Yasuhide Ito is a Japanese composer, he graduated and Tokyo Geijutsu Kaigaku (Tokyo National University of Fine Arts and Music) in 1986. As a composer he is well known for more than 60 band works, including the famous "Gloriosa" and "Festival Scenes." He also has works for chamber ensembles that have been published throughout the world. Besides his career as a composer, he is also a well-known pianist, and has co-starred with many leading players including Steven Mead and Brian Bowman. Although musically educated in Japan, Ito uses the Eupropean Classical music language in his compositions.
Fantasy Variations is only one of his compositions for Euphonium, he also has Gradation, A La Suite Classique, and Euphonium Parfait. Fantasy Variations was commissioned and premiered by Miura Toru, internationally acclaimed euphonium player, and a member of the Tokyo Kosei Wind Orchestra. Originally written for Euphonium and Band and premiered at the International Tuba-Euphonium Conference in Sapporo, Japan in August of 1990. Based on a "Yaisamanina (love song) from Ainu Folk-music" which appears as the theme in bar 171 (Ainu is a Japanese Aborigine from Northern Japan). In this work he uses motives based on Japanese melody, although composed using different European Styles including: Chaconne, Variations, Rondo, and Fugue.
Written in the form of a theme and variations, this piece actually presents the variations before the theme. The variations require no unusual techniques other than finesse and ease. There is a lot of interchange between the piano and soloist, making it, at some moments, a piano solo with Euphonium accompaniment. After a brief cadenza the true theme emerges in the piano. The soloist is required to shape the melody to be as beautiful as possible. After the theme a fugue in 6/8 emerges and concludes with a "tour-de-force" coda section. Here is a video of Kyohei Ando performing the piece with piano accompaniment.
Monday, April 30, 2012
Wilby Continued
Here is a recording of David Thornton and Black Dyke Band on the Wilby Concerto.
and Part 2
This is Grant Jameson with Piano accompaniment.
and part 2
and Part 2
This is Grant Jameson with Piano accompaniment.
and part 2
Concerto for Euphonium-Philip Wilby
Philip Wilby is a leading force in Brass Band compositions. Educated at Leeds Grammar School and Keble College, Oxford, he joined the staff at the University of Leeds in 1972. There he taught various composition, liturgy, directing, and score reading classes as well as co-founding the Leeds University Liturgical Choir. Composing for many different instruments and ensembles, Wilby is most known for his compositions for brass band. Many of Wilby's pieces are based on his strong Christian beliefs. Famous works that fall in this category are: Dove Descending, Revelation, and The New Jerusalem.
Many of Wilby's works are written especially to be used as test pieces
in brass band contests all over the world. One recent composition to fit
this description is Vienna Nights, which was commissioned as the test piece for the 2006 British Open Brass Band Championship held in Symphony Hall, Birmingham. Most famously though Paganini Variations,
one of his finest pieces of work, which was selected as the test piece
for the 2011 Regional Championships (Championship Section) and has been
used as the test piece for many other major competitions over the years,
and has been recorded by a number of bands including Black Dyke, Fodens
and Grimethorpe. Dove Descending was featured by Black Dyke Band
at the 2007 BBC Promenade Concerts in a day devoted to music for brass.
Wilby also wrote the descriptive Northern Lights commissioned by the
Black Dyke Band which was scored for a brass band and 4 dancers. It was
later adapted for the Contest Stage when it was selected for the Butlins
Mineworkers Championships in January 2007.
His concerto for Euphonium was written for Euphonium virtuoso Robert Childs, and was commissioned by the Welsh Arts Council and the Welsh Amateur Music Federation. The concerto is written in 2 parts each containing 2 movements. Part One is a "sonata structure movement" titled non troppo allegro which alternates between a melodic style and some rapid passages. The movement is intended to be a firm development of the opening fourth-based motives. The movement concludes very softly and then the second movement is played attaca with sudden burst into a Greek dance. The movement is very technical and is titled Dance Zeibekikos which is a traditional dance of the Greek Islands. It involves smashing plates and lifting tables with your teeth (the dance, not the music). Part Two opens with an fantasy-like lyrical movement and contains many cadenzas. It calls for an optional muted part in the opening 1/3rd of the movement. The final movement opens with a quick fugal section which then moves to a climactic return of the music and tonality of the first movement. The piece is written for many different accompaniments including piano, brass band, wind band, and the orchestral version is a rental only but is still available for use.
