WRP

A Call for Guest Bloggers...

2012-02-02T00:07:00.000-05:00

As some of you may have noticed, the WRP Blog has been a tad sparse lately. Chalk it up to doing too many things at once...the WRP continues to grow and improve as a resource, but my new job's responsibilities (as Associate Director of Bands at CSU-Long Beach) prevents me from putting too much effort into creating weekly or even monthly blog columns.

That is why I am calling for guest bloggers who would like to submit a post from time to time. I would retain editorial "final cut," but as long as it has to do with wind band music in some way, shape, or form, most everything is fair game.

If you're interested, you probably know how to get a hold of me...shoot me an email and let's talk.

-Nikk

Help finding recordings...

2011-07-01T11:39:00.002-04:00

Hello all, I am searching for recordings (if any are available) of the following pieces. Any help is appreciated.

Creston, Paul - Kalevala, Op. 95
Giannini, Vittorio - Praeludium and Allegro
Gould, Morton - Cowboy Rhapsody
Ireland, John - Maritime Overture, A
Jadin - Overture in F
Knox, Thomas - Sea Songs
Mehul - Overture in F
Mohaupt, Richard - Town Piper Music
Nelhybel, Vaclav - Prelude and Fugue
Nelson, Ron - Pastorale: Autumn Rune
Riegger, Wallingford -            New Dance
Schlabach - Poetic Structures for Band
Sclater   Prelude and Variations on 'Gone is My Mistris'
Siegmeister, Elie -Celebration for Band
Snoek - Scaramouch
Surinach, Carlos - Sinfonietta Flamenca
Tull, Fisher - Prelude and Double Fugue
Tull, Fisher - Reflections on Paris
Ward - Prairie Overture
Wood, Haydn - The Seafarer
Youtz, Gregory -            Fireworks
Zdechlik, John - Rondo Capriccio
Zupko, Ramon - Conversions

Facebook

2011-06-13T11:53:00.000-04:00

The Wind Repertory Project is now on Facebook!

Join us, and together we can rule the galaxy as father and son...

Um, or something like that.

New Feature at WRP

2011-06-09T10:35:00.000-04:00

It's been a while since the last post...lots of changes in my life which have kept me busy. Since my last post, I've been offered and accepted the position of Associate Director of Bands at the Bob Cole Conservatory of Music at California State University-Long Beach.

Since this new job will have me focusing even more than ever on wind repertory and conducting, I am hoping to add a lot of new features to the WRP over the next few years. In between trying to get things situated for the move, I've added a new "feature" to the Wind Repertory Project website: Anniversaries. In essence, this is just a listing of birth and death years, which might help conductors when programming concerts (for example, the 100th anniversary of Ingolf Dahl's birth is coming up next year).

Currently, I've added birth and death dates for composers A-D, and am slowly making my way through the alphabet (feel free to jump in and add any missing dates if you run across any that are needed).

As always, thanks for reading!

To Break, or Not To Break...that is the question...

2011-05-06T15:56:00.001-04:00

I am of course referring to the 4th measure of the first movement of Gustav Holst's monumental band work, First Suite in E-flat. In this measure, we come to a momentary pause, as the first half of the chaconne melody is revealed.

Over the years I've heard different thoughts on this relatively trifling issue, so I thought I'd give a listen to each of the ten different recordings I have of this work and see who does what.

-Tokyo Kosei Wind Orchestra (Fennell) - Minuscule break...almost imperceptible.
-Cleveland Symphonic Winds (Fennell) - A small break. Interesting, coming from the same conductor.
-Eastman Wind Ensemble (Fennell) - Definite break. This is my earliest recording of the work.
-Eastman Wind Ensemble (Hunsberger) - Quite a big break. Almost a quarter note's worth.
-Florida State University Wind Orchestra (Clary) - Break.
-Keystone Wind Ensemble (Stamp) - No break at all.
-North Texas Wind Symphony (Corporon) - Break.
-Tokyo Kosei Wind Orchestra (Fennell) - In this much later recording, Fennell does not break at all.
-University of Michigan Symphony Band (Reynolds) - No break.
-USAF Heritage of America Band (Graham) - No break.

It seems we have no consensus, even amongst conductors working on the piece with different ensembles! So....let's hear from you on this all-important topic.

To break or NOT to break?

New Feature at the Wind Repertory Project

2011-05-02T13:11:00.000-04:00

Hello everyone...

I've recently started work on a new area of the Wind Repertory Project website.

Check out the new Concert Programs section and help contribute if you can.

Cornell University Winds Webcast

2011-04-27T14:46:00.000-04:00

For those of you who are interested in new music for winds, here is an invitation from Cornell University Director of Bands, Cynthia Johnston Turner.

===========================

Dear Colleagues,

I invite you to tune in on Saturday, April 30 at 8:00pm Eastern for a web cast of CU Winds. Of particular note on the concert will be Steven Bryant's new "Cello Concerto" and "Voyages" by Steven Stucky, featuring Caroline Stinson as soloist. Both "Steves" will be at the concert.

For the past 3 years I have been asking our DMA composers here at Cornell to write music for wind ensemble that "pushes boundaries." (An Albany Records CD will be released soon featuring some of these works.) For this concert, Jesse Jones has composed "Through the Veil" for 3 Amplified Sopranos and Wind Ensembles. Jesse writes, "While writing this piece, I imagined the soul's progression from some pre-mortal existence, through a veil of forgetfulness, into an increasingly chaotic, temporal existence (life on earth) and finally through another veil of death." It`s probably one of the bravest pieces I've come across.

The full program is as follows:

Wind Symphony

Galop (Bird)
Chester (Schuman)
Chester Leaps In (Bryant)
Orient et Occident (Saint-Saens)

Wind Ensemble

Through the Veil (Jones...premiere)
Voyages (Stucky)
Cello Concerto (Bryant)
Galop (Kabalevsky)

The web cast will be "on demand" after the concert at www.cuwinds.com. The majority of the students in CU Winds are non-music majors.

Cheers,
Cynthia Johnston Turner

How to practise...

2011-03-30T11:14:00.000-04:00

"Ask any New York City police officer how you get to Carnegie Hall and they'll tell you: "Practice, man. Practice." On today's show, timpanist Jonathan Haas takes us inside his practice studio to demonstrate how to get a full, round tone without annoying the neighbors. We'll hear him perform a concerto for timpani by Georg Druschetzky and music from the first English folk revival, Delius' Brigg Fair."

http://performancetoday.publicradio.org/?month=3&day=29&year=2011

Music for Winds...but not for "Band"

2011-03-22T09:52:00.000-04:00

I've been giving some thought lately to those pieces of music that are often played by high-level college and professional wind ensembles that are written for winds, but were not specifically written for band. In most cases, this means orchestral winds (i.e., no saxes and no euphoniums), but this is not always so.

I'm not looking for works that are written for chamber winds or Harmonie, but rather for large orchestral winds. Three works immediately jump to mind because -while written for orchestral winds- they are most frequently performed by wind bands: Schwantner's "...and the mountains rising nowhere", "From a Dark Millennium", and "In evening's stillness..."(His other original work for winds, "Recoil," includes parts for saxophones and euphoniums at long last).

Just a few other works that are often played by wind bands though not technically written for band include:

Mahler - "Um Mitternacht" (with soprano singer)
Messiaen - "Et exspecto resurrectionem mortuorum" and "Oiseaux Exotiques"
Stravinsky - "Symphonies of Wind Instruments"
Stucky - "Funeral Music for Queen Mary (After Purcell)"

What say you? What else is out there that is of interest to you, written for winds though not specifically for band?

Favourite moments in music...

2011-02-18T18:22:00.000-05:00

Today I've been thinking a lot about my favourite moments in music...not my favourite pieces, not my favourite composers, but rather, my favourite MOMENTS within a musical composition. I have many, but I tried to narrow it down to a few that I really enjoy. If you asked me to, I might be able to come up with a reason for my enjoyment of these moments, but...honestly, I try to let it "just be," try to allow it to be one of those things that I don't have to think about, just because....

Here are a few, and I would love to hear yours as well.

Shostakovich: Symphony No. 5, Mvmt I

Take a listen specifically to the end of the 1st movement, starting around 7:00. The entire ending is a thing of beauty for me...I love the way the violin plaintively sings, the way the trumpets and timpani keep us grounded in reality by the use of the ever-present opening theme, but...for me, the real killer is the sequence from 7:22 to 7:28. The basses and celli begin traveling downward in half notes, and if you're any composer other than Shostakovich, the resolution should happen at 7:25....but it doesn't. Shostakovich delays the resolution -giving us one more moment of glorious tension- before the release at 7:27. And then of course the celesta comes in and renders it unspeakably beautiful.

Copland: Appalachian Spring

The sequence starting at 3:38 never fails to move me...particularly when the basses come in. Now, this isn't all that great a performance, and the conductor is simply over-conducting the heck out of this, but if you know Appy Spring, then you know this section. The NY Phil's performance with Bernstein conducting is my favourite rendition of this musical moment, but it is not available on YouTube.

Prokofiev: Romeo and Juliet

The section beginning at 2:32 is just GLORIOUS to me...everytime I listen to it on iTunes I play this section a few times. The recording with SFSO and Tilson Thomas is my favourite. Especially when it "kicks into higher gear" at 3:48.

Maslanka: A Child's Garden of Dreams, Mvmt II

Starting at around 2:42, with the oboe solo, the folk song "Black is the Color of My True Love's Hair" gets such a beautiful treatment that I am always in awe of how wonderfully simple the orchestration is here. Like in the Shostakovich above, Maslanka delays the resolution at 3:06 for just a moment longer, heightening the tension...and then resolving finally a second later. Lesser composers would have resolved "in tempo," but by withholding that expected resolution by a pause, the expected outcome is made more vital...at least for me.

Grantham: Southern Harmony, Mvmt I

The initial "fanfare" is great and all, but one of my favourite moments in this piece happens after it settles down, and we get the lovely oboe and bassoon combination, here seen at 2:00. There is also a great moment where a snare drum shadows the woodwind 16th notes. As someone who has conducted this piece before, it is unbelievable how much the snare adds to that moment (it happens at 2:45 in the video, but the audio isn't all that great...still, if you know the piece well, you know what I mean).

I literally could go on and on about my favourite moments in music, but...I'm curious to hear yours. If you can link to a YouTube video, great...if not, do your best to let us know where it is.

Good/Bad - Like/Dislike

2011-02-14T11:29:00.000-05:00

I don't quite remember where I learned this...I want to say it was first introduced to me by my college band director, Patrick Dunnigan, but I honestly don't remember...and besides, in our world, it is often that we pass our knowledge ever onward, so PD may have learned about this concept elsewhere and passed it on to us. The concept is simple enough:

Simply stated, all music fits into the box outlined above....good music that I like, good music that I dislike, bad music that I like, and bad music that I dislike. There are some that disagree that we can classify what makes good music "good," but I am not here to argue that. Certainly, there are plenty of treatises on what makes a piece of music good, much of it having to do with creativity, originality, craft and construction, and others.

