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Changes – Brass Sextet
M.F.K. Fisher, in her book The Gastronomical Me, wrote poignant stories of her life and career based on memorable meals and her experiences with food. When asked by Julia Child why she chose food and hunger for these stories, Mrs. Fisher replied, “When I write about hunger, I am really writing about love and the hunger for it, and warmth, and the richness and fine reality of a hunger satisfied.”
Changes tries to capture that warmth and richness and reality musically. The titles of the three movements are chapter titles from this book, with the music reflecting the many changes that are an inevitable part of living.
The first two movements are both slow and reflective. In the first movement each instrument has something to say and shares it with the others, with the resulting interchanges both bitter and sweet. The second movement, dreamlike as suggested by the title, recalls big dreams as well as little dreams—success, frustration and finally satisfaction. The final movement is playful and at times humorous, with a flurry of notes and amusing syncopations, a drastic change from the first two movements. The ending, with tongue in cheek and consideration of the meter used, is indeed a feminine ending in the classical sense as it does end on the second beat.
The sample score shows the first page of each of the three movements. At this time there is no recording available.
Composer: Anne McGinty
Instrumentation: Trumpet, 2 Horns, 2 Trombones & Tuba
Duration/# of Pages: ca. 9:30 / 44 pages, 8.5″ x 11″
Key: N/A -
Seven – Brass Septet
Seven brass instruments. Seven-plus minutes. The tone colors of these seven brass instruments are maximized with skillful melodic and harmonic writing and the use of dynamic contrast. This piece showcases the versatility of brass instruments and will touch the hearts of everyone in the audience.
The audio sample is from the premiere, October 12, 2011, at USC.
Marissa Benedict & Angela Romera – Trumpet
Laura Brenes & Dylan Hart – Horn
Steve Suminski & Phil Keen – Trombone
Doug Tornquist – TubaComposer: Anne McGinty
Instrumentation: 2 Trumpets, 2 Horns, 2 Trombones & Tuba
Duration/# of Pages: ca. 8:45 / 27 pages, 8.5″ x 11″
Key: N/A -
Tuba & 12 – Mixed Large Ensemble
Tuba & 12 was inspired by a Bedouin proverb that states: “While the words are yet unspoken, you are master of them; when once they are spoken, they are master of you.”
Proverbs, in general, state a general piece of advice. This piece assumed that words were spoken, resulting in tension and an apology. Relationships, the first movement, has brass vs. woodwinds, tonality vs. dissonance, duples vs. triplets, et al. as well as the synergy and cooperation among all. Unspoken Words is the second movement and the dissonant opening theme in the piccolo and flute is presented three times. The third movement is Resolution. Over a constant low pedal G, the horn ostinato adds tranquility as all the themes from the first two movements return in fragmented form, before all is finally resolved.
Although tuba has top billing in the title, each instrument is equally important.
The sample score shows the first page of each of the three movements. The complete recording is available for free.
Composer: Anne McGinty
Instrumentation: Piccolo, Flute, 2 Clarinets, Alto Saxophone, Bass Clarinet, 2 Trumpets, 2 Horns, 2 Trombones & Tuba
Duration/# of Pages: ca. 11:00 / 75 pages, 8.5″ x 11″
Key: N/A