His concerto for Euphonium was written for Euphonium virtuoso Robert Childs, and was commissioned by the Welsh Arts Council and the Welsh Amateur Music Federation. The concerto is written in 2 parts each containing 2 movements. Part One is a "sonata structure movement" titled non troppo allegro which alternates between a melodic style and some rapid passages. The movement is intended to be a firm development of the opening fourth-based motives. The movement concludes very softly and then the second movement is played attaca with sudden burst into a Greek dance. The movement is very technical and is titled Dance Zeibekikos which is a traditional dance of the Greek Islands. It involves smashing plates and lifting tables with your teeth (the dance, not the music). Part Two opens with an fantasy-like lyrical movement and contains many cadenzas. It calls for an optional muted part in the opening 1/3rd of the movement. The final movement opens with a quick fugal section which then moves to a climactic return of the music and tonality of the first movement. The piece is written for many different accompaniments including piano, brass band, wind band, and the orchestral version is a rental only but is still available for use.
Blue Lake Fantasies-David Gillingham
David Gillingham is a very prominent composer for the euphonium as well as other instruments and ensembles. His most notable works for euphonium include his Concerto for Euphonium, Vintage, Blue Lake Fantasies, and a Tuba/Euphonium Duet titled Diversive Elements. All of these pieces are a blast to play and should be considered by all serious players looking for some cool repertoire. I will be focusing on his Blue Lake Fantasies.
David Gillingham earned Bachelor and Master Degrees in Instrumental Music Education from the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh and the PhD in Music Theory/Composition from Michigan State University. Dr. Gillingham has an international reputation for the works he has written for band and percussion. His numerous awards include the 1981 DeMoulin Award for Concerto for Bass Trombone and Wind Ensemble and the 1990 International Barlow Competition (Brigham Young University) for Heroes, Lost and Fallen. Also, nationally known artists, Fred Mills (Canadian Brass), Randall Hawes (Detroit Symphony) and Charles Vernon (Chicago Symphony Orchestra) have performed works by Dr. Gillingham. Over sixty of his works for band, choir, percussion, chamber ensembles, and solo instruments are published by C. Alan, Hal Leonard, Southern Music, Music for Percussion, Carl Fischer, MMB, T.U.B.A, I.T.A., and Dorn. Dr. Gillingham is a Professor of Music at Central Michigan University.
Blue Lake Fantasies was commissioned by the Leonard Falcone International Euphonium Festival at the Blue Lake camp in Michigan. It is a virtuosic work intended for a professional or advanced student to play. The different movements exploit the technical facility of the Euphonium while also taking advantage of the lyrical quality of the instrument. The piece is in the form of a five movement suite with each of the movements titles being associated with aspects from experiencing the Blue Lake Fine Arts Camp. The work is programmatic in the sense that the title of the movement suggests a certain image or character.
The first movement is titled Firefly, this title suggests a mimicry of that specific insect. It contains fast technical passages to simulate the lightning fast movements of the firefly. It also contains a short melodic eighth note passage that can project the idea of the Firefly resting in the grass.
The second movement is titled Moonlight Across the Water. It is very musical and expressive and is "a direct result of the emotion felt by the composer on many occasions while contemplating the serene beauty of a lake adorned by shimmering moonlight" (composers notes).
The third movement is titled All That Jazz. It is a salute to the jazz program at Blue Lake with its swung style and stereotypical rhythms. The movement calls for a straight mute to bring out this jazz
influence.