I'm often asked what sort of music fits into those boxes for me.

Good Music that I like: way too much to list, but....Mozart's "Requiem," Shostakovich's "Symphony No. 5," Radiohead's "Ok Computer," Wilco's "Sky Blue Sky," Hindemith's "Symphony in B-flat," Pat Metheny's "Still Life Talking," and many, many more...

Good Music that I dislike: Much of Mozart's early output, Haydn, Handel, Scriabin. From a professional viewpoint, I can see what makes it good music...I just don't like listening to it....yet. A day may come when I come to appreciate the works of these composers more.

Bad Music that I like: Van Halen may rock, but...let's face it, the music isn't that well-constructed. Some would say the same thing about Iron Maiden (though I think they straddle an interesting purgatory between worlds), some of Alfred Reed's music (like Praise Jerusalem) is enjoyable to me, but doesn't hold up well when I start studying a score...

Bad Music that I dislike: I'm not going to hurt many feelings here. Because this is a public blog, I don't want to "name names." Suffice it to say, many works published by certain companies are uncreative, formulaic, revenue-driven works that don't merit serious consideration for performance by musicians...and yet many directors continue to program these works. Much pop music produced today also fits into this category FOR ME. Your category mileage may vary.

The important thing to remember here is that you don't ever need to explain why you choose to like certain "bad music." Sometimes it's a reminder of happy times. Sometimes the music simply speaks to you, makes you tap your toes, makes you hum along. I feel that way about a great deal of music from my youth (particularly Van Halen and Def Leppard...what can I say, I am a child of the 80s). But I cannot in good conscience say it is "good music" in its construction. But it doesn't matter. I will likely NEVER stop liking it, despite its flaws.

Likewise...despite the fact that I don't enjoy listening to much Handel, Haydn, Scriabin, Tippet, or Grainger for that matter (with certain notable exceptions, of course), I will never dispute the fact that much of it is of extremely high quality. As they say, "Different Strokes for Different Folks."

So....do you have a different formula for the box above? What is it that makes a piece of music "good?" What is it that makes a piece of music enjoyable to you? What turns you off?

Whenever I work with high school kids at clinics or honor bands, I always take a moment to talk about what music is all about for me...and for me, all great music is about tension and release. Certainly, there is plenty of music that is all tension....and plenty of music that is all release....but my favourite compositions are the ones that blend both in a manner such that when you sit back and listen, you say "it really could not have been constructed any differently." Perhaps the key is broadly defining what musical elements cause tension, and which ones cause release.

I recently conducted Tom Fraschillo's wonderful arrangement of Stradella's "Aria di Chiesa: Pieta Signore." Even though Stradella was a Baroque composer, and therefore not given to Romantic sentimentalities, there is a good deal of tension and release in the music...a quality of striving against personal struggles and hardship, and arriving at a small sort of peace and clarity. It is a great teaching tool if you believe in the tension and release concept.

By the way, I should mention that Jerry Junkin, the esteemed Director of Bands at the University of Texas, believes all music to be either about love or pirates. But that is a post for another day. ;-)

New Music Showcase

2011-02-02T10:47:00.002-05:00

Tom Duffy over at Yale University has made us aware of a new piece for wind band, called Rooms by the Sea, by Stephen Feigenbaum. You can check out the score and a recording of it at Stephen's website. I've listened to it a few times this morning, and I admit to liking it very much. There is a simplicity and elegance that is very charming...it doesn't sound very difficult technically (have not looked at the score myself, yet), but there are some definite intonation and balance difficulties that can be used as teachable moments to your groups (particularly high school ensembles looking for something sustained and evocative).

Head on over to Stephen's site and give it a listen. Let us know what you think.

Tagging and sorting your iTunes music...

2011-01-08T11:58:00.000-05:00

If you're like me, you now keep the bulk (if not all) of your music on your computer. Four years ago, I undertook the monstrous task of digitally importing all of my CDs onto iTunes. To be truthful, I simply got tired of lugging around 7-8 banana boxes full of CDs each time I moved.

To be safe, I keep my entire library (which is a somewhat modest 290GBs worth of music...I know people with much, much more) not only on my desktop computer, but also on my laptop computer, my work computer, and on at least 3 different external hard drives. About once every three months I do a complete backup of everything just to be safe...I would be devastated if I ever lost all that music, so I don't take chances.

Now...as you can imagine, that is a lot of music at my fingertips. In order to keep everything sorted in its proper place, and in order to placate my meticulous (some would say anal) nature, I've broken everything in my library into Genres, which are then further broken down by use of smart comment tags (more on that later).

I'm going to talk a little about how I sort my library, and I hope some of you will chime in with your ideas, how you run your library, tips and tricks, that sort of thing...

First off, here are the categories I use:

Your mileage on these categories may differ. I've had people complain to me that I have too few categories, that "Classical" is too limiting as a term, as is "Rock and Pop" ("what about alternative or heavy metal?" some ask me). I understand the concerns. I simply don't want to litter my iTunes screen with endless amounts of genres...these 19 work just fine for me (for now).

By the way, if you're wondering where this screen comes from, it's achieved by enabling the Browse function under VIEW >>> Column Browser >>> On Top. You can choose to keep your browser on the left, but if you do so, make sure you right+click on it and choose genres, otherwise you'll only get a long list of Artists on the side. What I like about the Browser up top is that I immediately get the three things I most want to see, the Genre (so I can switch easily as needed), the Artist (or in the case of art music, the composer), and the Album (or in the case of art music, the performing ensemble):

Most genres are self-explanatory. Miscellaneous is a term I use for anything I simply can't categorize (like recordings of white noise, spoken word stuff, or lullaby versions of Radiohead music). Pageantry Arts encapsulates both marching band and drum and bugle corps. Booklets and Interviews are where I put e-booklets that sometimes come with digital purchases, as well as interviews of composers/performers that are sometimes included on disks.

Regarding my naming conventions...I first ran into problems with the iTunes naming conventions back when I purchased my first iPod. The format used by iPods is great for your standard rock or pop group/star, but not very friendly to art music. How I originally got around it was to put the composer in the Artist category, and put the performing ensemble in the Album category, along with the conductor. The end result looks like this:

As you can see, the conductor's name is in parenthesis next to the ensemble.

In the case of multi-movement works, I use the following conventions:

Airborne Symphony, Mvmt I: Theory of Flight
Airborne Symphony, Mvmt II: Ballad Of History And Mythology
Airborne Symphony, Mvmt III: Kittyhawk

In the case of works that have more than 8 movements (where I would have to use "IX," which is sorted between IV and V in Roman Numeral convention), I use VIIII.

Whenever possible, I try to include the key and opus number of the symphony, any individual movement names or tempo indications, and the symphony's name or nickname, if it has one. Example:

I understand that recent iPods are much friendlier to non-Rock and Pop music, but this system has been with me for 6 years now, and I like it enough to keep it for now.

With me so far? Good. Now, let's talk about advanced sorting. At this point you may be saying "19 genres doesn't really cut it, does it? I mean, the broad 'classical' genre has waaaaay more sub-genres to worry about!"

Yes, yes it does. Which is why whenever I import a new tune, I always add keywords to the "Comments" section of each file. Some of the keywords I use include: Cantata, Overture, Symphony, Tone Poem, March, Requiem, Concerto. I also include keywords (separated by comma) such as Romantic, Classical, Baroque, 20th Century, Minimalism, Renaissance, etc. In addition, I also add the composer's nationality.

If the work is for a solo instrument, I also include the artist's name under the Album Artist tag as in the following picture:

This allows me to search for the artist if I should, for example, want to hear something played by Yo Yo Ma or Jacqueline du Pre. I use the + symbol to denote that it is a solo work for the instrument that follows it (could be a concerto, a sonata, or some other form).

I then create "Smart Playlists" that constantly search for those keywords, as in the picture below:

You can create folders to keep your playlists in broad categories, as you can see above.

Finally, there is the issue of which columns you get your browser to show. I only use the following columns:

Name (as in the title of the song or work)
Artist (or in the case of art music, the composer)
Album (or in the case of art music, performing ensemble and conductor)
Time

You can decide which columns you want either by right-clicking on any column header, or by going to the View drop down menu and selecting "View Options." There are a lot of options to choose from.

Since I am currently re-doing my library, there aren't as many playlists as I usually have, but you get an idea. You can make ANYTHING a playlist. You like Renaissance era violin solo works? Make a playlist for it. Find yourself often listening to large-scale orchestral works that utilise a chorus? Make a playlist for it. It's wonderfully flexible.

By the way, when it comes to Rock and Pop and Jazz and Blues, I do use the Artist and Album categories as they were originally intended, since that is easy to do. When it comes to Soundtracks, I use the Composer for Artist, and under Album I just put the title of the movie....easy enough.

Under Pageantry Arts, I usually use the name of the band or corps under Artist. Under album I will sometimes use stuff like "1993 DCI Finals." However, I will admit that the Pageantry Arts genre is the one that is the messiest on my database right now...and I don't really want to deal with it.

So, if you've read this far...what do you do? Got any questions? Any tips or tricks?

Drop the needle on band music

2011-01-07T12:32:00.000-05:00

How well do you know your band music? Do you lean toward the newer stuff, or are you a "warhorses" man/woman? Are you a good blend of both?

Then you might be interested in this Wind Band Music Madness quiz. To take the quiz, you will have to click on both the green Quiz Start button, as well as the Play button on the YouTube embedded link.

Let us know how you do!

Reboot!

2011-01-02T10:42:00.000-05:00

In order to kickstart this blog again, I'm going to put the Lincolnshire Posy entries on hold and talk about discovering "hidden," unknown, or little-known gems for wind band that have possibly fallen by the wayside over the years. Because our profession is so dynamic, it seems that much of our focus goes to new music. This is something that certainly differentiates us from the symphony orchestra, who tend to focus almost exclusively on the music of dead, white, European composers. However, it is important not to turn our backs on the established repertoire that -while admittedly sounding a bit dated at times, particularly in the treatment of percussion instruments- can still prove effective.

One such work that I'd like to talk about is Vincent Persichetti's "Chorale Prelude: O God Unseen." This was Persichetti's last completed work before he passed away, and bears the hallmarks of his style, with some very poignant passages that are deceptively difficult to pull off. It has been recorded by the London Winds with David Amos conducting (Amazon Link), and is well worth a look and listen. It's not terribly difficult, hovering around a Grade 4+/Grade 5 level, but does require use of an E-flat Alto Clarinet with extensive writing, which tends to shy high school bands away from it (well, that and the fact that it is "difficult" to connect with, at first).

If you're a fan of Persichetti (and even if you're not), this is a work that is worth exploring. What are some of YOUR favourite lost or hidden gems? Something that has maybe fallen by the wayside over the past 20 years or so? Tell us a little about it, and help us discover something new.

