Composed by
Christine Potter. This
edition: Second Edition.
Instructional Method.
Full score (study). 24
pages. Falls House Press
#B-P8. Published by Falls
House Press (PR.FH0457).
Violin and Piano - early intermediate SKU: BT.DHP-1043625-404 Composed by...(+)
Violin and Piano - early
intermediate
SKU:
BT.DHP-1043625-404
Composed by Alexei
Janschinow. De Haske
Study and Play.
Educational Tool. Book
with Part and
Audio-Online. Composed
2021. 16 pages. De Haske
Publications #DHP
1043625-404. Published by
De Haske Publications
(BT.DHP-1043625-404).
ISBN 9789043161763.
9x12 inches.
English-German-French-Dut
ch.
Study and
Play is ideal for
developing your playing
in an enjoyable and
musically sound way. Each
edition within this
concept features audio
recordings to add
something extra to your
study routine.When you
play
thisConcertino you
will be able to practise
at a slower study tempo,
as well as the normal
tempo, so that you can
work on your violin
playing in a more
concentrated way whilst
improving your insight
into the music. You
cancontinue to study in
this goal-orientated way
until you have achieved
the desired result.
The title of this piece
suggests a concert
situation: playing a solo
partwith accompaniment.
There are thousands of
such works for theviolin
but many of these cannot
be tackled until you have
been playing for a
considerable time.
Concertino in Russian
Style Opus 35 enables
you to gain necessary
experience for this type
of playing: namely having
sufficientmusical and
technical control over
your instrument whilst
having the support of an
accompanist during
performance. This
carefully chosen
concertino will enrich
your repertoire.
St
udy and Play ist das
ideale Konzept, um auf
vergnügliche und
sinnvolle Weise ein gutes
Spiel zu entwickeln.
Jedem Buch mit diesem
Konzept sind
Begleitaufnahmen
beigefügt, welche
die tägliche
ÃÅbungsroutine
individuellergänze
n. Mit Hilfe dieser
Aufnahmen kann das
Concertino im
langsameren
ÃÅbetempo sowie
auch im normalen Tempo
gespielt werden, sodass
man sich zunächst
ganz auf das Violinspiel
konzentrieren kann und
dabei die Musik
kennenlernt. So kann
zielgerichtet
geübt werden, bis
das gewünschte
Ergebnis erreicht
wird.
Der Titel dieses
Stückes beschreibt
die Situation in einem
Konzert: Es wird ein Solo
mit Begleitung gespielt.
Solche Werke gibt es
zutausenden für
Violine, viele
können jedoch erst
nach vielen Jahren
Spielerfahrung gemeistert
werden. Mit Concertino
in Russian Style Opus
35 kann man wichtige
Erfahrungen mit genau
dieser Art des Spiels
sammeln,
nämlichausreichend
musikalische und
technische Beherrschung
über das
Instrument zu erlangen
und gleichzeitig mit der
Unterstützung
eines Pianisten spielen
zu können. Dieses
sorgfältig
ausgewählte
Concertino ist auf
jeden Fall
eineBereicherung Ihres
Repertoires.
Study and
Play è il
concetto ideale per
sviluppare il vostro modo
di suonare in un contesto
piacevole e solidamente
strutturato. Le
registrazione di
accompagnamento vi
permettono di suonare sia
a tempo normale che
più lento,al fine
di migliorare la
concentrazione sullo
studio della tecnica e
avere un migliore
approccio con le varie
parti del brano. Le parti
dellââ¬â¢accom
pagnamento al pianoforte
incluse nelle
pubblicazioni (versione
cartacea) vipermettono di
suonare con un pianista
accompagnatore.
Edited by Jamey Aebersold. For any C, Eb, Bb, bass instrument or voice. Play-Alo...(+)
Edited by Jamey
Aebersold. For any C, Eb,
Bb, bass instrument or
voice. Play-Along series
with accompaniment CD.
Jazz Play-A-Long For All
Musicians. Book with CD.
Published by Jamey
Aebersold Jazz.
Indian Concertino Violon [Partition + CD] - Facile De Haske Publications
Composed by George Perlman. De Haske Study and Play. Book with CD. Composed 20...(+)
Composed by George
Perlman.
De Haske Study and Play.
Book
with CD. Composed 2005.
24
pages. De Haske
Publications
#DHP 1053792-400.
Published
by De Haske Publications
Ligne De Mélodie, Paroles et Accords [Fake Book] - Intermédiaire Sher Music Company
By Various. Almost 600 pages of world-famous Sher Music transcriptions! Don't go...(+)
By Various. Almost 600
pages of world-famous
Sher Music
transcriptions! Don't go
to the gig without it!.