The fourth movement is titled Ancient Native Air. It is a very simplistic and lyrical movement based on the Chippewa Indian Tune "My Music Reaches to the Sky." The composer included this tune because of Michigan's rich Native American History. This movement calls for multiphonics when the indian tune is present, with the sung line being the melody and the instrument playing an A-flat underneath.
The fifth movement is titled Party Antics. It is a musical cliche with stereotypical melodic and rhythmic patterns. "The music is intended to capture the spirit of celebration at a party gathering on the last day of camp. There is, however, a bittersweet wrinkle in all this fun: a soaring and majestic secondary theme reflects the sadness as new found friends depart from camp and go their separate ways. (Ibid..)" Unfortunately there is not a recording of the 5th movement on YouTube. There is a recording available for purchase on iTunes by Danny Hellseth.
David Gillingham earned Bachelor and Master Degrees in Instrumental Music Education from the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh and the PhD in Music Theory/Composition from Michigan State University. Dr. Gillingham has an international reputation for the works he has written for band and percussion. His numerous awards include the 1981 DeMoulin Award for Concerto for Bass Trombone and Wind Ensemble and the 1990 International Barlow Competition (Brigham Young University) for Heroes, Lost and Fallen. Also, nationally known artists, Fred Mills (Canadian Brass), Randall Hawes (Detroit Symphony) and Charles Vernon (Chicago Symphony Orchestra) have performed works by Dr. Gillingham. Over sixty of his works for band, choir, percussion, chamber ensembles, and solo instruments are published by C. Alan, Hal Leonard, Southern Music, Music for Percussion, Carl Fischer, MMB, T.U.B.A, I.T.A., and Dorn. Dr. Gillingham is a Professor of Music at Central Michigan University.
Blue Lake Fantasies was commissioned by the Leonard Falcone International Euphonium Festival at the Blue Lake camp in Michigan. It is a virtuosic work intended for a professional or advanced student to play. The different movements exploit the technical facility of the Euphonium while also taking advantage of the lyrical quality of the instrument. The piece is in the form of a five movement suite with each of the movements titles being associated with aspects from experiencing the Blue Lake Fine Arts Camp. The work is programmatic in the sense that the title of the movement suggests a certain image or character.
The first movement is titled Firefly, this title suggests a mimicry of that specific insect. It contains fast technical passages to simulate the lightning fast movements of the firefly. It also contains a short melodic eighth note passage that can project the idea of the Firefly resting in the grass.
The second movement is titled Moonlight Across the Water. It is very musical and expressive and is "a direct result of the emotion felt by the composer on many occasions while contemplating the serene beauty of a lake adorned by shimmering moonlight" (composers notes).
The third movement is titled All That Jazz. It is a salute to the jazz program at Blue Lake with its swung style and stereotypical rhythms. The movement calls for a straight mute to bring out this jazz
influence.
The fourth movement is titled Ancient Native Air. It is a very simplistic and lyrical movement based on the Chippewa Indian Tune "My Music Reaches to the Sky." The composer included this tune because of Michigan's rich Native American History. This movement calls for multiphonics when the indian tune is present, with the sung line being the melody and the instrument playing an A-flat underneath.
The fifth movement is titled Party Antics. It is a musical cliche with stereotypical melodic and rhythmic patterns. "The music is intended to capture the spirit of celebration at a party gathering on the last day of camp. There is, however, a bittersweet wrinkle in all this fun: a soaring and majestic secondary theme reflects the sadness as new found friends depart from camp and go their separate ways. (Ibid..)" Unfortunately there is not a recording of the 5th movement on YouTube. There is a recording available for purchase on iTunes by Danny Hellseth.
Shameless Plug!
Here is my recent performance of Philip Sparke's Harlequin. This performance is a result of winning the Eastern Iowa Brass Band's Young Artist Competition-Collegiate division. The concert was Saturday April 28th and I could not have been happier with how it turned out! Thank you to the band and director Kate Wohlman for all of their hard work!
