Arizona Centennial Overture - Orchestra Version Completed

I have completed the full orchestra version and I am pleased with how the piece transcribed from the band version. Even though I lost some band instrument colors, the addition of the strings were a very welcomed addition. I especially like using pizzicato in several section. I used it for the down beats and off beats in the pioneer section, as a rhythmic and tonal filler in the Native American section, and for part of the bass line in the Hispanic section.

Native American section pizzicato

The biggest change in the Native American section is the transfer of the harmonized woodwinds at M. 85 to the strings. The homogeneous blending of the strings makes these passages rich and meditative at the same time. I also took the euphonium solo that occurs at measure 108 at put it in the cellos and 1st bassoon. The bassoon gives a little edge to the mellow cello sound.

In the Hispanic section, the 3/4 melodic line at measure 141 lent itself very well to the violins, as this is a color in Mariachi music. To add variety when the melody repeats, I harmonize it with cello instead of second violin. The winds are also doubling this melody and harmony.

To see and hear what I have discussed, go to http://www.cooppress.net/aco_blog.html. If you would like to receive notifications of new blog posts, sign up to follow this blog.

Arizona Centennial Overture - Orchestra Version

I have begun work on the orchestral version of Arizona Centennial Overture in between doing a major revision to my website. Since it has been a while since I have posted and I have finished scoring the Fanfare and Pioneer section, I thought I'd share some thoughts about the process of making this transcription.

My first consideration was which instruments from the band will not be used in the orchestra version. In the woodwinds, I will not be using 3rd clarinet, alto and bass clarinet, and saxophones. In the brass, the euphonium will not be used. I tend to write for standard orchestra because extra instruments means hiring more musicians and that places an extra burden on the resources of orchestras. It is often challenging enough to get performances without this additional consideration. The string family gives me an entirely different color to work with. My goal was not to just put the missing wind parts in the strings, but to create a valid orchestration as if I was writing for orchestra originally. This means re-scoring the wind parts as well. Additionally, I want to make the strings a focal point of the composition and not just an after thought.

While I am working on the score, I have left all the band instruments in place and just muted the ones that I will be omitting so that I can hear the balances during playback. The score is quite cluttered right now, so I will wait until I finish the transcription before posting audio and visual examples. The first section is the most difficult to re-score because it uses a wide variety and combination of wind colors. The strings are mostly used as reinforcement of the already existing wind lines. Both pizzicato and arco are used depending upon the line. The violins and violas take the clarinet trio part and measure 50. The absence of the 3rd clarinet has been one of the biggest challenges because in the band version the homogeneous sound of three clarinets needs to be broken up into a heterogeneous sound of two clarinets and another instrument. At measure 50, I just omit the clarinets and use the homogeneous sound of the strings. I also took the oboe solo at measure 39 and made it an oboe duet by adding a harmony part and then doubling it in the violas and cellos. This makes a nice rich sound.

Re-scoring the Native American section is next.

Dr. B

Arizona Centennial Overture - Easier Band Version

I have completed the reworking of the more advanced band version into an easier band version. The instrumentation is the same. The ranges, particularly brass and saxophone have been adjusted, most of the time by taking passages down an octave. The technique has been simplified as follows:

Fanfare and Pioneer Section where quarter =120
- Four sixteenth notes are changed to eighth and two sixteenths or two sixteenths and an eighth. Below is an example where I divide the four 16ths giving two 16ths and an 8th to some instruments and 8th and two 16ths to others. The techniques is easier, but the sound still comes out like four 16ths. The first example is from the advanced version followed by the easier version clarinet parts at measures 9 & 10.

 

In the above example, I omitted the slur from the two 16ths to the 8th in the 2nd and third clarinets by accident. The advanced version uses the two slurred, two tongued articulation to make the technique more characteristic for woodwinds. In creating the easier version, slurring the two 16ths into the eighth is more characteristic. This is an illustration of why one cannot proofread their work often enough. It has now been corrected in the score.

