My next piece will be "Pilatus: Mountain Air" by Goff Richards.
Here is the only YouTube clip I can find.
I may post my own recording of this one early next week. More to come on this piece!
Friday, February 24, 2012
Monday, February 20, 2012
Concerto for Euphonium-Jukka Linkola
First a little bit about Jukka Linkola. He is a Finnish pianist and was born in 1955. He studied at the Sibelius Academy and worked as a rehearsal pianist in the Helsinki City Theater where he also worked as a conductor. Jazz has always been an important influence in Linkola's playing and compositions. However, he composes a lot of stage music, operas, and music for plays and movies. He also does a lot of work for symphonies, chamber orchestras, and big jazz orchestras and often will use soloists with his compositions.
His Euphonium Concerto was composed in 1995, making it a very contemporary 20th century work for the Euphonium. It is by far one of the most difficult works in the Euphonium Repertoire. The main challenge about this piece for any player is simply the endurance required to play the entire work. The Concerto with all three movements totals to just shy of 30 minutes in length, and there isn't an "easy" movement in between the more technical movements. Besides endurance this piece requires a very extensive range. The final notes in the third movement are double pedal E-flats accented at fortissimo and the highest notes are in the second movement soaring to a high F. This means that theres a range of 4 octaves plus a ninth throughout the entire concerto. This piece has a somewhat a-tonal feel to it, to me it seems like Linkola plays with the tonality especially in the first two movements, with the second being more stable than the first. This creates a technical challenge in that you really have to focus on the accidentals....did I mention that the publishers only supply you with a B-flat Treble clef part?
The first movement is titled with the tempo marking Agitato. It contains great driving rhythms, some almost fanfare-like, and his jazz influence peaks through the music at times. The movement also seems to go through different characters in the music. Sometimes the music is very confident with loud, driving, syncopated sections; other times it is dark and lyrical. During the cadenza the music just seems lost, like its searching for the conclusion.
The second movement is titled with the tempo marking Quasi Nocturne. It starts off with just piano in contrasting styles, from lyrical to something a bit bouncier, then moves onto a dark low register theme. The Euphonium comes in with a beautiful melody that soars to an apex of a high F. The cadenza material has the same "lost" feeling as the first movement, then the movement concludes with a low register long tone.
The third movement is titled Maestoso, Energico. As you may have guessed this movement is very energetic. With driving triplet eighth notes in the left hand piano and syncopation, the Euphonium is given fast, and very technical passages. This movement combines many complex rhythms, including quintuplets, sextuplets, and an occasional septuplet; and they are all very fast and require specific articulation. There are also many chromatic sextuplet sixteenth note runs that will require a lot of shedding.
This piece requires a lot of work but it is incredibly enjoyable for the performer if they are willing to put the appropriate amount of time into it.
His Euphonium Concerto was composed in 1995, making it a very contemporary 20th century work for the Euphonium. It is by far one of the most difficult works in the Euphonium Repertoire. The main challenge about this piece for any player is simply the endurance required to play the entire work. The Concerto with all three movements totals to just shy of 30 minutes in length, and there isn't an "easy" movement in between the more technical movements. Besides endurance this piece requires a very extensive range. The final notes in the third movement are double pedal E-flats accented at fortissimo and the highest notes are in the second movement soaring to a high F. This means that theres a range of 4 octaves plus a ninth throughout the entire concerto. This piece has a somewhat a-tonal feel to it, to me it seems like Linkola plays with the tonality especially in the first two movements, with the second being more stable than the first. This creates a technical challenge in that you really have to focus on the accidentals....did I mention that the publishers only supply you with a B-flat Treble clef part?
The first movement is titled with the tempo marking Agitato. It contains great driving rhythms, some almost fanfare-like, and his jazz influence peaks through the music at times. The movement also seems to go through different characters in the music. Sometimes the music is very confident with loud, driving, syncopated sections; other times it is dark and lyrical. During the cadenza the music just seems lost, like its searching for the conclusion.
The second movement is titled with the tempo marking Quasi Nocturne. It starts off with just piano in contrasting styles, from lyrical to something a bit bouncier, then moves onto a dark low register theme. The Euphonium comes in with a beautiful melody that soars to an apex of a high F. The cadenza material has the same "lost" feeling as the first movement, then the movement concludes with a low register long tone.
The third movement is titled Maestoso, Energico. As you may have guessed this movement is very energetic. With driving triplet eighth notes in the left hand piano and syncopation, the Euphonium is given fast, and very technical passages. This movement combines many complex rhythms, including quintuplets, sextuplets, and an occasional septuplet; and they are all very fast and require specific articulation. There are also many chromatic sextuplet sixteenth note runs that will require a lot of shedding.
This piece requires a lot of work but it is incredibly enjoyable for the performer if they are willing to put the appropriate amount of time into it.
Tuesday, February 14, 2012
Concerto for Euphonium-Jukka Linkola
The next piece on the list is "Euphonium Concerto" composed by Jukka Linkola. Here are a few video clips from YouTube.
This is with Orchestral Accompaniment
Movement 1
Movement 2
Movement 3
It is typically played with Piano accompaniment, however the piano part is insanely difficult. Unfortunately there are not any good video clips available with piano accompaniment. If I find anything I will post it straight away. More to come on this piece!
This is with Orchestral Accompaniment
Movement 1
Movement 2
Movement 3
It is typically played with Piano accompaniment, however the piano part is insanely difficult. Unfortunately there are not any good video clips available with piano accompaniment. If I find anything I will post it straight away. More to come on this piece!