Tuesday, April 17, 2012
Concerto for Euphonium "Swimming the Mountain"-Allan Feinstein
Concerto for Euphonium and Orchestra: Swimming the Mountain.- Allan Feinstein.
Allan Feinstein is a composer and conductor of film music, classical music, and musical theater. He has been Director of Bands at Northeastern University since 1990.
This piece was dedicated to and commissioned by Adam Frey and was premiered in December 2004, at Northeastern University. The inspiration for this piece comes from an ancient Greek poem by Archilochus. The poem is a response to a total eclipse of the sun. In it, the poet reflects that if Zeus can darken the skies, then anything is possible. The poem was an inspiration to other poets who wrote about the theme of possibility and impossibility. The poem goes as follows:
We'll hope for everything, refuse no thing;
We dare you to astonish us, now Zeus
has hid the daytime brilliance of the sun,
has made night out of noon: a dreadful awe
has come to us. Impossibility
turns possible, and credible, and true.
Don't wonder now, if any of you sees
the beasts on land adopt the watery ways
of dolphins, and the thundering sea become
more dear to them than drier pastures were.
The dolphins, then, will seek the mountain glen
--translation by Robin Orttung.
Feinstein got the idea for the concerto from Daniel Feinstein, who I believe is his son. One day he began chanting "swimming the mountain, swimming the mountain, swimming the mountain..." for no apparent reason. When the phrase was repeated to 2 classics scholars they pointed out the reference to dolphins swimming in the mountains in the ancient Greek Poem and the theme of possibility vs. impossibility.
The concerto is in three movements. The first is titled Zeus, Feinstein describes "The Euphonium is Zeus, surveying, enjoying, and commanding his realm." It is very easy to hear the film music influences of Feinstein in this movement. It starts with a soft introduction from the orchestra then the Euphonium enters with a short cadenza in the style of a fanfare. Then the theme enters and is developed throughout the movement. The first movement alone presents many technical challenges. including an extensive range of pedal B-flat to a high E-natural. there are also many fast triplet/sextuplet 16th note runs that require patient practicing in order to perfect them. The ending of this movement has a poly tempo feel with the orchestra holding a consistent tempo while the soloist is in a free cadenza-like repetition of the original fanfare. The piece concludes with a triple forte arpeggiation down to a pedal B-flat in sync with the timpani.
The second movement is titled Eclipse. "The second movement depicts the eclipse, the emergence of stars in the darkness, and then the return of the sun," as Feinstein describes. The movement starts off giving the listener a "lost" feeling. This really helps convey the darkness of the eclipse. after about 25 measures, there's a key change and a notable texture change in the orchestra. Then the muted soloist has accented eighth notes to symbolize "the emergence of the stars." then the orchestra adopts this idea while the soloist has a very beautiful, open melody. This lets the listener sit in the moment of the stars before the sun comes out again. There is another key change and dramatic dynamic change to signify the return of the sun. The soloist has a legato eighth note melody on top of a majestic accompaniment from the orchestra. The movement then ends with a quiet abbreviated restatement of the original theme from the beginning "darkness."
The third movement is titled Realm of Possibility. Feinstein says in his notes "The third movement playfully explores musical possibilities and impossibilities, featuring interactions between the euphonium and the piccolo, timpani, and violin." This movement arguably requires the most finger dexterity out of the three. The movement in itself is very chromatic, with multiple sextuplet 16th runs over two and a half octaves and it also includes some arpeggiated patterns in chromatic sequence. Needless to say, this movement needs a lot of time put into it. The first interaction with the orchestra begins in measure 43 with the piccolo starting a descending chromatic arpeggio sequence then the soloist finishes the idea. The interaction with the timpani begins at measure 133 with a typical timpani motive and the soloist is to copy the style as best they can with the pitches written. The interaction with the violin begins in measure 195 with the same idea that the piccolo started and then the violin takes on the third theme of the piece. This interaction is much more fun and is written as a sort of competition between the violin and soloist. The first "test" is a series of quick grace notes. For the second "test" the violin is in the extreme high range of the instrument that the euphonium could not possibly reach. In response the soloist has the theme in the pedal range of the instrument. For the third "test" the violin uses double stops, in response the euphonium is asked to use multiphonics. This section really does push the realm of possibility for the euphonium and it will require a lot of practicing to coordinate. This movement ends starting with a quote from the first movements opening fanfare, although the note values are lengthened quite a bit. Then it concludes the entire concerto with the recurring legato theme followed by a quick flourish to a high C.