Still kicking...

2010-07-18T11:03:00.000-04:00

I'm not dead...I promise. I've been very slack about finishing the Lincolnshire Posy entries, but I promise they will indeed be finished. This summer has been an interesting time...in between teaching a graduate seminar class, I've been writing a marching band arrangement of the music from "City Slickers" for a band down in Florida, and I've also been writing drill (again, for a school in Florida).

I cut back this year from 8 such productions to only 2, thinking it would afford me more time. It certainly has, unfortunately, another passion of mine reared its beautiful head: The Beautiful Game, aka Association Football, aka "footie," aka "soccer." It's a good thing the World Cup only comes around once every four years, or my summer would be quite unproductive.

Add to this the fact that I participated in the University of Texas' Wind Conducting Symposium, and you can see I've had a pretty busy summer. However, in the next week, I hope to re-start the Lincolnshire series and write a bit about more wind music I've discovered over the past few months.

Until then.....das ist alles!

Songs from Lincolnshire, Part Three

2010-04-06T13:12:00.002-04:00

This is a continuation of a six-part series in which I will take a look at each individual movement of Lincolnshire Posy, discuss the folksongs contained therein, and examine interpretations by several conductors, past and present. You can find earlier posts about Lincolnshire by checking the Archives (below and to the right). It is my hope that this series of blog posts will contain information that will help younger conductors (and band students!) looking to take on the challenges of this wonderful part of the band's culture and literature.

Movement III: Rufford Park Poachers

Rufford Park Poachers was sung to Grainger by Mr. Joseph Taylor of Saxby All-Saints. As is usually the case with true folksong, Mr. Taylor sang the song slightly differently each time he was recorded. Grainger wrote "practically all of Mr. Taylor's variants" into his setting (as per the original score introductory notes). There are five different variants on the folk tune used in Lincolnshire Posy, and Grainger provided two different versions for the first two variants (the first 50 measures). The conductor chooses one version to perform (making sure to let the band know which version is to be played!), and both versions come together at m. 51 for the final three variants.

The folksong tells the true story of a gang of poachers who believed that the wealthy landowners in Nottinghamshire were unfairly monopolizing game-hunting rights. The poachers were repeatedly confronted by game-keepers of Rufford Park during their "sorties" onto the private reserve. On one such occasion in 1851, the head game-keeper, a man named William Roberts, was killed by the poachers. Four of the poachers' leaders were arrested, and each one was sentenced to fourteen years for manslaughter.

The major differences to the Versions are explained in the Musical Analysis below.

Lyrics

1.
They say that forty gallant poachers, they was in [a mess]/[distress].
They'd often been attacked when the number it was less.
So poacher bold, as I unfold keep up your gallant heart.
And think about those poachers bold, that night in Rufford Park.

2.
A buck or doe, believe it so, a pheasant or a hare,
Was set on earth for everyone quite equal for to share,
So poacher bold, as I unfold, keep up your gallant heart,
And think about those poachers bold, that night in Rufford Park.

3.
Among the gorse, to settle scores, those forty gathered stones,
To make a fight for poor men's rights, and break the keepers' bones,
So poacher bold, (etc.)

4.
The keepers they begun the fight, with stones and with the flails,
But when the poachers started, why, they quickly turned their tails,
So poacher bold, (etc.)

5.
Upon the ground with mortal wound, head Keeper Roberts lay,
He never will rise up until, the final judgement day,
So poacher bold, (etc.)

6.
Of all the band that made their stand, that set a little snare,
Just four were brought before the court, and tried for murder there,
So poacher bold, (etc.)

7.
The Judge he said “For Robert's death, transported you must be,
To serve a term of forty years in convict slavery,
So poacher bold, your tale is told, keep up your gallant heart,
And think about those poachers bold, that night in Rufford Park.

Musical Analysis

Without a doubt, the most difficult aspect of the first verse in both versions is opening 17 bars. In Version A, the melody is performed by Piccolo, E-flat Soprano Clarinet, B-flat Soprano Clarinet I, and Bass Clarinet, and the starting pitch is C. In Version B, the melody is performed by Piccolo, Oboe, Eb Alto Clarinet, and Bassoon, and the starting pitch is G.

What makes the first verse difficult is the use of multiple asymmetric meters, and the fact that the melody is split up in canon, entering one measure apart. Balance and intonation issues will also be evident, as the melody groups enter three octaves apart (in both versions).

There are two schools of thought that apply to the conducting of this opening section: Some conductors prefer to conduct the 8th note throughout, some prefer to conduct with a quarter note pulse. There is also much variance in the tempo of this movement, which will be discussed in the Recordings Review section.

In Version A, Verse 2 is performed by a fluegelhorn (it can also be played by a cornet or trumpet). In Version B, this verse is performed by the soprano saxophone (Note: This was Grainger's preferred version, as he was very fond of the sound of soprano saxophone, having played it in the U.S. Army Band). The construction of meter in Verse 2 is slightly different in the opening bars of the solo: 5/8, 2/4, 3/8, 5/8 in Version A as opposed to 2/4, 2/4, 3/8, 5/8. This was written to accommodate the different versions Grainger had sung to him. The brass-led interjections beginning on measure 46 are also slightly different in both versions (in Version A, the first pattern repeats before the second pattern is heard, in Version B, both patterns alternate every measure). The ending chord at measure 50 is a C minor in Version A, and a G minor in Version B. There are some minor rhythmic and harmonic differences as well, as Grainger tries to capture the different versions sung to him.

Both versions come together at m. 51. The third verse features the woodwinds (minus saxes) and low brass (minus trombones) on the melody, while the trumpets are asked to "triple-tongue as fast as possible; no set number of notes to the beat," and the rest of the band outlines supporting chords. Like all previous iterations of the melody, there are various asymmetrical meters to contend with. Measure 64 features a brief recap of the earlier-heard interjections.

Verse 4 is slower, "waywardly" as marked by Grainger, and is broken up in four distinct voicings:

A. Melody (Soprano, Alto, and Tenor Saxes, Horns, and Baritones).
B. Counter-Melody I (Oboe I, Bb Soprano Clarinet I)
C. Harmonic Motive (Oboe II, Bassoons, Bb Soprano Clarinet II, Bass Clarinet, Bari & Bass Sax, Tuba, String Bass)
D. Interjections (Trumpets, joined later by low brass and low reeds)*

*Measure 70-74 feature a rhythmic augmentation of the interjections previously heard at m. 46-49 and 65-66.

There is a lot of "undulation" from lower woodwinds and Euphonium as a counterpoint to the melody in the closing bars.

The fifth verse returns a quartet of players (in a slightly different configuration, depending on what version was performed earlier): Piccolo, Oboe, Bassoon, and Eb Soprano Clarinet. However, the melody is now presented in 12ths (and octave plus a fifth), not in octaves, and it is bolstered by a Db basso continuo consisting of string bass, alto and bass clarinets, and bassoon. In addition, a muted solo trumpet wistfully harkens back to the interjections first heard at m. 46.

Recordings

There are several high-quality recordings of Lincolnshire Posy available commercially, in addition to many non-commercial recordings available from several college and even high school bands. In this section I am going to talk about some of the interpretative decisions made in some of these recordings. The ensembles/conductors I have access to are the following:

    * The Birmingham Symphonic Winds (Sir Simon Rattle)
    * Eastman Wind Ensemble (Frederick Fennell)
    * Eastman Wind Ensemble (Donald Hunsberger)
    * Florida State University Wind Orchestra (Richard Clary)
    * London Wind Orchestra (Dennis Wick)
    * North Texas Wind Symphony (Eugene Corporon)
    * Tokyo Kosei Wind Orchestra (Frederick Fennell)
    * United States Marine Band (Timothy Foley)
    * University of Georgia Wind Symphony (Dwight Satterwhite)
    * University of Kentucky Wind Ensemble (Richard Clary)
    * University of Michigan Symphony Band (Michael Haithcock)
    * Dallas Wind Symphony (Jerry Junkin)

As I said in previous posts, no "right/wrong" judgments on performance practice interpretations are made here, only observations, and biased ones at that, so keep it in mind! I'll be listening for tempi, stylistic decisions, adherence to the score as notated by Grainger, as well as things that I personally consider to be important facets of the movement in question.

BSW - This ensemble performed Version B. The opening tempo was quite a bit slower than called for, roughly 8th note = 106 (instead of m.m. 132). The clarinet entrance at m. 18 was subdued (and required a very quick intonation adjustment that was handled quickly and admirably by the performers). The pickup to beat three of m. 19 was clear and "nasal" as written. The soprano sax is loud and piercing, as is the muted trumpet in m. 25. Quite a healthy amount of "linger" in m. 36, and the clarinets were very strong in the re-articulation of m. 37.

The trumpet figure (m. 51) pops out at random and borders on crass at times. It sounds like the trumpets are double-tonguing (an often used technique here, instead of triple-tonguing as is called for). The trumpet and horn figure at m. 54 was either not clear or not performed as written...it sounds like the trumpets just kept double tonguing in the previous manner throughout the measure, while the horns didn't quite catch the first entrance, then popped out on the "ff." At m. 64 the low brass interjections were not as strong as the trumpet ones, resulting in a lack of balance there. No pause between the end of m. 67 and the new verse pickup. Tempo in this verse hovered around m.m. 64, slower than asked for. This is also the case for the final verse, which hovers around m.m. 106.

EWE/FF - This ensemble performed Version A. It is difficult to get an accurate tempo reading here because Fennell conducts the opening with a great degree of rubato, but it is safe to say that the tempo is well over 8th note = 168 for a good deal of the first 17 measures. It gives the verse a frantic and hurried sound. The second verse slows down a bit, hovering around 8th = 150, but still uses quite a good deal of rubato. Clarinets are solidly heard in m. 18. The trumpet at m. 36 seems to linger quite a bit longer than the clarinets wanted to. The clarinet re-articulation in m. 37 did not materialize. The first of the brass interjections at m. 46 is clearly glissed instead of articulated as in some other recordings. This would have necessitated alternate slide positions for the trombone: Still starting in 3rd position and going to 4th for the B-natural, but using 5th position for the B-flat, 6th for the A natural, and using 7th position for the A-flat (technically, this is G-sharp in this position). That the trombones were able to solidly give those alternate position notes solidly in tune is a testament to the talent of the Eastman trombone players in this recording.

The trumpet figure starting at m. 51 is heard clearly, and I am reasonably convinced that the trumpets are indeed triple-tonguing it. However, once again, the trumpet figure at m. 54 is glossed over and treated as part of the previous line (though the horn response is quite noticeable). Curiously, the m. 64 trombone interjection does not sound glissed, but rather a very light legato tongue. I thought it might be because this figure's notes may not allow alternate slide positions, but it turns out that the figure and its new notes could have been played very similar to the first interjection above, using 4th position for the high G, 5th for the G-flat, 6th for the F, and 7th for the E natural. It is odd that Fennell chose to have the trombones gliss during the first instance at m. 46, but not the second at m. 64. No pause between the end of measure 67 and the new verse, however, Fennell turns this 8th note pickup into a quarter note, and generally takes a slower approach to Verse 4 (roughly m.m. 64 instead of m.m. 76). Fennell also greatly elongates m. 82. The final verse is handled much like the first verse, with a generally quick tempo and plenty of rubato.

