Chorale Preludes in Modern Settings Movement 1

I have begun work on a 15-20 minute composition for a four-part flute ensemble at an intermediate (early high school) level. The piece is called "Chorale Preludes in Modern Settings" that would have five to eight short movements where each movement would be based on a hymn or hymns and would use the hymn in a creative manner, rather than just a chorale-like setting. The music would still be mostly tonal and lyrical. Each Chorale Prelude can be performed individually and the composition short work equally as well in a church or concert setting.

The required instrumentation is at least 3 flutes plus a 4th flute, alto flute, and/or bass flute as these three instruments play the same line. There is also an optional piccolo part that mostly doubles the first flute an octave higher in spots.

The first chorale is Now Thank We All Our God. After a two-measure festive introduction, a two-beat fragment of the tune is treated in imitation for four measures. This is followed by two measures of festive music and then the last two measures of the first phrase of the tune. A slight shift in tonality brings in a setting of the third phrase of the tune at measures 11 - 18. Measures 1 - 8 returns at measure 19 but down a step for the first two measures. A four measure interlude that is slightly dissonant ushers in another variation of the tune that lasts until measure 42. The four measure interlude brings the listener to the final variation where the low flutes have the tune stated in augmentation while the upper flutes do the festive tune and fragments in imitation. Measure 69 introduces some chromatically altered chords that build in tension and excitement until the end.

I export my Sibelius Music Notation file as a movie (new to version 7.5). I also use Noteperformer software for the sounds. These are sample sounds, but the software also includes an algorithm that reads ahead in the music and phrases the music according to context, therefore making the realization closer to live performance. I  upload these videos to youtube and embed the video for each movement. I hope that this technology allows the reader to have an easier experience and a more realistic performance. To see and hear what I have discussed, go to http://www.cooppress.net/Chorale_Preludes_blog.html. 

As always, your comments are appreciated.
Dr. B

Wonderland Versions

I am now in the process of creating the various version of Wonderland for the commissioning consortium participants. I started with the quartet versions, then I'll do the quintet versions, then the trio with piano versions, and finish up with the generic version that would have parts A, B, C, and D written for a spectrum of instruments in the S, A, T, B range. This version could be used with any S, A, T, B range combination. I am almost finished with the quartet versions. Here is a list of the instrumentation of the project participants:

Reed Quintet
Flute, Clarinet, Horn, Bassoon/Bass
SATB Sax Quartet
Flute, Oboe, Clarinet, Bassoon (optional Horn)
Piano, Violin, Flute
String Quartet
Viola Ensemble
Flute, Saxophone, Piano
Brass Quintet
Clarinet Quartet (3 clars., 1 BC)
Clarinet Choir (3 clars. Bs. Clar. CB clar)

As you can see, I have my work cut out for me, but fortunately notational software programs make this easier to do. I only need to adjust ranges, articulation, and dynamics. For the quintet versions, I need to divide some of the music among 5 instead of 4 instruments, maybe consider some doubling of parts, and maybe create an enhanced or simplified line or add some additional harmony. There are a lot of possibilities. For the trio versions with piano, I will need to put two of the parts in the piano and maybe add some harmony. I will definitely need to try to make the music more pianistic.

To see and hear Wonderland, go to http://www.cooppress.net/Wonderland_blog.html. I am still accepting groups to join the consortium and will do so until the versions are completed which expect to have done by the end of June. Visit http://www.cooppress.net/page9/index.html for more information.

As always, your comments are appreciated.
Dr. B

Looking for ideas

I am looking for ideas for the next Co-op Press Commissioning Consortium project and would like to draw upon the collective wisdom of my readers for suggestions regarding instrumentation and ability level. The way our consortia work is for interested parties to agree to pay a small “refundable” participation fee upon receipt of a pdf copy of the music. The fee will be refunded when you send us a program and recording of the performance. The participating groups have the right to a local premiere for one year following the receipt of the composition and inclusion of the group name in the dedication. 
For more information about our consortia and to make a suggestion, please visit http://www.cooppress.net/page9/index.html

Thanks for your help.
 