The entire concerto is meant to be performed without breaks between the movements. This makes performing the piece a little difficult because unlike most concertos, performing just one movement of the piece will likely leave the audience confused. In order for the concerto to make sense to the text put with it, the soloist should only perform the work if they are able to perform all three movements. This way the listeners are able to relate what they hear in each movement to the text they see in their programs.
Unfortunately there are no recordings available on YouTube, however Adam Frey does have a recording available for purchase on iTunes on his album "Taking Flight." I highly recommend giving this piece a listen, it is really an excellent addition to the euphonium repertoire.
Allan Feinstein is a composer and conductor of film music, classical music, and musical theater. He has been Director of Bands at Northeastern University since 1990.
This piece was dedicated to and commissioned by Adam Frey and was premiered in December 2004, at Northeastern University. The inspiration for this piece comes from an ancient Greek poem by Archilochus. The poem is a response to a total eclipse of the sun. In it, the poet reflects that if Zeus can darken the skies, then anything is possible. The poem was an inspiration to other poets who wrote about the theme of possibility and impossibility. The poem goes as follows:
We'll hope for everything, refuse no thing;
We dare you to astonish us, now Zeus
has hid the daytime brilliance of the sun,
has made night out of noon: a dreadful awe
has come to us. Impossibility
turns possible, and credible, and true.
Don't wonder now, if any of you sees
the beasts on land adopt the watery ways
of dolphins, and the thundering sea become
more dear to them than drier pastures were.
The dolphins, then, will seek the mountain glen
--translation by Robin Orttung.
Feinstein got the idea for the concerto from Daniel Feinstein, who I believe is his son. One day he began chanting "swimming the mountain, swimming the mountain, swimming the mountain..." for no apparent reason. When the phrase was repeated to 2 classics scholars they pointed out the reference to dolphins swimming in the mountains in the ancient Greek Poem and the theme of possibility vs. impossibility.
The concerto is in three movements. The first is titled Zeus, Feinstein describes "The Euphonium is Zeus, surveying, enjoying, and commanding his realm." It is very easy to hear the film music influences of Feinstein in this movement. It starts with a soft introduction from the orchestra then the Euphonium enters with a short cadenza in the style of a fanfare. Then the theme enters and is developed throughout the movement. The first movement alone presents many technical challenges. including an extensive range of pedal B-flat to a high E-natural. there are also many fast triplet/sextuplet 16th note runs that require patient practicing in order to perfect them. The ending of this movement has a poly tempo feel with the orchestra holding a consistent tempo while the soloist is in a free cadenza-like repetition of the original fanfare. The piece concludes with a triple forte arpeggiation down to a pedal B-flat in sync with the timpani.
The second movement is titled Eclipse. "The second movement depicts the eclipse, the emergence of stars in the darkness, and then the return of the sun," as Feinstein describes. The movement starts off giving the listener a "lost" feeling. This really helps convey the darkness of the eclipse. after about 25 measures, there's a key change and a notable texture change in the orchestra. Then the muted soloist has accented eighth notes to symbolize "the emergence of the stars." then the orchestra adopts this idea while the soloist has a very beautiful, open melody. This lets the listener sit in the moment of the stars before the sun comes out again. There is another key change and dramatic dynamic change to signify the return of the sun. The soloist has a legato eighth note melody on top of a majestic accompaniment from the orchestra. The movement then ends with a quiet abbreviated restatement of the original theme from the beginning "darkness."