Various. Fake Book.
Published by Sher Music
Company.
Fakebook (spiral bound) for Eb instrument and voice. With vocal melody, lyrics, ...(+)
Fakebook (spiral bound)
for Eb instrument and
voice. With vocal melody,
lyrics, chord names,
black and white photos
and introductory text.
574 pages. Published by
Sher Music Company.
Fakebook (spiral bound) for Bb instrument and voice. With vocal melody, lyrics, ...(+)
Fakebook (spiral bound)
for Bb instrument and
voice. With vocal melody,
lyrics, chord names,
black and white photos
and introductory text.
574 pages. Published by
Sher Music Company.
50 Classics. Composed by various artists and composers. This edition: Eas...(+)
50 Classics.
Composed by various
artists and composers.
This edition: Easy Hits
Piano. Book; P/V/C Mixed
Folio;
Piano/Vocal/Chords.
Alfred's Easy. Love; Pop;
Standard. 168 pages.
Published by Alfred Music
(AP.45244).
Composed by Dan Welcher.
With Standard notation.
Duration 15 minutes.
Theodore Presser Company
#164-00261S. Published by
Theodore Presser Company
(PR.16400261S).
UPC:
680160038411.
Since
the bassoon is my own
instrument, many people
have asked me why I've
written so little for the
instrument. Beyond my
early Concerto Da Camera
for bassoon and small
orchestra, written for
Leonard Sharrow in 1975,
I've not written a single
piece that features the
bassoon as a solo vehicle
(though I have written
three woodwind quintets).
When I first began
composing seriously,
critics were quick to
point out that my
orchestral writing
revealed nothing of my
roots as a woodwind
player--and bassoonists
asked why my pieces
didn't have more bassoon
solos. Perhaps I was so
aware that people were
looking at me as a
bassoonist/composer that
I was determined to
remove that stigma. Now
that my transformation
from performer to
composer is complete,
however, it's time to
re-address my instrument.
I wanted this new piece
to be serious rather than
whimsical. The Wind Won't
Listen represents my
return to the bassoon as
the highly expressive,
poetic soul that it is.
As such, it
shouldn't come as a
surprise that the piece
is based on a poem, and
that the title of the
piece as well as both its
movement titles come from
lines in that poem. I
first read Beth Gylys'
poem Split at the
MacDowell Colony in the
summer of 2001, and it
made a big impression on
me. My personal life had
been ruptured by divorce
in the preceding year.
This poem, with its dry
insistence on observation
rather than feeling,
expressed the wrung-out
state of my emotions at
the time better than any
I had seen. I set it to
music, as a song,
immediately. In this
format, for voice and
piano, I was able to put
a musical note to every
word of the poem. The
first lines of the poem,
Everyone I know is
crying, or should be
crying, became a melody
that haunted me even
without the words.
The work for bassoon and
string quartet is an
outgrowth of the song.
The first movement is
labeled Romanza, and has
a loose formal arch
structure of A-B-C-B-A,
with B and C being fast
sections framed by the
lamenting A music. In
addition to hearing the
bassoon's first notes
attached to the lines
Everyone I know is
crying, there's a sense
of agitation, of loss, of
longing, and at times of
desperation in the music.
At one point, the opening
theme from Tristan even
appears in the strings.
The second
movement follows, without
a real pause--the
pizzicato final chords of
the first movement
becoming the increasingly
aggressive opening chords
of the second. The
recitative is actually a
foreshadowing of the
basic theme that will be
varied, again to the
words of the song: Life
makes itself without us.
Don't let me tell you how
it is. Go out. Look. The
recitative begins in an
anguished state, but
subsides into more gentle
singing by the end, when
it simply falls into an
ostinato 5/8-3/4 pattern
to begin the variations.
Marked Very steady tempo;
Dancing, this set of
variations consists of
three dances, each faster
than the previous. The
first, in the
aforementioned 5/8-3/4
meter, gives way to a 3/8
scherzo, which in turn
takes on a furious 2/4
scurrying motion. The
music becomes breathless,
almost pulse-less, and an
ethereal theme appears in
the violins while the
rushing music continues,
sotto voce in the
bassoon. This new theme
is also from the song:
Why do I do this? The
wind won't listen. The
bassoon re-states its
Everyone I know is crying
melody from the first
movement, and at length
the 5/8-3/4 music
returns, more subdued
this time. The piece ends
on a major-minor chord,
suspended. The
Wind Won't Listen is
dedicated to the man who
commissioned it,
bassoonist Steven
Dibner--who shares my
passion for poetry and
language. --Dan
Welcher.