- Some high woodwind trills are taken down an octave.
- Other woodwind parts are taken down a octave to avoid more awkward fingerings.
- Some brass parts are taken down an octave to make range and endurance easier.

Native American Section
- Flute solo simplified by removing most grace notes, changing the quintuplet to four 16th notes, and replacing 32nd notes with 16th note figures. The example below shows the advanced version followed by the easier version.

- Tom-tom figures simplified by replacing 32nd notes with 16th note figures.

Hispanic Section and Ending where quarter = 132
- Four 16ths replaced with 8th and two 16ths.
- Some brass parts are taken down an octave to make range and endurance easier.

The next step is to review the parts for formatting and any errors that may come to light. Then it is on to creating the orchestral versions.

To see and hear what I have discussed in previous posts, go to http://www.cooppress.net/aco_blog.html. Audio and visual examples are provided to illustrate my discussion . Since blogspot does not have the capability of including audio examples, this link will navigate you away from this blog. To return, use your browser's back button or click on the Composing Insights link on the audio page. You will have two choices to hear the audio examples. The first uses a free Scorch plug-in that will enable you to see a scrolling score as you listen to the audio example. The second is an mp3 file of the audio only. The complete score is now transposed. If you would like to receive notifications of new blog posts, sign up to follow this blog.

Arizona Centennial Overture - Second Step After Completion

I decided that my second step would be to work on the parts for the advanced version. Sibelius software enables one to make changes in the parts and those changes will occur in the score as well, and vice versa. It also enables one to move things around in the parts without them moving in the score. I decide that I would format and correct the parts in the advanced version before working on the simpler version. After the parts are completed, I can then duplicate the file that contains both score and parts and the changes I make to simplify the score will also be made in the parts.

Part extraction is relatively simple, but a very important step for me. In addition to making sure that page turns work, it enables me to see the music from the perspective of each individual musician. I can more easily see potential performance problems that I might overlook in the score. I usually work from the bottom of the score to the top because occasionally a dynamic from the part above is attached accidentally to the staff below and I can catch this error before working on the parts above it. Below is list of changes I have made to illustrate how important this step is:

Percussion 2 - I realized that I did not list the guiro in the Percussion 2 instruments in the score part name.
Percussion 1 - I did not leave enough time for the player to change from snare sticks to mallets for the Wood Block or Temple Blocks at measure 16. I eliminated the snare part at measure 15 to solve this problem.
Timpani - I was able to check that all the pitch changes and notes are correct.
Tuba, Euph., Troms., Alto Sax 1, Piccolo - When Sibelius enters cues, it also shows the full measure rests in the part. I eliminated the full measure rests to make the cues easier to read as the may be played instead of just helping the musician count rests.
Euphonium - In measure 96, I brought some of the notes up an octave to set up the next measure. Otherwise there may have been a large leap to the high notes.
Horns - There were close intervals up high for the horns at the end of measure 179. I revoiced the chord to provide more space between the notes.  Horns have enough of a challenge being accurate in the high register without worrying about whether dissonance is correct.
Alto Saxophone, Alto Clarinet and Bass Clarinet - These parts needed to have the page turn after page 2 instead of after pages 1 & 3. If taped or copied back to back, pages 1 and 2 would be adjacent to each other and pages 3 and 4 adjacent to each other. The entire 11X 17 page would be turned after page 2. This is necessary because there were not enough rests earlier in the piece for these instruments to make the page turn after page 1.


While working on the parts, I was also looking ahead to where I might need to simplify the piece for the easier version. 

To see and hear what I have discussed in previous posts, go to http://www.cooppress.net/aco_blog.html. Audio and visual examples are provided to illustrate my discussion . Since blogspot does not have the capability of including audio examples, this link will navigate you away from this blog. To return, use your browser's back button or click on the Composing Insights link on the audio page. You will have two choices to hear the audio examples. The first uses a free Scorch plug-in that will enable you to see a scrolling score as you listen to the audio example. The second is an mp3 file of the audio only. The complete score is now transposed. If you would like to receive notifications of new blog posts, sign up to follow this blog.