The third movement is titled Realm of Possibility. Feinstein says in his notes "The third movement playfully explores musical possibilities and impossibilities, featuring interactions between the euphonium and the piccolo, timpani, and violin." This movement arguably requires the most finger dexterity out of the three. The movement in itself is very chromatic, with multiple sextuplet 16th runs over two and a half octaves and it also includes some arpeggiated patterns in chromatic sequence. Needless to say, this movement needs a lot of time put into it. The first interaction with the orchestra begins in measure 43 with the piccolo starting a descending chromatic arpeggio sequence then the soloist finishes the idea. The interaction with the timpani begins at measure 133 with a typical timpani motive and the soloist is to copy the style as best they can with the pitches written. The interaction with the violin begins in measure 195 with the same idea that the piccolo started and then the violin takes on the third theme of the piece. This interaction is much more fun and is written as a sort of competition between the violin and soloist. The first "test" is a series of quick grace notes. For the second "test" the violin is in the extreme high range of the instrument that the euphonium could not possibly reach. In response the soloist has the theme in the pedal range of the instrument. For the third "test" the violin uses double stops, in response the euphonium is asked to use multiphonics. This section really does push the realm of possibility for the euphonium and it will require a lot of practicing to coordinate. This movement ends starting with a quote from the first movements opening fanfare, although the note values are lengthened quite a bit. Then it concludes the entire concerto with the recurring legato theme followed by a quick flourish to a high C.
The entire concerto is meant to be performed without breaks between the movements. This makes performing the piece a little difficult because unlike most concertos, performing just one movement of the piece will likely leave the audience confused. In order for the concerto to make sense to the text put with it, the soloist should only perform the work if they are able to perform all three movements. This way the listeners are able to relate what they hear in each movement to the text they see in their programs.
Unfortunately there are no recordings available on YouTube, however Adam Frey does have a recording available for purchase on iTunes on his album "Taking Flight." I highly recommend giving this piece a listen, it is really an excellent addition to the euphonium repertoire.
Friday, April 13, 2012
Harlequin-Philip Sparke
Harlequin-Philip Sparke.
Philip Sparke,
Sparke was born in London and studied composition, trumpet, and conducting at the Royal College of Music where he earned his ARCM. While at RCM, Sparke formed a brass band among the students and wrote many pieces for it. Some of his first compositions include Concert Prelude for brass band and Gaudium for wind band. As interest in his music grew the amount of commissions he wrote. His first major commission was for the Centennial Brass Band Championships in New Zealand, the piece is called The Land of the Long White Cloud. He has composed pieces for championships all over the world, and has won the EBU New Music for Band Competition three times. In the U.S. Sparke was commissioned by the United States Air Force Academy Band to write Dance Movements which won the prestigious Sudler Prize in 1997. Sparke is also an active adjudicator and conductor however in May 2000, he became a full time composer and started his own music publishing company Anglo Music Press.
Harlequin
This piece takes its inspiration from the happy and sad masks which symbolize the Commedia de'll Arte (Which features Harlequin as one if its main characters) and comprises 2 "movements" which are more commonly thought of as sections since they are typically played without pause.
A Harlequin is a stock character in french plays. The primary aspect was his physical agility. He is generally depicted as stupid and gluttonous, he was very nimble and performed the sort of acrobatics the audience expected to see. He would never perform a simple action when the addition of cartwheels, somersaults, or flips would spice up the movement. The character was otherwise very elastic as long as they met this criteria. The actor may change his behavior to suit style, personal preferences, or the particular scenario being performed.