Dr. B

Wonderland Movement 6

I have completed the 6th and final movement of this new composition for an ensemble of 3-5 instrumentalists. I am composing the piece for four unspecified instruments, one each in the soprano, alto, tenor, and bass ranges. This gives me flexibility in reducing the score for an ensemble of 3 instrumentalists or enlarging it for 5 instrumentalists. I can also combine lines and add harmony to accommodate a pianist within the group. I will customize the music for each of the participating ensembles in the commissioning consortium by varying the ranges, changing keys, changing articulation, and adjusting the balance as needed. For more information about joining the consortium, please go to http://www.cooppress.net/page9/index.html

The sixth movement is called the Queen of Hearts. I originally intended to do a movement on the Queen of Hearts and a separate movement as an Epilogue where Alice wakes up and remembers her dream. Instead, I have combined these two into one since the Queen of Hearts is present is so many scenes in the story. 

I began by creating some regal sounding music. In measure 8, I introduce a triplet figure followed by a half note. This motive I call the "off with their heads" motive because the rhythm mirrors the words and the harmony is somewhat dissonant. The regal music continues through measure 24 and the "off with their heads" motive appears more frequently. Measure 25 brings back a fragment of the White Rabbit music as he is part of the Queen's trial. The Mad Hatter, Dormouse, and March Hare's music appears at measure 33 as they are also present and this section ends with the "off with their heads" motive. At measure 45 the tempo is cut in half as the Cheshire Cat music is revisited. The "off with their heads" motive in this section is gentler as the Queen wonders how can you cut the cat's head off when all that remains is the head. Measure 55 transitions the listener back to Alice's growing music from movement 1. It builds in intensity until measure 62 where the Queen's music returns. Measure 66 gives us three more repeats of the "off with their heads" that gradually weaken, as Alice is now waking up from her dream. Measure 65 to the end uses the falling down the hole music but with ascending figures instead of falling figures to show that Alice is waking up. The last statement is derived from the "off with their heads" motive as a reminder of the Queen, even though Alice is awake.

I export my Sibelius Music Notation file as a movie (new to version 7.5). I also use Noteperformer software for the sounds. These are sample sounds, but the software also includes an algorithm that reads ahead in the music and phrases the music according to context, therefore making the realization closer to live performance. I  upload these videos to youtube and embed the video after the poetry for each movement. I hope that this technology allows the reader to have an easier experience and a more realistic performance. The sounds used in the movie are violin, clarinet, trombone, and tuba. To see and hear what I have discussed, go to http://www.cooppress.net/Wonderland_blog.html. 

As always, your comments are appreciated.
Dr. B

Wonderland Movement 5

I have completed the 5th movement of this new composition for an ensemble of 3-5 instrumentalists. I am composing the piece for four unspecified instruments, one each in the soprano, alto, tenor, and bass ranges. This gives me flexibility in reducing the score for an ensemble of 3 instrumentalists or enlarging it for 5 instrumentalists. I can also combine lines and add harmony to accommodate a pianist within the group. I will customize the music for each of the participating ensembles in the commissioning consortium by varying the ranges, changing keys, changing articulation, and adjusting the balance as needed. For more information about joining the consortium, please go to http://www.cooppress.net/page9/index.html

The fifth movement is called the Mock Turtle and is melancholy and chromatic. It is in an AA'BA''A''' form. This movement cried out to me to begin with a harmonic progression instead with a melodic idea. One of the characteristics of the Mock Turtle's story is the use of puns. Since puns have a double meaning, I related the idea of double meaning to enharmonic tones, hence the wondering chromaticism of this movement that doesn't seem to settle in any particular key for any length of time. The chromaticism also created the chord progression by following the voice leading tendency of the chromatic notes or their enharmonic equivalents. The key signatures that are used are more to aid in reading than to declare a specific key. 

Just like the Mock Turtle's story, there is no reprieve from the sadness of this movement. The four A sections vary slightly from each other by key, instrumentation, melodic enhancement, and rhythmic variation. The B section is created out of motives from the A section but provides contrast in texture at the beginning of the section. It also contains the climax of the melancholy through the use of dynamics and tempo changes.

I export my Sibelius Music Notation file as a movie (new to version 7.5). I also use Noteperformer software for the sounds. These are sample sounds, but the software also includes an algorithm that reads ahead in the music and phrases the music according to context, therefore making the realization closer to live performance. I  upload these videos to youtube and embed the video after the poetry for each movement. I hope that this technology allows the reader to have an easier experience and a more realistic performance. The sounds used in the movie are violin, clarinet, trombone, and tuba. To see and hear what I have discussed, go to http://www.cooppress.net/Wonderland_blog.html. 