EWE/DH - This ensemble performed Version A. The opening tempo is quicker than marked, but not by much, roughly 8th note = 142. Verse 2 slows down a tad, down to m.m. 132 with plenty of rubato. The "linger" at m. 36 was subtle, and the clarinets did not appear to accent the forte re-articulation at m. 37. In contrast to Fennell, Hunsberger definitely does not have the trombones gliss at m. 46. He also holds the chord at m. 50 for quite some time before releasing, and waits at least a half note's worth of rest before re-entering with the pickup to m. 51. The trumpets do triple-tongue when asked, but again, the figure at m. 54 is glossed over and not performed as written, nor is the horn part audible. Hunsberger does not slow m. 81-82 as much as Fennell did. The final verse is quite fast, with the 8th note = 152 on average, up 20 beats from what called for.

FSUWO/RC -This ensemble performed Version A. The opening tempo is quite close, hovering around 8th note = 124. In an interesting display of creativity, the solo in Version A, which is supposed to be played by a Fluegel (or trumpet or cornet) is actually being played by the soprano saxophone. The tempo for this verse is slightly faster than the first verse, and there was very little "linger" on m. 36. I admit that the recording quality is not good enough for me to be able to tell what the trumpets are doing at m. 51, though it does sound like they are fluttering at times, but this is not reliable. Measure 54 sounds like it was fluttered through as well. Virtually no pause between the final chord and the pickup to m. 68. Clary employs quite a bit of rubato at m. 82. Final tempo averages around m.m. 124 with plenty of rubato.

LWO/DW -This ensemble performed Version A. The opening tempo is very close to 8th note = 132, with plenty of rubato. The chord change on beat three of m. 19 was almost inaudible. The main solo is being played on a fluegelhorn. There was a good bit of linger at m. 36, but the accented quarter note at m. 37 was not together, and even though they played "f," it lost a bit of effect. Curiously, it sounds as if Wick is having the trombones do a very slow glissando at m. 46. Also, the trumpet 1 part at m. 48 is muted and brassy, something I don't think I've heard before. The trumpets do triple-tongue their figures at m. 51, but -once again- the figure at m. 54 is not played correctly. Wick also conducts this verse much slower than the other conductors heard thus far, roughly quarter = 62 instead of the asked-for tempo (m.m. 80). No pause between the final chord and the pickup to measure 68. The final tempo is again very close to 8th note = 132.

UNTWS/EC -This ensemble performed Version B. Corporon stays pretty steady at 8th note = 132, with some rubato throughout the first verse. The soprano sax does a great job of being "throbbing and piercing," as Grainger would have wanted. Quite a good deal of linger at m. 36, and the clarinets are fantastic at m. 37, with just the right amount of accent and playing strongly through the beat into the next measure. The tempo picks up quite a bit throughout measures 44-46. The trumpets are triple-tonguing (though at times this sounds like double tonguing, so I may not be 100% correct), but the figure at m. 54 is not played correctly (and after this many recordings, I am beginning to wonder if this is an error in the trumpet parts).

There is a good deal of pause between the final chord of Verse 3 and the pickup into m. 68. The tempo for Verse 4 is quite a bit slower, around m.m. 56, almost 20 beats slower than marked, with lots of "waywardness" about it. Corporon also employs a lot of rubato on m. 82. The final verse's tempo is again pretty steady, 8th note = 132 with some rubato.

TKWO/FF -This ensemble performed Version A. Fennell's opening tempo, as in his earlier version with EWE, is once again faster than most interpretations, well over 8th note = 168 with a lot of rubato. Fennell also uses a soprano saxophone to substitute for the fluegelhorn here. The "linger" at m. 36 passes by rather quickly, and the clarinets treat the accented quarter note at m. 37 as if it were just another part of the previous line instead of a note that is the only accented note for measures in either direction (and marked forte). The trombone figure at m. 46 is once again glissed (which is obviously Fennell's preference), and this time he has advised them to take up two beats instead of one (it is a VERY LONG and almost comic glissando), which of course contrasts quite sharply with the horn/clarinet figure that follows (they are rhythmically identical, but sound completely different because of the liberty taken with the trombone figure). The trumpets triple tongue their figures at m. 51, and this is probably the closest anyone comes to performing m. 54 correctly in the trumpets.

Once again the trombone figure at m. 64 is taken out of proportion. Slight pause between final chord of verse 3 and the pickup into m. 68. Verse 4 is presented with a lot of rubato, very "wayward" as Grainger called for. Perhaps the greatest amount of rubato heard at m. 82 in any of the recordings so far. Closing tempo is fast, much like the opening tempo.

USMB/TF -This ensemble performed Version B. Foley's opening tempo is slightly faster than written, approximately m.m. 140. This is the clearest I've heard the bassoon in any of the recordings, by the way. Very subtle change in the chord at m. 19. Not a whole lot of "linger" at m. 36, and the clarinet accent at m. 37 is not as strong as UNT's, for example, but is still evident. The trumpets are very clearly flutter-tonguing their line at m. 51. The Marine Band trumpet section also comes very close to performing m. 54 correctly (in fact, the closest yet). Very little pause between the final chord of Verse 3 and the pickup to m. 68. Closing tempo is very close to m.m. 132.

UGAWS/DS -This ensemble performed Version B. The tempo starts out at around m.m. 142, but by the second line of the verse it is settled into somewhere around m.m. 122 (still hard to tell, because Satterwhite uses a lot of rubato). There is very little "linger" at m. 36, and even less clarinet accent at m. 37, possibly a result of some tempo/rhythm instability observed around this section. This is the only recording I've heard thus far where the English Horn overtakes the trumpet in measures 25 and 41. Some more minor instability/rhythm issues around m. 44-45 in the clarinets. In measure 47, the trumpets play the 16th note on beat two shorter than the triplet 16th note in beat one. Interestingly enough, at m. 49, the Trumpet I plays this same rhythm with a little more length on the 16th on beat two. Once again, the trumpet figure at m. 54 does not come across. Very little rubato at m. 82. Closing tempo is around m.m. 132 with a lot of rubato.

UKWE/RC -This ensemble performed Version A. The tempo is a bit on the brisk side, around 8th note = 142 with plenty of rubato. Once more, Clary chooses to have the soprano saxophone play the Version A solo. There is some slight "linger" at m. 36, but the clarinets do not strongly re-articulate the accented quarter at m. 37. Perhaps it is once again due to the recording quality, but I can't hear what the trumpets are doing at m. 51...I don't hear double, triple, or flutter tonguing of any kind. Measure 54's trumpet "fanfare" (of sorts) does not come across. Moderate amount of rubato at m. 82. The final tempo is almost spot-on, m.m. 132, with a little rubato.

UMSB/MH - Coming Soon!

DWS/JJ -Coming Soon!

Observations

12 different recordings, 12 very different interpretations of the third movement, as we should expect. Again, no judgments are made as to which recording is better, each one is unique and carries much of value. However, I'd like to make a few observations:

1. The correct tempo for Verse 1 should be 8th note = 132. This is an error in both the original condensed score (1940) and the revised Fennell edition (1987). This error is obvious once one looks at the tempo marking for measure 51 ("Somewhat faster, quarter note = 80"). If one concedes that the opening tempo should be 8th = 132, that would make the quarter = 66, in which case this second tempo marker makes sense. Most all conductors stay pretty close to this tempo, while Fennell chooses to interpret this Verse with a much brisker tempo.

2. The use of soprano saxophone in Version A produces a sound that is perhaps not as reedy as Grainger would have intended, but it works. Not being a saxophone player, I'm not sure how they feel about performing this version on soprano as opposed to the other version.

3. The measure marked "linger" (m. 36) is an important one to me...in my mind's eye I picture a folksinger struggling to remember the lyrics and faltering the tempo at that point in the music. There is a great degree of variance from conductors on this measure.

4. Consequently, I think of the accented quarter note in the clarinets (m. 37) as the moment where the folksinger recapture the lyrics and gets back on track. I prefer to bring this note out a little bit, and I think Grainger would have wanted that...it is the only accented note in the clarinets for measures and measures on either side, and is marked "forte" at the top of a swell. Not many recordings I listened to brought this note out, and it is entirely possible that my relative "newness" at the game of Lincolnshire leads me to over-emphasize what is just a random accent...but until I see/read/hear good compelling thoughts to the contrary, I'll continue bringing this note out and treating it as both the peak of the previous musical thought, and the "back on track" moment the clarinets needed.

5. In both versions, the first of the interjections (trombones, m. 46 Version A; Clar. 3, Sax 2, trombones, euph, m. 46 Version B) is rushed at times. Fennell seems to be the only one to treat this interjection as a glissando. My only concern with that choice is that in subsequent measures, the same rhythm is performed by instruments who are not able to gliss, and we end up getting two different sounds for basically the same figure. Also, in both versions, the second set of interjections (triplet dotted 8th note/16th/8th pattern) is performed incorrectly at times (the 16th note on beat two is sometimes rushed, it should be slower than the triplet 16th note).

6. The trumpets are asked to triple tongue as fast as they can starting at m. 51. As far as I can tell, most bands choose to interpret this request in one of four ways:

a. They actually triple tongue as fast as they can.
b. They double tongue as fast as they can.
c. They flutter tongue.
d. They don't do any of that, and perform the ossia part, which is just a sustained pitch (on the same notes as the triple tonguing part would be).

As far as I could tell, not one recording got m. 54 right. This mini-fanfare is probably whiffed on because the trumpets are too busy concentrating on the multiple-tonguing in the previous measures. I prefer to see this measure as a sort of "arrival" point and try to get my trumpets to bring this out. This "fanfare" is immediately answered by horns, who swell to "ff" in the next measure.

7. The fourth verse is marked slightly slower than the third. Some conductors interpret this much slower, some go quite fast. I think the important thing here is to simply be "waywardly."

8. The trumpets, bassoons, bass clarinet, bass trombone, and tuba all have rhythmic augmentations of the earlier interjections. I like to bring these out a little, even though they are marked "piano."

9. Measures 81 and 82 are marked with "slow off lots." As you can imagine, this is interpreted in many different ways, especially at m. 82. The slower you conduct this measure, the more of a "gear change" it is to immediately pick up the original tempo (m.m. 66). The saxophones' accented quarter at m. 83 serves - to me at least - as another "back on track" moment, much like the clarinets way back in m. 37. I prefer to bring them out quite a bit before letting them retreat.

10. The final verse should be the same tempo as the first verse, though some conductors choose to take this one a little faster.