The first section of the piece is a slow melodic section with some range difficulties spending most of the time in the mid to upper tessitura. The main thing with the first section is to make it as musical and interesting as possible, a lot of performances I've heard can get pretty boring. So adding some rubato, extra dynamics, and appropriate ornaments are just some possibilities. The second section is where the character of a harlequin is evident. It is a rather fast section with a lot of 16th note passages. This section is even more demanding than the first because there are a couple of runs that stay around a high B-flat for about 5 bars, and then comes back later in the piece. The most difficult sections are towards the end. The first being the descending third pattern about 8 minutes into the piece. It requires extremely fast flexibility, and that part is one of the most important in the entire piece because it really simulates the idea of laughter. The next tricky section is the ostinato-like arpeggiated 16th notes that come right after the descending thirds motive. In my opinion, that part isn't as difficult as the descending thirds simply because it is only 2 arpeggios that are repeated for about 30 bars. When all is said and done the last section is actually very repetitive and if you can get the technique down for the different patterns then there shouldn't be too much of a problem. Just be sure to take it at a tempo you're comfortable with....not David Childs tempo.
Here are a couple YouTube videos of the piece.
^ with David Childs and Fanfare Band accompaniment
^With Robert Voss and Brass Band accompaniment.
Philip Sparke,
Sparke was born in London and studied composition, trumpet, and conducting at the Royal College of Music where he earned his ARCM. While at RCM, Sparke formed a brass band among the students and wrote many pieces for it. Some of his first compositions include Concert Prelude for brass band and Gaudium for wind band. As interest in his music grew the amount of commissions he wrote. His first major commission was for the Centennial Brass Band Championships in New Zealand, the piece is called The Land of the Long White Cloud. He has composed pieces for championships all over the world, and has won the EBU New Music for Band Competition three times. In the U.S. Sparke was commissioned by the United States Air Force Academy Band to write Dance Movements which won the prestigious Sudler Prize in 1997. Sparke is also an active adjudicator and conductor however in May 2000, he became a full time composer and started his own music publishing company Anglo Music Press.
Harlequin
This piece takes its inspiration from the happy and sad masks which symbolize the Commedia de'll Arte (Which features Harlequin as one if its main characters) and comprises 2 "movements" which are more commonly thought of as sections since they are typically played without pause.
A Harlequin is a stock character in french plays. The primary aspect was his physical agility. He is generally depicted as stupid and gluttonous, he was very nimble and performed the sort of acrobatics the audience expected to see. He would never perform a simple action when the addition of cartwheels, somersaults, or flips would spice up the movement. The character was otherwise very elastic as long as they met this criteria. The actor may change his behavior to suit style, personal preferences, or the particular scenario being performed.
The first section of the piece is a slow melodic section with some range difficulties spending most of the time in the mid to upper tessitura. The main thing with the first section is to make it as musical and interesting as possible, a lot of performances I've heard can get pretty boring. So adding some rubato, extra dynamics, and appropriate ornaments are just some possibilities. The second section is where the character of a harlequin is evident. It is a rather fast section with a lot of 16th note passages. This section is even more demanding than the first because there are a couple of runs that stay around a high B-flat for about 5 bars, and then comes back later in the piece. The most difficult sections are towards the end. The first being the descending third pattern about 8 minutes into the piece. It requires extremely fast flexibility, and that part is one of the most important in the entire piece because it really simulates the idea of laughter. The next tricky section is the ostinato-like arpeggiated 16th notes that come right after the descending thirds motive. In my opinion, that part isn't as difficult as the descending thirds simply because it is only 2 arpeggios that are repeated for about 30 bars. When all is said and done the last section is actually very repetitive and if you can get the technique down for the different patterns then there shouldn't be too much of a problem. Just be sure to take it at a tempo you're comfortable with....not David Childs tempo.
Here are a couple YouTube videos of the piece.
^ with David Childs and Fanfare Band accompaniment
^With Robert Voss and Brass Band accompaniment.
Monday, April 2, 2012
The Journey Home-Martin Mikles.
The Journey Home-Martin Mikles.