As always, your comments are appreciated.
Dr. B

Wonderland Movement 4

I have completed the 4th movement of this new composition for an ensemble of 3-5 instrumentalists. I am composing the piece for four unspecified instruments, one each in the soprano, alto, tenor, and bass ranges. This gives me flexibility in reducing the score for an ensemble of 3 instrumentalists or enlarging it for 5 instrumentalists. I can also combine lines and add harmony to accommodate a pianist within the group. I will customize the music for each of the participating ensembles in the commissioning consortium by varying the ranges, changing keys, changing articulation, and adjusting the balance as needed. For more information about joining the consortium, please go to http://www.cooppress.net/page9/index.html

The fourth movement is called the Mad Hatter and it musically tells the story of the Mad Tea Party. The movement just alternates two main ideas. The A sections are rhythmic, disjunct, and dissonant. The intervals of major 2nd, tritone, perfect 4th, and minor seventh are frequent used. The melodic lines are atonal. All this reflects the senseless riddles that the Hatter and the Hare pose to Alice. In addition, each time the A section returns, it is in a different key(?) reflecting the shifting of seats during the tea party. 

The B section is a short section where the descending, more sustained line represents the Dormouse falling asleep and the short outbursts from the other instruments represent the Hare and the Hatter waking him up. 

Even there is a lot of repetition of material, each repetition has its own subtle variation. See if you can pick them up.

I export my Sibelius Music Notation file as a movie (new to version 7.5). I also use Noteperformer software for the sounds. These are sample sounds, but the software also includes an algorithm that reads ahead in the music and phrases the music according to context, therefore making the realization closer to live performance. I  upload these videos to youtube and embed the video after the poetry for each movement. I hope that this technology allows the reader to have an easier experience and a more realistic performance. The sounds used in the movie are violin, clarinet, trombone, and tuba. To see and hear what I have discussed, go to http://www.cooppress.net/Wonderland_blog.html. 

As always, your comments are appreciated.
Dr. B

Wonderland Movement 3

I have completed the 3rd movement of this new composition for an ensemble of 3-5 instrumentalists. I am composing the piece for four unspecified instruments, one each in the soprano, alto, tenor, and bass ranges. This gives me flexibility in reducing the score for an ensemble of 3 instrumentalists or enlarging it for 5 instrumentalists. I can also combine lines and add harmony to accommodate a pianist within the group. I will customize the music for each of the participating ensembles in the commissioning consortium by varying the ranges, changing keys, changing articulation, and adjusting the balance as needed. For more information about joining the consortium, please go to http://www.cooppress.net/page9/index.html

The third movement represents the Cheshire Cat who assists Alice in finding her way through Wonderland by challenging her with philosophical questions that she cannot answer and then disappearing only to appear again in another location along her travels. Sometimes when he disappears, nothing is left but his grin. The grin was the starting point for this movement as I came up with the idea for a grin motif that would be a sextuplet figure that descends stepwise and then returns to the starting pitch. This musical melodic shape is a grin when notated and should be recognizable aurally as well. It first occurs at measure 9 in the movement and is the germ idea for this section.

The movement itself is in an ABA form with a short coda. It is in a slow tempo and contrapuntal, therefore suggesting contemplation. The A section has four independent lines that simultaneously work together and independently. There are sections of brief imitation. It builds in texture then thins indicating the cat fading in and out. The B section continues the contrapuntal structure but introduces the grin motif where three of the four lines begin with it. This section ends with the grin motif in imitation before fading away. The A section returns with some slight variation before easing into the coda consisting of the grin motif in imitation. Two beats of silence precede the final notes in the lowest instrument. Harmonically, the movement hovers between d minor and F major before ending on G.

I export my Sibelius Music Notation file as a movie (new to version 7.5). I also use Noteperformer software for the sounds. These are sample sounds, but the software also includes an algorithm that reads ahead in the music and phrases the music according to context, therefore making the realization closer to live performance. I  upload these videos to youtube and embed the video after the poetry for each movement. I hope that this technology allows the reader to have an easier experience and a more realistic performance. The sounds used in the movie are violin, clarinet, trombone, and tuba. To see and hear what I have discussed, go to http://www.cooppress.net/Wonderland_blog.html. 

As always, your comments are appreciated.
Dr. B