Arizona Centennial Overture - First Step After Completion

As I said in my last post, there is still a lot of work to be done so that this overture can be performed by many different musical organizations during the centennial. I struggled a bit with how to proceed in the most logical manner, since so many things need to be done. I decided that the first step was to determine the absolute minimum instrumentation needed to have this composition work and to insert appropriate cues in order to cover solos and other important parts in less common instruments. I did this by duplicating the Sibelius file containing the overture, renaming it "minimum instrumentation", and muting the optional and less common instruments. I was able to tell where I need to add cues and/or change the voicing of some of the chords so that the piece can sound complete with less instruments. It is difficult to predict the instrument strengths and weakness of every group that will want to play this overture. For example, there was a while when public schools in Pennsylvania were experiencing large shortages of trombone players. Another example is the band that I play in now has a shortage of percussionists. But I think these problems are less frequent than not having double reeds or even French Horns.  

While I was doing this step of reworking the orchestration, I began to prepare a document that will outline the possibilities to potential performing groups. Here is the excerpt regarding instrumentation:

Full Instrumentation – pic; fl. 1 & 2; ob. 1 & 2; bsn. 1 & 2; Bb cl. 1, 2, 3; al. cl.; bs. cl.; al. sax. 1 & 2; ten. Sax.; bari. Sax.; trpt. 1, 2, 3; hn. 1, 2, 3, 4; trom. 1, 2, 3; euph BC and TC; tuba; timp.; perc. 1 (SD, Temple Blocks or 2 WB, claves, tom-toms); perc. 2 (BD, rattle, tamb. guiro); glock.

Minimum Instrumentation - pic; fl. 1 & 2; Bb cl. 1, 2, 3; bs. cl.; al. sax. 1 & 2; ten. Sax.; trpt. 1, 2, 3; hn. 1, 2; trom. 1, 2, 3; euph BC and TC; tuba; timp.; perc. 1 (SD, Temple Blocks or 2 WB, claves, tom-toms); perc. 2 (BD, rattle, tamb.); glock.

Can even be played without Horns, Bs. Clar., and Bari. Sax. if necessary as the following solos are cued:
Oboe solos are cued in Al. Sax. 1
Hn. 1 solos are cued in Trom. 1
Important Bs. Cl. Are cued in the Euph. Or Tuba part

I also decided to make the score size 8 1/2 X 14 (legal size). I left each instrument on a single staff as combining two instruments onto a staff would make the score more cluttered to read due to the stems of notes going in opposite directions. The staves are about the size of a miniature score, which is not too hard to read. If the conductor wishes to, he/she could have the score enlarged to 11 X 17 after download.

To see and hear what I have discussed in previous posts, go to http://www.cooppress.net/aco_blog.html. Audio and visual examples are provided to illustrate my discussion . Since blogspot does not have the capability of including audio examples, this link will navigate you away from this blog. To return, use your browser's back button or click on the Composing Insights link on the audio page. You will have two choices to hear the audio examples. The first uses a free Scorch plug-in that will enable you to see a scrolling score as you listen to the audio example. The second is an mp3 file of the audio only. The complete score is now transposed. If you would like to receive notifications of new blog posts, sign up to follow this blog.

Arizona Centennial Overture - Hispanic Section and Ending

I have completed the overture and today I will discuss the "Hispanic Section" and ending. Audio and visual examples are provided to illustrate my discussion . Since blogspot does not have the capability of including audio examples, a link is provided that will navigate you away from this blog. To return, use your browser's back button or click on the Composing Insights link on the audio page. You will have two choices to hear the audio examples. The first uses a free Scorch plug-in that will enable you to see a scrolling score as you listen to the audio example. The second is an mp3 file of the audio only. The score is now transposed.