Summation

This movement is probably my favourite, if only because of the challenge it presents, and because of the many different ways in which it can be interpreted. I have chosen Version B for the upcoming Wind Symphony concert, and feel very comfortable with how the movement is coming along, though I know that I will continue to find things to improve and highlight not just in the next week or two, but in the next decade or two as I continue to study this landmark work.

Next on the docket, I will review Movement IV: The Brisk Young Sailor. In addition, as I run across stuff I may have forgotten to include, I will update this post (and previous ones). Thanks for reading, and please let me know if you have any questions, suggestions, observations, or criticisms by leaving a comment below. Until next time...

Songs from Lincolnshire, Part Two

2010-03-29T22:31:00.004-04:00

The Birmingham Symphonic Winds (Sir Simon Rattle)
Eastman Wind Ensemble (Frederick Fennell)
Eastman Wind Ensemble (Donald Hunsberger)
Florida State University Wind Orchestra (Richard Clary)
London Wind Orchestra (Dennis Wick)
North Texas Wind Symphony (Eugene Corporon)
Tokyo Kosei Wind Orchestra (Frederick Fennell)
United States Marine Band (Timothy Foley)
University of Georgia Wind Symphony (Dwight Satterwhite)
University of Kentucky Wind Ensemble (Richard Clary)
University of Michigan Symphony Band (Michael Haithcock)
Dallas Wind Symphony (Jerry Junkin)

As I said in the previous post, no "right/wrong" judgments on performance practice interpretations are made here, only observations, and biased ones at that, so keep it in mind! I'll be listening for tempi, stylistic decisions, adherence to the score as notated by Grainger, as well as things that I personally consider to be important facets of the movement in question.

BSW - Opening tempo seems a tad slower than quarter = 76, with plenty of rubato. There is very little rubato, however, at the ends of verses one and two, allowing for a more precise execution of the triplet quarter notes. There is some slight disagreement in tempo between the trumpet and the chord arrival at m. 25, owing perhaps to the soloist's highly rubato interpretation. The triplet quarter notes at m. 26 are a bit blurry, perhaps still owing to the rubato trumpet, which can be a concern. The accented beat four in m. 31 was weak, barely audible, but the pickup note into m. 32 (marked "heavy") was quite good. Unfortunately, the rest of the "heavy" figures that lead us down to the F were equally subdued. Sax and Horn line at m. 34 was solid. The sustained trumpet II and horn I line at m. 34 (and its accompanying grace note resolution were barely audible. The ending fermata was 7 seconds long, which is slightly less than twice the value of the note being held (whole note) in that tempo.

EWE/FF - Opening tempo hovers around m.m. 56, quite slow compared to the given tempo. There is plenty of rubato. Fennell does use a slight rubato at the end of Verse 1, and an even more distinct rubato at the end of Verse 2, making the performance of those triplet quarter notes a bit more challenging. The accented beat four in m. 31 was loud...maybe too loud and bright, and the subsequent "heavy" figures were good and loud...until the pickup to m. 34, where it gets buried under the tutti crescendo. Sax and Horn at m. 34 are clear, but not very strong. This could be a fault of the recording, as the chords in this measure sound very thin and top-heavy. The trumpet II and horn I line at m. 35 were established well, but didn't seem to swell as indicated in the score. The ending fermata was 6 seconds long, less than twice the value of the note being held.

EWE/DH - Opening tempo hovers around m.m. 66, with plenty of rubato. Some slight rubato at the end of verse 1, but the ensemble handles the triplet quarter notes well. The dotted 8th-16th figure in the upper woodwinds at m. 12 did not come across. Much more rubato at the end of Verse 2, and again, the ensemble handles it well. Snare is almost inaudible. The accented beat four in m. 31 was audible, not too loud, not too soft. The subsequent "heavy" figures were solid all the way to m. 34. The 16th note in the Sax/Horn at m. 34 is not distinguishable at all. The trumpet/horn line at m. 35 is audible at its start, but it does not swell. The ending fermata was 7 seconds long.

FSUWO/RC - Opening tempo is very close to m.m. 76. There is some rubato, and at the end of Verse 1, the ensemble handles it by holding the last of the quarter triplet notes slightly longer. The trumpet solo is very rubato, given lots of freedom by the conductor. Snare is almost inaudible. The accented beat four in m. 31 was loud and clear, the subsequent "heavy" figures seemed a bit dull/unaccented. The Sax/Horn line at m. 35 is clear, but the Trumpet/Horn sustained line seems to actually fade away instead of crescendo as asked. The ending fermata was 8 seconds long.

LWO/DW - Opening tempo is quite slow, around m.m. 60, with plenty of rubato that brings us even above the marked tempo (m.m. 76) at times. No rubato at the end of the first verse, however. The dotted 8th-16th figure is very distinct at m. 12, perhaps helped by the very obvious "break" between m. 11-12. This is the first recording I've heard where the accented notes at m. 14 clearly stand out. I think many conductors may shy away from this texture because it is woodwind-heavy and will tend toward brightness. Slight rubato at the end of Verse 2 leading into the extension. Snare is very soft, perhaps too much so. The accented beat four in m. 31 was weak, barely audible, the subsequent "heavy" figures a bit dull and unaccented. The Sax/Horn line (m. 34) is very solid, but the Trumpet/Horn line (m. 35) is barely there. The ending fermata was 6 seconds long.

NTWS/EC - Corporon nails the opening tempo, m.m. 76, though he does employ rubato throughout the verse (except at the end). Verse 2 is a bit brighter tempo-wise, and the dotted 8th-16th figure is subtle but noticeable. Slight rubato at the end of Verse 2 (very slight). This is the most aggressive recording I've heard of the beat 4 (m. 31) and subsequent heavy figures. Both are quite loud and noticeably heavy, though the bass trombone pushes the limits of edge at times. The Sax/Horn line (particularly the 16th note) could be more prominent, but the trumpet/horn line is well done, with just the right touch of crescendo. The fermata is just about 8 seconds long.

TKYO/FF - Opening tempo is pretty consistent with Fennell's earlier recording with EWE, coming in around m.m. 60, with plenty of rubato. Again, Fennell uses a slight rubato at the end of the first verse, and again at the end of the second verse. The snare is more clearly heard in Verse 3, perhaps thanks to the fact that Fennell was a percussionist? The beat four accent at m. 31 was hardly noticeable, and the "heavy" figures are subdued and lack urgency. The Sax/Horn figure (m. 35) is likewise subdued, while the trumpet can be heard quite clearly, taking a longer time to savour the grace note than most performances I've listened to. This is so far the longest fermata to end the piece, clocking in at 10 seconds.

USMB/TF - Foley's opening tempo is very close, m.m. 74 with only a slight hint of rubato. Like Corporon, Foley brightens up the tempo during the second verse, a tad closer to m.m. 78, with slightly more rubato. The snare drum in Verse 3 is a bit more prominent. Beat four (m. 31) accents are heard just fine, while the "heavy" figures are somewhat subdued. This is probably the clearest one can hear the Sax/Horn figure at m. 34, while the trumpet makes up for a soft opening by stretching the crescendo into the grace note at m. 35. The fermata is 7 seconds long.

UGAWS/DS - The opening quarter note is stretched longer than any other recording I've yet heard, given almost a dotted half note's worth of time, while the opening tempo clocks in around m.m. 66. This is hard to determine, however, because of the extreme rubato liberties Satterwhite takes with the opening verse. Another extreme bit of rubato to finish the first verse, but the ensemble nails the triplet quarter notes. Snare is clear in verse 3. Another extreme bit of rubato at the end of the verse, and again the ensemble executes it well. The "heavy" figures are strong and ponderous, the beat four accent (m. 31) is inaudible, however. The Sax/Horn figure at m. 34 is solid, but the trumpet is barely heard at m. 35 and 36. The fermata is roughly 8 seconds long.

UKWE/RC - Clary's opening tempo is once again very nearly spot on, m.m. 74, with some rubato. The dotted 8th-16th at m. 12 is somewhat blurred by the brighter tempo in Verse 2. Snare is quite clear in Verse 3. The trumpet takes quite a bit of liberty with the solo in this recording, topping out over m.m. 100 at times. The accent on beat four (m. 31) is quite clear, but the "heavy" passage gets buried under the melody. The horns and saxes attack m. 34 with gusto, and the trumpet sustain at m. 35 swells beautifully into the grace note resolution. The fermata is 9 seconds long.

UMSB/MH - Haithcock takes the opening verse of Horkstow Grange much slower than any other conductor listened to thus far, hovering around m.m. 50. Because of this slow tempo, there is little rubato used in the first verse. The second verse picks up speed, clocking in around m.m. 66, with some rubato now used. Snare drum is audible, trumpet solo is a little subdued and I could swear that the soloist articulates a triplet rhythm on the downbeat of m. 26 instead of the quarter note + grace note that is notated. Could be just a trick of the recording...any Wolverine Band members out there who played on this recording? Can anyone confirm (or deny)? The accent on beat four (m. 31) is clear and not overwhelming, the "heavy" passages are present but not overpowering. Horn/Sax part at m. 34 is loud at the 16th note, but the arrival note gets buried under the weight of the bass trombone. The fermata is 8 seconds long.

DWS/JJ -Like Haithcock, Junkin takes the opening tempo of this movement slower than most (roughly m.m. 54), and slows down quite a bit near the end of the verse. The second verse does not move quicker, it stays the same basic tempo with some rubato, particularly at the end. Snare drum is more pronounced here than in other recordings. Both the accented beat four (m. 31) and the "heavy" figures are played with a good deal of weight and aggression, an interpretation I am coming to like more and more. My only wish in this movement is that the Sax/Horn line at m. 34 had been played with the same amount of intensity. The trumpet swells very nicely from m. 35 into 36, and the fermata on the final chord is almost 10 seconds long.

Summation

12 different recordings, 12 very different interpretations of the second movement, as we should expect. Again, no judgments are made as to which recording is better, each one is unique and carries much of value. However, I'd like to make a few observations:

1. Grainger's tempo is precisely given (m.m. 76); however, he also added the words "slowly flowing" and "singingly," which both give a lot of leeway in terms of tempo once the piece kicks off. Most conductors start it off in the m.m. 68-76 range (none so far have taken it faster than that). Except for Satterwhite, none of the conductors hold the incipit any longer than written.

2. Some conductors choose rubato at the ends of verses, which can lead to performance problems with the triplet quarter notes not lining up. Most recordings I have, however, solve the problems that may exist and execute it well. It is something to be aware of if you're going to conduct this with high school musicians or any other performers that have counting/rhythm issues (I say this because this movement is often performed by young groups due to it being the "easiest" of the six to put together).

3. The dotted 8th-16th note figure at m. 12 is clearly a new idea at that point in the melody, and corresponds either to "often had threatened him before" (if Grainger set the second verse to the second stanza), or "Pity poor old Steeleye Span" (if Grainger set the second verse to the refrain). I would make the argument that the second stanza fits the music better, but in any case, the figure should be brought out.