The Composer-
Marty Mikles (b.1979) earned his BM from Georgia State University, where he studied Trombone with Dr. Thomas Gibson. He is a composer and arranger but also does performances on trombone and euphonium. He is somewhat of a brass band enthusiast and participates regularly in brass bands of The Salvation Army. He is a very spiritual man and has a lot of experience leading worship around the U.S. He is currently involved in a Christian Rock group under the record label of the Salvation Army. Here you can view his facebook page to see what they are all about.
http://www.facebook.com/martymiklesmusic
The Piece-
The Journey Home is based off of the story of the Prodigal Son found in Luke 15: 11-32. Here is a basic summary of that story.
Jesus tells the story of a man who has two sons. The younger son demands his share of his inheritance while his father is still living, and goes off to a far away country where he "wastes his substance with riotous living." He eventually has to take work as a swine herder, which is a very form of employment as swine are not kosher in Judaism. While enduring this work, he becomes aware of his wasted time and decides to return home. There, he throws himself on his father's mercy. But when he arrives, his father greets him warmly and barely allows him to tell his tales of troubled times and express his repentance; the father even kills a "fatted calf" to celebrate his return (this was a sign of great celebration). The story continues with the older brother becoming jealous at the favored treatment of his faithless brother and upset at the lack of reward for his own faithfulness.
Marty Mikles composed this piece in fulfillment of a final project while at Georgia State. The piece, as Mikles describes it, is "a musical depiction of the parable of the Prodigal Son." The piece has a very longing nostalgic character in the beginning which is outlined by the piano harmonies under the melody of the euphonium. Then the character changes to a more jubilant character with a key change at B which then leads into one of the main climax's of the piece. The character then turns back to a more nostalgic character but its more of a relaxed and happier nostalgia than the previous. The main theme then returns after yet another climax in the piece and quickly changes to a majestic character to lead to the main climax of the piece to quickly relax into a final D major chord, which ends the piece.
This little analysis will make more sense with a recording. Unfortunately there are no recordings on YouTube for me to use, so I will be adding this piece to my list of pieces to put on YouTube.
The Composer-
Marty Mikles (b.1979) earned his BM from Georgia State University, where he studied Trombone with Dr. Thomas Gibson. He is a composer and arranger but also does performances on trombone and euphonium. He is somewhat of a brass band enthusiast and participates regularly in brass bands of The Salvation Army. He is a very spiritual man and has a lot of experience leading worship around the U.S. He is currently involved in a Christian Rock group under the record label of the Salvation Army. Here you can view his facebook page to see what they are all about.
http://www.facebook.com/martymiklesmusic
The Piece-
The Journey Home is based off of the story of the Prodigal Son found in Luke 15: 11-32. Here is a basic summary of that story.
Jesus tells the story of a man who has two sons. The younger son demands his share of his inheritance while his father is still living, and goes off to a far away country where he "wastes his substance with riotous living." He eventually has to take work as a swine herder, which is a very form of employment as swine are not kosher in Judaism. While enduring this work, he becomes aware of his wasted time and decides to return home. There, he throws himself on his father's mercy. But when he arrives, his father greets him warmly and barely allows him to tell his tales of troubled times and express his repentance; the father even kills a "fatted calf" to celebrate his return (this was a sign of great celebration). The story continues with the older brother becoming jealous at the favored treatment of his faithless brother and upset at the lack of reward for his own faithfulness.
Marty Mikles composed this piece in fulfillment of a final project while at Georgia State. The piece, as Mikles describes it, is "a musical depiction of the parable of the Prodigal Son." The piece has a very longing nostalgic character in the beginning which is outlined by the piano harmonies under the melody of the euphonium. Then the character changes to a more jubilant character with a key change at B which then leads into one of the main climax's of the piece. The character then turns back to a more nostalgic character but its more of a relaxed and happier nostalgia than the previous. The main theme then returns after yet another climax in the piece and quickly changes to a majestic character to lead to the main climax of the piece to quickly relax into a final D major chord, which ends the piece.
This little analysis will make more sense with a recording. Unfortunately there are no recordings on YouTube for me to use, so I will be adding this piece to my list of pieces to put on YouTube.
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