The "Hispanic Section" was a lot of fun to write as I was very influenced by Mariachi Music, which is very sunny and optimistic. This section is very basic harmonically as it uses mostly I, IV, and V chords in major. In order to make it more interesting harmonically, I changed keys five times within the one and a half minutes of this section.

This section has two melodic ideas. The first is a festive melody in the trumpets and clarinets in 4/4 meter.

 

After an interlude of alternating 3/4 and 6/8 meters, the second melody is in 3/4 time over a syncopated accompaniment that continues the alternating meter feel occurs.

I repeat twice the syncopation at the end of this melody (not shown in the above example), each time up a step, to lead the listener into the ending.

The ending borrows fragments of the celebration fanfare from the beginning of the piece at measures 179 and 181. It is answered by a fragment from the "Native American" section in measures 180 and 182. Measures 181 and 182 are up a minor third from measures 179 and 180. Measures 184 and 185 are from the "Hispanic Section". It was my intention to create and ending that reflects the coming together of cultures in a celebration of what Arizona is today.

There is still a lot of work to be done so that this overture can be performed by many different musical organizations during the centennial. I will be discussing the process during my next posts. I welcome my readers comments at any time.

To see and hear what I have discussed, go to http://www.cooppress.net/aco_blog.html. If you would like to receive notifications of new blog posts, sign up to follow this blog.

Arizona Centennial Overture - Native American Section Revised Again

I have taken a break from composing to work on my income taxes and now I'm back to discuss yet another revision to the "Native American Section" of this overture. Audio and visual examples are provided to illustrate my discussion . Since blogspot does not have the capability of including audio examples, a link is provided that will navigate you away from this blog. To return, use your browser's back button or click on the Composing Insights link on the audio page. You will have two choices to hear the audio examples. The first uses a free Scorch plug-in that will enable you to see a scrolling score as you listen to the audio example. The second is an mp3 file of the audio only. The score is in concert pitch.

The section from measures 85-103 was not quite right. When I first composed this section, I wanted a strong, noble, harmonized idea to contrast the single line flute and drum section that precedes it. What I came up with was nice, but the more I listened the more it sounded out of place. When my wife listened to it, she agreed with me. (By the way, I always find it helpful to have an extra set of ears to listen when I am composing a piece. When I am so immersed in a composition that I live with day in and day out, those extra ears can give a fresh perspective.) I tried several things to revise this section including removing the harmonized material and doing more with the single line idea, but I could not get the harmonized idea out of my head. I finally tried changing some of the harmony to use less triads in 3rds. I replaced these chords with more open sounds like chords in 4ths and 5ths. I also changed the dynamic from f to mp and thinned out the orchestration. The result is a noble section that transitions better from the single line melody. Here is an example of the new chords for the harmonized, noble section. The top two parts are oboes in treble clef and the bottom two parts are bassoons in bass clef. These parts are doubled in the clarinet family.

Another thing that has had me concerned is that I may be leaving out representing important cultures in this overture. I am a fan of watching KEAT's Arizona Stories and last Tuesday's program had a piece on the importance of the Chinese in settling Arizona. But how can I include a section for each influential culture in a six-minute overture? The answer is that I can't. But what I had in mind was that the "Pioneer Section" would pay tribute to those important influences that preceded Arizona's statehood. In many ways, this section, while composed to sound "western"representing the open land, also has characteristics of many different cultures. The horse-hooves can represent the ranchers and farmers. The minor quality of this section can represent the dangers faced by the miners. The parallelism in the harmony sounds almost Chinese. I hope that listeners will hear this section as being inclusive of all the pre-statehood influences and hear it as a tribute to all the cultures that make Arizona what it is today.

To see and hear what I have discussed, go to http://www.cooppress.net/aco_blog.html. If you would like to receive notifications of new blog posts, sign up to follow this blog.