4. The accented notes on beat four of m. 31 are the only accented notes in the measure (and in the several measures preceding and following them), I think Grainger wanted to hear those notes strongly, as a lead-in to the upbeat of beat four (the "heavy" figures). Some conductors instead blend the notes into a continuation of the main melody.

5. Some conductors bring out the "heavy" figures in the low voices, while some prefer to focus on the melody at this point. In addition, "heavy" means something different to each conductor, some choosing to express this by accent, some choosing to do so by the texture alone (note: The only accented note in the figure is the very last one, the pickup into m. 34).

6. The Alto II/Horn I-II part in m. 34 -which I feel helps to heighten the tension in this chord, is often buried under the weight of the melody, which is also accented.

7. The Trumpet II and Horn I-II sustained note from m. 34 into m. 35 is often not brought out. I wonder if this is because the part is written into the Trumpet II part, instead of the Trumpet I part? On the few recordings where you can hear the trumpet clearly, the horn is covered up.

8. The final fermata is marked "long" by Grainger, and should last at least 8 beats in the final tempo, if not more.

This movement is fresh on my mind today, as I just rehearsed it with the UGA Wind Symphony for an upcoming concert, and was very aware of some of the sections I discussed above, trying out different interpretations. Ultimately, as this is my first time performing the six-movement suite in its entirety, I am opting to take Grainger at his word as much as possible, and it is fascinating to hear the interpretations of conductors like Fennell, who must have conducted Lincolnshire Posy many dozens of times over his long career.

Next on the docket, I will review Movement III: Rufford Park Poachers. This one will take some time, as there are two different versions of the same movement to review, and there are a lot of nuances to take in. In addition, as I run across stuff I may have forgotten to include, I will update this post (and previous ones). Thanks for reading!

Songs from Lincolnshire, Part One

2010-03-25T17:27:00.005-04:00

Edit (29 March): Added Dallas Wind Symphony recording to the reviews.

Edit (27 March): Added University of Kentucky and University of Michigan recording to reviews, added overall observations on general performance practice of the first movement.

Lincolnshire Posy is generally acknowledged as one of the cornerstones of the wind repertory, along with the Holst military suites, Husa's Music for Prague, the Hindemith symphony, and a few other select works. Lincolnshire Posy was written in 1937, in response to a request from Edwin Franko Goldman. Goldman was very clear about what he wanted from Grainger, asking for "anything new for band, preferably something ... conceived for band."

It is not difficult to read between the lines in Goldman's request. This was still a time when major composers were almost exclusively writing for orchestral forces, and most of these composers would have answered this request from the American Bandmasters Association with a firm "no," or likely a transcription of a work originally written for orchestra.

Also keep in mind that this was a request, not a formal commission, which surely would have turned off many "serious" composers of the time. At the time of the request, Grainger was already well-known in the band world, having served in the US Army Bands during World War I. He had already composed a few works for band, most notably Lads of Wamphray March.

In this six-part series, I will take a look at each individual movement of Lincolnshire Posy, discuss the folksongs contained therein, and examine interpretations by several conductors, past and present. It is my hope that this series of blog posts will contain information that will help younger conductors (and band students!) looking to take on the challenges of this wonderful part of the band's culture and literature.

Movement I: Lisbon

Originally mistitled "Dublin Bay," Lisbon is essentially a sea chantey, set in a brisk 6/8 time "with plenty of lilt" (as instructed by Grainger himself on the opening page). Grainger's inspiration was a folksong sung to him by a Mr. Deane of Hibbaldstowe. He set four verses from the folksong.

PG originally set this tune for woodwind quintet in 1931, and this orchestration was created from even earlier sketches (some dating back to 1906) of a setting made for chorus.

Lyrics

1.
'Twas on a Monday morning, before the break of day.
Our ship she weighed her anchor boys, all for to sail away.
She went up to old Lisbon lads, for Lisbon we were bound,
for Lisbon's got some gardens there with pretty young girls all 'round.

2.
It's of a tender young man, who's in his blooming youth,
He went to his own lover's house, in bitter sighs and tears.
He went unto his own love's house to let her understand
That he was bound to leave his love unto some distant land

3.
"O William, dearest William, those words will break my heart!
Let you and I get married love, before that we do part.
For it's six long months you've courted me, I've been in love with you
So stay at home dear William, be kind and marry me."

4.
"Oh no my dearest Polly, that never can be so!
---------------------------------------------------- (forgotten lyric)
For the Queen she is in want of men, and I for one must go.
And for my very life my love, I dare not answer no."

Musical Analysis

Each one of the four stanzas above corresponds to a verse in Grainger's setting. The opening stanza is a set of stacked parallel Major Triads, the root (D-flat) notated in the bassoon and muted horn, and the remaining triad pitches notated in muted trumpets. The only variation during this first stanza is the addition of the soprano and alto saxophones in m. 14. This is a curious "reinforcement" of what Grainger is already asking the bassoon and horn to do, curious because it does not seem to fit the lyrics at that point in the music ("for Lisbon's got..."). However, they WOULD fit the lyrics perfectly at "pret-ty young girls all 'round..." which leads me to wonder if the lyrics were out of order when Mr Deane sang them for Grainger?

The second verse is a woodwind-heavy treatment of the melody, basically in 5 distinct parts:

A. Melody (Flute I and Bb Soprano Clarinet I)
B. Harmonic Treatment I (Flute II, Bb Soprano Clarinet II)
C. Harmonic Treatment II (Oboe, Eng. Hn, Alto Clarinet, Alto Sax I)
D. Harmonic Treatment w/Rhythmic Motive (Eb Soprano Clarinet, Bb Clarinet III, Bass Clar., Sop. Sax, Alto Sax II)
E. Rhythmic Motive (Bassoons, Tenor and Bari Sax, Euphonium, String Bass, and Timpani).

Considering the subject of the text in this stanza, it is an odd choice of orchestration for Grainger: Quite light and almost playful. Now, granted, it's not like I would expect Grainger to put this into a minor mode or something like that, but I would have thought PG may have made this section a tad darker sounding.

The third verse is a sort of meandering clarinet-led version of the melody, marked "gently." This verse also has the distinction of bearing another folksong, "The Duke of Marlborough," as a counter-melody beginning in m. 36. The bold "interruption" occurs at "will break my heart." The countermelody is a duplet figure, which set against the gentle 6/8 clarinets can be quite striking. Care must be taken not to allow the melody to be completely buried. It's almost as if Grainger was envisioning a dialogue here, the clarinets representing the fair maiden pleading with her lover, and the young lad thinking grand and heroic thoughts about the high seas.

The final verse continues in a gentle, almost wistful manner. One important thing to note here is a sustained A-flat held by the flutes (then the 2nd Alto Sax) that lasts until the end of the work. Another interesting bit of writing occurs in the Horn 1-2 part at measure 53. Here the horns are marked mp (as if from afar), which is Grainger's blue-eyed English version of "lontano." It's almost as if the sailor is waving goodbye to his love as the ship sails away. Indeed, the lyrics seem to bear it out in the fourth stanza, but there is some confusion here, as a portion of the lyrics in this stanza were forgotten by poor old Mr. Deane.

I have seen versions of the song that have the first line of the fourth stanza as the forgotten lyrics, and some with the second line as the forgotten portion (with "Oh no my dearest Polly" then used as the first line, as above). Because of this confusion and the forgotten lyric, it is impossible to say what PG truly intended the lontano horn to represent, we can only make educated guesses. It's also interesting to note that the horn figure is not a fragment of the melody, but rather of the counter-melody. If we take the "Duke" counter-melody to represent boldness, and adventure on the high seas, then perhaps we are correct in thinking that this fragment is indeed representative of a sad goodbye from far away, as the ship recedes into the horizon.

The final seven measures are an extension of the last two bars of the melody, as if the sailor is re-affirming his duty: "I dare not answer no." They also feature a return to duplet figures, but this time in the melody instead of the counter-melody. The final two measures consist of a suspension into an A-flat major chord, with the English Horn, Bb Soprano Clarinet III, and Tenor Sax providing the suspension.

Recordings

There are several high-quality recordings of Lincolnshire Posy available commercially, in addition to many non-commercial recordings available from several college and even high school bands. In this section I am going to talk about some of the interpretative decisions made in some of these recordings. The ensembles/conductors I have access to are the following:

The Birmingham Symphonic Winds (Sir Simon Rattle)
Eastman Wind Ensemble (Frederick Fennell)
Eastman Wind Ensemble (Donald Hunsberger)
Florida State University Wind Orchestra (Richard Clary)
London Wind Orchestra (Dennis Wick)
North Texas Wind Symphony (Eugene Corporon)
Tokyo Kosei Wind Orchestra (Frederick Fennell)
United States Marine Band (Timothy Foley)
University of Georgia Wind Symphony (Dwight Satterwhite)
University of Kentucky Wind Ensemble (Richard Clary)
University of Michigan Symphony Band (Michael Haithcock)
Dallas Wind Symphony (Jerry Junkin)

As you can see, it's a pretty good mix of ensembles and conductors. No "right/wrong" judgments on performance practice interpretations are made here, only observations, and biased ones at that, so keep it in mind! I'll be listening for tempi, stylistic decisions, adherence to the score as notated by Grainger, as well as things that I personally consider to be important facets of the movement in question.

BSW - Opening Tempo hovered around dotted quarter = 108. The bassoons and horns are clearly heard, establishing the root of the stacked triad melody. The sax "instrusion" at m. 14 sounded weak and under-supported. The "Duke"counter-melody was very legato and a bit on the soft side, however, the "surprise" forte chord at m. 60 is one of the better ones I've heard. Despite Grainger's instructions to "slow off slightly" (from an initial notated tempo of dotted quarter = 116), this conductor slowed down to over half that tempo, around dotted quarter = 54. This is a pattern we will see again and again when it comes to this movement.

EWE/FF - Opening tempo was pretty steady at dotted quarter = 118. The muted trumpets are somewhat louder in this recording than the horns/bassoons, possibly leading the ear to identify a different tonal center. Saxophone "intrusion" was at most mezzo-forte. "Duke" counter-melody was very strong and heroic, though curiously, all of the players articulated the last quarter note of m. 40 as if it had a staccato on it. At the end Fennell also slows down tremendously, from the leisurely m.m. 118 pace he set earlier to m.m. 48, spending a tremendous amount of time on the measure before the suspension (70), and then on the suspension itself.

EWE/DH - Easily the fastest version of "Lisbon" that I have ever heard, Hunsberger swings this puppy at dotted quarter = 138, almost 20 beats faster than what PG asked for! It gives the movement a frantic, frenetic feel to me, and would make the singing of the accompanying lyrics quite interesting. The "Duke" counter-melody is somewhat subdued, almost as if it is being played mf instead of forte. The forte chord at m. 60 is equally subdued. The ending "ritardando" is -if anything- even slower than Fennell's. I'd give you an exact metronome marking, but my trusty Dr. Beat won't go that slow, which means it must have been under m.m. 35. Hunsberger spent an especially long amount of time relishing in the suspension at m. 71.