Concerto for Euphonium-Joseph Horovitz
First a little bit about Joseph Horovitz. He was born in 1926 in Vienna Italy. In 1938 he migrated to England where he studied music at New College, Oxford. He earned his BMus and MA here then went to the Royal College of Music (known today as RNCM) and studied with Gordon Jacob. Where he won the Farrar Prize for two consecutive years. He composed 39 complete works, which range from a soloist with chamber ensemble accompaniment to works for Orchestra, Wind Band,and Brass Band. (information received from chesternovello.com)
Here is some background on his "Concerto for Euphonium." His concerto for Euphonium was composed in 1972 originally for Euphonium soloist and Brass Band accompaniment. It was commissioned by the National Brass Band Championships of Great Britain and premiered by Euphonium Soloist Trevor Groom at the Royal Albert Hall in London. There are technically two editions of the piece, the original that was composed in 1972 and the new edition which was edited in 1991 by Horovitz himself. The only difference between the old and new editions is the tempo. The piece is very rarely played in the original tempi but we are fortunate enough to have video clips of the first two movements at the old tempi (in previous post). The original only included a B-flat treble clef part, but he added a bass clef part to the newer edition. Whats interesting is that the bass clef part is titled "Concerto for Bassoon. It is the same exact concerto, however it is played on bassoon rather than euphonium. Of course, the Bassoon wouldn't be featured with the Brass Band accompaniment, which is why Horovitz also has a version for Euphonium (Bassoon) and Chamber Orchestra.
Finally here are some notes from the composer about each movement (taken from the piano reduction itself)
"Technically, in the first movement, the soloist has to combine clear strong phrases with gentle melismatic meandering, as well as negotiating many acute-angled leaps which justify themselves by the enharmonic changes beneath."
"In the slow movement secure breath control is called for to sustain even flow in the main long melody. This movement also contains the only cadenza element in the work - two pastoral-flavoured passages, which I dedicate to the mysteriously beautiful Border-country."
"The finale opens with a driving, motoric introduction on the trombone-trio with virtuoso timpani punctuation. It is followed by a cheeky rondo theme for the soloist. Repeated quotations of this are elaborated with increasingly intricate variations, as if urged on by the ever more harmonically adventurous quotes from the band, until an unaccompanied whole-tone version of the theme brings the work to a fast close." Joseph Horovitz, 1991
Here is some background on his "Concerto for Euphonium." His concerto for Euphonium was composed in 1972 originally for Euphonium soloist and Brass Band accompaniment. It was commissioned by the National Brass Band Championships of Great Britain and premiered by Euphonium Soloist Trevor Groom at the Royal Albert Hall in London. There are technically two editions of the piece, the original that was composed in 1972 and the new edition which was edited in 1991 by Horovitz himself. The only difference between the old and new editions is the tempo. The piece is very rarely played in the original tempi but we are fortunate enough to have video clips of the first two movements at the old tempi (in previous post). The original only included a B-flat treble clef part, but he added a bass clef part to the newer edition. Whats interesting is that the bass clef part is titled "Concerto for Bassoon. It is the same exact concerto, however it is played on bassoon rather than euphonium. Of course, the Bassoon wouldn't be featured with the Brass Band accompaniment, which is why Horovitz also has a version for Euphonium (Bassoon) and Chamber Orchestra.
Finally here are some notes from the composer about each movement (taken from the piano reduction itself)
"Technically, in the first movement, the soloist has to combine clear strong phrases with gentle melismatic meandering, as well as negotiating many acute-angled leaps which justify themselves by the enharmonic changes beneath."
"In the slow movement secure breath control is called for to sustain even flow in the main long melody. This movement also contains the only cadenza element in the work - two pastoral-flavoured passages, which I dedicate to the mysteriously beautiful Border-country."
"The finale opens with a driving, motoric introduction on the trombone-trio with virtuoso timpani punctuation. It is followed by a cheeky rondo theme for the soloist. Repeated quotations of this are elaborated with increasingly intricate variations, as if urged on by the ever more harmonically adventurous quotes from the band, until an unaccompanied whole-tone version of the theme brings the work to a fast close." Joseph Horovitz, 1991
Monday, February 6, 2012
Concerto for Euphonium-Joseph Horovitz
Euphonium Concerto - Joseph Horovitz
Movement 1
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZaX7DWSmcKc
^ a much different interpretation than most modern soloists play according to the owner of the video the tempi of the first movement changed over history. What your hearing is the "original" interpretation. read some of the comments on this video to get a better understanding.
Movement 2
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uRZ64MRcJwM&feature=related
^Brass band accompaniment with David Thornton
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cl15aEe7BQ0
^Piano Accompaniment.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j5G7PRIh2qg
^A much different interpretation....again.
Movement 3
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=04_TK_O3MsY
^David Thornton w/ Brass band
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pkWJi3xHwU8
^ Piano Acc.
Movement 1
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZaX7DWSmcKc
^ a much different interpretation than most modern soloists play according to the owner of the video the tempi of the first movement changed over history. What your hearing is the "original" interpretation. read some of the comments on this video to get a better understanding.
Movement 2
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uRZ64MRcJwM&feature=related
^Brass band accompaniment with David Thornton
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cl15aEe7BQ0
^Piano Accompaniment.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j5G7PRIh2qg
^A much different interpretation....again.
Movement 3
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=04_TK_O3MsY
^David Thornton w/ Brass band
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pkWJi3xHwU8
^ Piano Acc.
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