My listening presentation will take you on a journey through some of my favorite pieces, pieces by people I have a connection with, and pieces that I found will creating this playlist. There is a wide variety between horn ensemble, brass quintet, Finnish septet, horn and rock band, and finally large brass ensemble. I hope you enjoy!
Kerry Turner is an American born composer that is quite well known in the world of horn. In 1985, he joined the American Horn Quartet and started to compose for the group, as well as for various different chamber ensembles. This piece, Take 9 Antiphonal Fanfare, was composed as an opener for a concert, or in this case, this album. Original conceived for 9 horns, a version for double brass quintet also exists.
Quintet for Brass - Andres Luz
Andres Luz is an up and coming Filipino-American composer. Among the many influences that inform his music, Dr. Luz cites folkloric elements of his Filipino-American heritage which have served as the source of inspiration for a number of his works. His Quintet for Brass, Op. 15 I had the pleasure of reading and helping edit during my Master's in 2019. This recording is performed by the University of Georgia Bulldog Brass Society. Andres wanted this work to have VERY CONTRASTING movements going from one to the other--one of the major tenets of the Postmodernist aesthetic: variety/discontinuity/diversity. He asked for our comments on the entire piece as a whole, but especially the third movement. He was curious if it was too tough to perform or listen too. He has thoughts on discarding it for a more "scherzo" like movement, but is unsure.
The score can be found here and parts can be found here.
Adam Wolf is a horn player, composer, and arranger based in the Los Angeles, California area. He created the group the Rock Horn Project, a quasi-rock band with French horn as the lead soloist. Unbreakable is the second album released by the group. I had the great fortune of studying with Adam during my Master's at the University of Redlands. Unfortunately, he didn't teach me how to play any of this stuff... nor did he write any of the solos down.
Jean Sibelius was a Finnish composer of the late Romantic and early modern periods of composition.
He composed this work in 1889, originally for the traditional Finnish brass septet, a format which had arisen in the second half of the 19th century. A typical Finnish septet consisted of a cornet in E flat, two cornets in B flat, an alto horn in E flat (tenor horn), a tenor horn in B flat (baritone horn), euphonium and tuba. This performance is by Solna Brass, which is a Swedish Brass Band, conducted by Lars-Gunnar Bjorklund.
An original work for brass by one of the giants of 19th/20th century international music is a great gift, yet there are very few recordings of the piece out there. An article in the Historic Brass Society Newsletterexplores the Finnish septet and how many of the scores went unpublished, though some manuscripts still survive in various archives. The Overture in F Minor was donated by the Sibelius family to the University of Helsinki after his death.
Another piece by Kerry Turner, this time The Casbah of Tetouan. The original version consists of five horns, but he rearranged it for brass quintet. The Casbah of Tetouan was conceived during a visit to Morocco in the summer of 1988. Kerry Turner offers the following anecdote:
A Visit to the Casbah
“As we crossed the Straits of Gibraltar and first laid eyes on the North African coast, I knew we were in store for an adventure! The city of Tetouan was our destination. We soon stood before its main gates. The many exotic new sights overran our senses as we entered the city, complementing the wild sounds and smells of the bustling ancient city. After proceeding only a few feet past hobbled live chickens, we soon became completely immersed in the endless, tiny alleys of the Casbah.
Labyrinth
The Casbah was a labyrinth of tunnels and passageways, lined with vendors and shops the size of walk-in closets. Anything was for sale, including copperware, sacks of spices and grains, and silk. Street butchers displayed slaughtered lambs, goats and pigs, and a snake charmer with his cobra unnerved the unwary passerby. Things began to swim before my eyes somewhere around the urine-treated leather goods.
Feeling Ill
After I informed the guide that I was ill, a young boy escorted me to a quiet place. The boy knew every secret passage and shortcut in the Casbah. He led me through even tinier streets and tunnels, across nomad camps, and even through a kitchen! We sailed through the back door of a mosque, and out the other side. Finally we entered a large, dark and cool house, which seemed to be some sort of palace. The boy led me to a back room and laid me down upon a bed of large pillows. I passed out.
Disoriented
I awoke thoroughly disoriented. The first things I saw were six elaborately cloaked elderly men, wildly discussing in Arabic what possibly was wrong with me, I heard exotic music and aromatic food assailed my senses. After closer observation I discovered I was in a fancy restaurant, being entertained by a belly dancer. Somehow my wife and brother found me and we resumed our inspection of Tetouan. I still felt lightheaded and rather doped by the “therapeutic” tea; my impressions of the city were somewhat hallucinogenic.”
– Kerry Turner
Ouverture pour une Cérémonie - Eugene Bozza
Performance by the Northwestern University Chamber Ensemble
Eugene Bozza was a French composer and violinist. He was one of the most prolific writers for wind chamber music. Ouverture pour une Cérémonie was composed and published in 1963. Modern publications indicate that it has been rescored or reduced to: 3 Trumpets, 4 Horns, 3 Trombones, Bass Trumpet, Tuba and Percussion. The original version was composed for brass, saxophones, and percussion.
"In 1950, Bozza moved to Valenciennes, where he served as directory for the conservatory. While holding this position, Bozza continued to composer -- especially for his students and staff -- which led to the creation of Ouverture pour une Cérémonie, written for brass, saxophones and percussion. Its foundation centers on a passacaglia presented in the timpani and low brass in a march style. Listen for its development toward two sets of chorales that are separated by a variety of smooth and succinct motifs, eventually leading to its grandiose pavillon en l'air -- or "flag in the air" -- finale."
- Program Note from University of North Texas Wind Studies Chamber Winds concert program, 18 November 2020
Ping Pong - Billy May
To close out my listening presentation, he is "Ping Pong" is an original work composed by Billy May.
Following the theme of my blog, this arrangement is performed by Billy May's Big Fat Brass on the album of the same name.
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