FSU/RC - Opening tempo is steady at dotted quarter = 120. The saxes at m. 14 are heard quite clearly. Curiously, the second verse's tempo is about 8 beats faster. Like the BSW version, the "Duke" counter-melody sounds a bit subdued. Good representation from the lower voices on the chord at m. 60, but higher voices were lacking (could be an effect of the recording, which is not of a high quality). As almost all other conductors listened to thus far, Clary slows down to approximately m.m. 44 in the waning measures.

LWO/Wick - This is the slowest version of the first movement that I've heard, topping out at roughly dotted quarter = 108. It gives the melody a "stateliness" that other versions do not have, but I am not sure that it is what PG would have wanted. At times, the "lilt" asked for by PG is lost under the weight of the other beats. The saxophone entrance is positively subdued, likely an effect caused by the already loud volume of the opening statement. The "Duke" counter-melody is -dare I say it- downright wimpy, and the muted trumpet swells and wanes in intensity at random spots. This is one of the few times I've heard the counter-melody (in bassoon, Bb Clar III, and Alto/Bass Clarinets) at m. 50 take precedence over the main melody. the chord at m. 60 is well-represented and strong. Wick is the first conductor I've listened to that slows off only slightly, as asked for in the score. Of course, "slightly" is a relative term here, as he still slows down to roughly m.m. 64.

NTWS/EC - Opening tempo averages out around dotted quarter = 122, saxophone intrusion is quite strong and pronounced, the way I envision it when I read through the score in my head. The "Duke" counter-melody is both loud and heroic, each note of the entrance accented. Here as in the LWO recording, the counter-melody at m. 50 seems to be emphasized over the main melody. I'm beginning to like it. The chord at m. 60 pops out at you then quickly recedes. Final tempo bottoms out at around m.m. 50, and it sounds as if Corporon begins to slow down a measure or two earlier than the other conductors listened to thus far.

TKWO/FF - Opening tempo was pretty steady at dotted quarter = 120, only two beats faster than Fennell conducting EWE nearly 20 years earlier. The saxophone intrusion at m. 14 is loud and clear, "very sticky" as Fennell would have said. Very heroic-sounding "Duke" counter-melody, though there is a wide gap between the dotted quarter notes at m. 43. Fennell slows down to about m.m. 46, pretty close to how he performed this work with the EWE. While the EWE recording was definitely done prior to his new edition, I wonder if this TKWO recording was done after he had published the new edition?

USMB/TF - Foley practically nails the opening tempo here, coming in at dotted quarter = 115. The saxophone part is solid. The "Duke" counter-melody is strong and very much in character. The forte chord at m. 60 is not only strong, but you can clearly hear the clarinet melody over the top of it. Foley slows down to roughly m.m. 56 at the end, well under the initial tempo.

UGAWS/DS - Satterwhite nails the tempo dead on at m.m. 116, however, there is a curious lag in between each line of the verse (e.g., every four measures)...it sounds very much like he is holding back at each cadential point. The sax intrusion is loud and clear. The "Duke" counter-melody can't be called subdued, but it is also not very strong, inhabiting a middle ground. Same goes for the forte chord at m. 60, it is not necessarily weak, but it certainly is not forte. Satterwhite does win the prize for the slowest ending, or at the very least gives Hunsberger a run for his money, slowing down to a point by m. 70 that I can't track it with my metronome.

UKWE/RC - Opening tempo is right at dotted quarter = 116. Muted trumpets seem to dominate the texture of the opening verse. The alto sax intrusion is loud but not forced. As is the case with the FSU Wind Orchestra recording, Clary takes the second verse a tad faster, roughly m.m. 124, so it is obviously an artistic choice. The rhythmic motive (identified as E above) is very subdued in this verse. The "Duke" countermelody is heroic without being too loud (we can still clearly hear the melody behind it). Same for the forte chord at m. 60 (I think I prefer this chord louder than most). Clary slows down to roughly m.m. 56 at the end.

UMSB/MH - Opening tempo is a tad slower than dotted quarter = 116, hovering around m.m. 112. The bassoon texture has been emphasized here, and we can barely hear the horn. The saxophone "intrusion" is wonderful! In my opinion, just the right amount of "sass" to it, like that smart aleck kid talking back to a teacher as they walk away! The second verse is wonderfully clear, I feel like I can hear each of the five different voices that make up the whole, though I personally could have used a tad more trumpet at m. 28. I love that Haithcock brings out the meandering bassoon/bass clarinet/3rd and alto clarinet figures at. ms. 34-38. The "Duke" counter-melody theme, however, didn't sound very as urgent to me as some of the other recordings. At least in the beginning, because it certainly delivers at the end. The forte chord at m. 60 is brought out, but sounds top-heavy to me...and I swear I hear a trumpet in that chord, even though there is none written. The ending tempo hovers around m.m. 54, in line with almost everyone else's interpretations.

DWS/JJ - Opening tempo is around m.m. 120, the saxophone "intrusion" is quite good, very much like the Michigan recording. The "Duke" counter-melody is strong but not accented. It appears that many conductors like to interpret it this way. The horn call ("from afar") is almost too soft, or perhaps it is the meandering melody that is too loud. The chord at m. 60 is full and strong, well-balanced. Junkin relishes in the suspension in the final measures, bringing the tempo down to roughly m.m. 44. One note about this recording: It sounds like they are using a real baritone horn, instead of a euphonium substitute.

Summation

So there in a nutshell is a review of 12 recordings I have available to me at the moment. No judgments are made as to which recording is better, each one is great in its own way. A few observations can be made here:

1. There are obviously a lot of differing opinions on how to approach the alto sax "intrusion" at m. 14, with some conductors blending it into the texture, and some asking for it to dominate the orchestration at that point in the music. My personal preference (and please note, this is just a personal preference, I am certainly am not an authority on the music of Grainger) is to bring out the sax a little more...it is marked "f" by Grainger, and I have to imagine that with his fondness for saxophone, he wanted this texture to be heard.

2. The "Duke of Marlborough" counter-melody at m. 36 is also approached differently by many conductors, with some opting for a very aggressive and accented interpretation, and some opting for a more subdued, "speak softly but carry a big stick" style. I am not entirely sure where my preference lies on this section, but I think I like hearing a more aggressive style. After all, this particular folksong was about a boastful man, and Grainger has marked it "heroic." However, I do still like to hear the melody being played behind it, as well as the interesting "meander" in the bassoon and bass clarinet at m. 35, then third and alto clarinets at m. 37.

3. Some conductors bring out the gentle counter-melody in the third verse, m. 50, while some bury it under the continuing main melody. After several listens, I think I like focusing a tad more on the counter-melody, but I still want the melody to be heard clearly.

4. I think there are a lot of differing opinions on the forte chord at m. 60. My personal opinion is that it is a wonderfully quirky chord (it's a D7 chord stuck in the middle of a predominantly A-flat Mixolydian mode, set in the key of D-flat!) and Grainger is asking for it to be played accented and "forte" ("mf" in the brass) in contrast to the "mp" the section has been in up until that point, so it should be brought out, and then -as asked for in the score- retreated from quickly.

5. The ending seems to be the furthest deviance from Grainger's instructions. The last six measures ask for the music to "slow off slightly" (Grainger's way of saying "ritardando"), yet most conductors are certainly taking quite a deal of liberty with the tempo at the end, mostly in order to savour the taste of the A-flat suspension and resolution. I will admit that this is how I too conduct it, also in order to savour the suspension, but I may start exploring only a slight ritardando. After all, Grainger is not shy about asking for a big change in tempo ("slow off lots"), and I think that if he wanted it to slow down that much, he would have certainly instructed us to do so. I am undecided on this one, and will have to experiment with it.

Checking quickly on iTunes, I notice additional recordings by the U.S. Air Force Band, the Amherst Wind Ensemble, the Peabody Conservatory Wind Ensemble, and many more.

If anyone has any recommendations (and you've made it down to the end of this post!) I would love to hear them...I was recently given a $40 iTunes gift card, and it is burning a hole in my digital pocket.

Next, I will review Movement II: Horkstow Grange. In addition, as I run across stuff I may have forgotten to include, I will update this post. Thanks for reading!

Relatively new work: Midnight in Buenos Aires

2010-02-18T15:03:00.000-05:00

I first came across this work when I spent a year on a fellowship at the University of Louisville with Fred Speck. This performance is perhaps not as polished as the Louisville Wind Ensemble's performance of it, which was quite good, but it gives you an idea of the piece. I think it's a work that should get a little more attention.

The recording is in two parts. Ladies and gents, I present to you Adam Gorb's Midnight in Buenos Aires.

Transcriptions

2010-02-10T20:17:00.000-05:00

A while back, I was included in a Facebook "conference call" message, courtesy of my friend Eric. Eric was making a rather good analogy relating transcriptions to movies adaptations from books. His contention was that there were three basic categories in each:

1. Fantastic (Improves on the original)
2. Good (they are faithful adaptations)
3. Terrible (too much is changed from the original)

By the way, these "labels" are not Eric's, they are mine, so all blame and/or harassment should come to me, not Eric, whom I hope will post a followup to this and perhaps include the original thought process that led him to this (as well as clean up after me, since I feel I am not doing a good job expressing what you wrote, Eric, and Facebook has alas deleted the message for me. How nice of them.

So, in that vein...what are some of your favourite transcriptions? What are some you feel fell really short of the mark? What are some you feel actually improved on the original (which I understand is quite a subjective opinion)?

Feel free to talk a little about what you think makes them good/bad...have at it!

On the March...

2010-02-04T12:25:00.000-05:00

The dictionary defines the word march as "a piece of music composed to accompany marching or with a rhythmic character suggestive of marching." And for all intents and purposes, this is how marches started off, though I think it is safe to say that the genre evolved somewhat from that point: I very much doubt that composers who write a march today are doing so envisioning a parade band like Sousa and Fillmore did. No, mostly, I believe newer marches are done to emulate the style that has been set down previously by march composers...not always, however.

When we discuss marches, you have to mention John Phillip Sousa, Henry Fillmore, Karl King, Harry Alford, Kenneth Alford, and many others. But even "mainstream" composers tried their hand at the march, often with mixed results. Samuel Barber's Commando March is a well-known gem, but how many people really know Sir Malcolm Arnold's H.R.H. The Duke of Cambridge? How about Hanson's March Carillon? We know Prokofiev's March, Op. 99 and Saint-Saens' Occident et Orient, but what about Khachaturian's Soviet Police March (not to be confused with Shostakovich's slightly-better known march of the same name)?

I have an affinity for marches...perhaps in part to where I grew up and went to school. In Florida, the FBA (Florida Bandmasters Association) festival process dictates that you must open with a march (in addition to two selections of your own choosing from the FBA Music List). In this manner, I was introduced to many, many marches, from the easy (Ted Mesang's Sturdy Men and Little Champ, Walter Finlayson's Storm King) to the deceptively difficult (Boccalari's Il Bersagliere, Chovi's Pepita Greus) to the downright difficult (Barber's Commando March).

I get the feeling that many of today's band students don't care for marches...and I can only imagine that this feeling is reinforced by the way some band directors feel about them. It is quite possible to go to an entire year's worth of University band concerts and not hear a single march....and this is a shame. The march is our heritage! Unfortunately, there are plenty of conductors who are looking to shy away from this heritage in favour of being "the next orchestra." It ain't gonna happen...and in the process, we are overlooking a genre that can teach MUCH about music.

I loved going to festivals as a high school director in Florida, because nothing can tell me more about the shape a band was in than the march. Can the band articulate cleanly? Do they have good balance and blend? Can they play in tune and adjust the proper pitches in the trio section to be found in many marches? Do they shape the lines? All these questions can be answered by the majority of the march selections to be found in the typical high school band.

I am a college director now, and I still try to include at least one march during each semester, if not one during every program. They make great openers, but they also make great encores, especially the old favourites of Sousa. Nothing can get an audience tapping their feet quite like a march can, and I hope anyone reading this (all three of you) will make a renewed effort to discover marches you may not be aware of. I'll help out by providing a list of some of my favourites...I hope you will do the same, so that we may all learn new music:

Abschied der Slawin (also known as "Farewell, Slava") by Wassily Agapkin
A great Russian march, complete with minor mode melodies, and a daunting key signature.

National Emblem by E.E. Bagley.
One of the old standards that is not played as often these days. Features variations on the Star Spangled Banner. Can be found in several editions now.

Commando March by Samuel Barber
The only work for winds by Pulitzer Prize-winning Samuel Barber. Not your typical march, and quite difficult but rewarding.

Il Bersagliere (also known as "Italian Riflemen" by Eduardo Boccalari.
A surprisingly difficult Italian march, despite its easy pace. Must have a great trumpet section.

Symphonic Concert March by Giaccomo Bonelli.
Not really a quick-step march, this concert march is a tad on the long side, and is quite challenging on the woodwind front, but it is full of some very endearing melodies.

British Eighth by Zoe Elliot
One of my favourite marches, a regal march in the British style. Not terribly difficult technique-wise.

Hoch und Deutschmeister by Dominik Ertl
A great little German march that is not too difficult, though it only has Eb Horn part (unless a new edition has come out with F parts).

Valdres March by Johannes Hanssen
Has a very atypical trumpet and snare drum opening.

Brighton Beach by William Latham
Very cute march that isn't a challenge for most high school players. This march has plenty of nice melodic writing, and should be considered by all conductors.

March, Op. 99 by Sergei Prokofiev
One of my favourite marches from one of my favourite composers. Very quirky, and requires a solid trumpet section (or at least a solid duo).

Let's have some of your favourites!

Quality Music for "Younger" Wind Players...

2010-01-30T21:04:00.002-05:00

In my previous blog post (specifically, in the comments section), I mentioned that I would take a look at quality literature that was not too difficult, the kind of music playable by great middle school bands and/or moderate ability high school/college programs. I've identified a few works that are -my opinion- very nicely crafted and great additions to the repertory. I'll be curious to get your impressions, dear reader, of these works, as well as your own contributions.

I think first we will start with a few composers who are well-known for writing music at a lower difficulty level than, say, your Maslankas and Schwantners of the world. One of the first names that jumped into my head when thinking about this ability level was Clare Grundman.

Grundman is also known for his transcriptions of Bernstein, but for this post we'll focus on what I feel are some of his greatest contributions to our literature:

A Welsh Rhapsody: This is one of the earliest pieces I can remember playing in band. We played it at good ol' Carver Middle School in Miami, Fl...Jan Jerus was my first band director. I didn't hear this piece again for almost 15 years after that, when I was a band director myself, and needed something easy for my third band to play at a Fall Concert. It fit the bill nicely, and it was still as "cute" as I remembered it: Easily in the ranges of all the instruments, and chockful of beautiful Welsh melodies.

Kentucky 1800: This is another of Grundman's great works for younger players. I feel that this (and the work above) probably gets a bad rap because of how often it has been played, but...in this regard, it is no different than the Holst Suites, which are also played often.

Hebrides Suite: This is a bit more difficult than the two above, but still well within the wheelhouse of most high school programs, and some exceptional middle school programs. At about 6:30, it is longer than the two above by a couple of minutes, but its construction is good, the melodies are easy to remember, and there is plenty of stuff to teach about music to be found in its pages.

Another composer that did a nice job writing Grade III and IV works was William Latham. Latham's best known work is probably his Three Chorale Preludes (which is actually quite difficult musically), but his march Bristol Beach is a fantastic piece of work, and a bit more interesting than the usual easy Karl King marches. Court Festival is another nice one by Latham, this one is four movements, each in a very different style, mimicking music from the Renaissance period. I have never done the research so I don't know if Latham actually used music from this period (maybe something out of the Danserye or the Terpsichore?), but if he didn't, he is to be commended even more for making it SOUND like he did. Latham did lay a few eggs (Plymouth Variations, Proud Heritage is meh), but when he brought it, he BROUGHT IT, if you know what I mean.

Speaking of Renaissance-era music, one composer who has absolutely NAILED that genre is Bob Margolis . His settings of Belle Qui Tans Ma Vie (Arbeau) and The Battle Pavane (Susato) are technically very easy, but musically harder than they appear. His Renaissance Fair is also full of wonderful, idiomatic writing, and Fanfare, Ode, and Festival is easily attainable by younger musicians as long as their conductor is willing to put in the work.

Frank Ticheli is a well-known composer, particularly well-known for Blue Shades, Postcard, and his Symphony No. 2, but he has also penned a few relatively easy works for winds that are of high quality.

Fortress: This work uses a theme that is built from the interval of a tritone. It's an easy Grade IV, though it can present problems that a good conductor should be able to steer around.

Cajun Folksongs, Part I: Another nice work in two contrasting movements. The second movement is tricky because of the asymmetrical meter, but hey: Just another chance to teach a musical concept. Not everything has to be in 4/4 time and in B-flat or E-flat.

Some random hits from a few other composers:

On a Hymnsong of Philip Bliss - David Holsinger. A little overplayed, but quite nice.

Night Dances - Bruce Yurko. It sounds much harder than it is, and a lot of that has to do with Yurko's scoring. In places it sounds like Schwantner, and frankly, since younger players are never really going to get a chance to do ...and the mountains rising nowhere, this is a great work to give them a taste of that style.

A Little Night and Day Music - Samuel Adler. An oldie but a goodie that doesn't get played very often (I think it may be out of print).

Foster's America - David Gillingham. This is a fantastic little piece. I promise you, your kids will be humming the main melodies within one rehearsal. I've used it now for two Honor Band gigs, and it was a big hit both times. The second movement is one of the prettiest things I've heard written for winds, regardless of grade level.

Mysterious Village and Old Churches - Michael Colgrass. Two easier works (written specifically for young band) by a Pulitzer Prize winner. You can't ask for better than that. These are written in Colgrass' unique style, and it would be far, far better to play one of these than to play one of the "formula" pieces that Hal Leonard and JW Pepper load up on their sampler CDs.

Ye Banks and Braes O' Bonnie Doon and Australian Up-Country Tune - Percy Grainger. Most of Grainger's music is unplayable by less-skilled performers, and even these two present fatigue challenges as well as other musical challenges, but they are great pieces of music that should be programmed more often.

Arioso - Clifton Williams. A nice little 3-minute work, complete with several trademark Clifton Williams moments. Yes, the Euphonium part calls for a high G, but the rest of the orchestration is well within normal tessitura for young band. And, again, any Clifton Williams >>>> Formula Composer Music.

I suppose one could also toss Ron Nelson's Courtly Airs and Dances here, particularly since it was commissioned by a middle school band. The entire suite can present some difficulties, but selected movements are achievable by younger bands.

Opinions? Suggestions? Thinly veiled threats?

The First Post

2010-01-29T12:54:00.003-05:00

The first post of a new blog is always a tricky situation. Make it too snarky, and people are less likely to come back. Make it too bland, and it falls in the heap pile of blogs that go unnoticed. A delicate balance is hard to strike, but I'm convinced that the key is to not try too hard. That being said, I'm going to start with a question that has been on my mind for the last week, following a conversation with conductor/clinician/composer Joseph Kreines.

In your opinion, what is the "best" composition written for winds (wind ensemble, symphonic band, orchestral winds, chamber winds, etc.) in the past ten years?

When I first discussed this with Joe, two pieces came to mind:

Wolf Rounds by Christopher Rouse, and Symphony No. 2 "Ten of a Kind" by David Rakowski. Joe's opinion was that it was the Gran Duo by Magnus Lindberg. I was embarrassed to find that I did not know it very well, so I did what I had to do: Bought it on iTunes.

Joe knows what he is talking about. Gran Duo is a magnificent work, utilising the same instrumentation as Stravinsky's Symphonies of Wind Instruments, but managing to be less abrasive and quite inviting. I found a link to it on YouTube as well, for those who want to give it a test spin before purchasing it, but I will tell you: It is worth it. Alas, you won't find the Rakowski or the Rouse, but the Rakowski was recorded by the Marine Band a couple of years ago, and I believe that the Frost Wind Ensemble (Gary Green, conductor) recorded the Rouse.

Being a modern lifestyle kinda guy, I immediately posted the question on Facebook and received a few interesting possible additions (along with the requisite philosophical meanderings) to the list:

Ecstatic Waters (Steven Bryant)
Aurora Awakes (John Mackey)

-I discounted these two above for two reasons: a) they are VERY new, and I don't think I've digested them enough yet, and b) I know both these guys, and didn't want my biases to play into it. Although, for the record, I dig both of these works.

Come Memory (Donald Grantham)
Desert Roads (David Maslanka)
Circus Maximus (John Corigliano)

I can't say that I've been a huge fan of the Grantham, but it's playing on iTunes right now, and I am coming to enjoy it more and more. This happens sometimes with certain pieces, almost as if my mind's not quite ready to take them in. It happened with Rodney Rogers' Air Mosaic most recently.

I think the Maslanka is absolutely beautiful, but like a lot of his stuff, a little too long for its length, if'n you know what I mean. Still, it's hard to not like it...he does some wondrous things with the clarinet and the textures behind it.

The Corigliano is the one that probably will receive the most criticism on this list, but it is what it is: A Spectacle. It's SUPPOSED to be. All the spectacle aside, however, you have to admit that there are some great moments in it, and the Prayer movement is a thing of beauty.

So what say you? What do you have to add to the list? Don't just list something, tell us why you feel the way you do about it. It may be that you're helping introduce people to music that needs a wider audience.