Klarinet Archive - Posting 000044.txt from 1994/04

From: SCOTT MCCHESNEY <MCCHESS4641@-----.EDU>
Subj: Re: ANOTHER Non-Clarinet question
Date: Thu, 7 Apr 1994 16:24:16 -0400

> Scott, Tell me more about the composition and the instrumentation you need.
> I may be interested. Roy Breiling, Eastern Arizona College

I realized after I posted that I did leave a few things out. Mr. (or is it
Dr.?) Breiling has expressed an interest, as well as wanting to know more, so I
post to the list for all to see.

The piece is four movements depicting the life, death, and "re-life" of the
mythical Phoenix. The bird comes from Roman mythology - I think; it might be
Greek. Well, as the story goes, it is a bird that can never be killed. When
somebody does "kill it", it immolates itself in a hellish fireball, and when
all is done, amongst the ashes lays an egg - from which the phoenix will spring
forth again.

I won't go into detail about the actual "plot line" of the music, though there
is one. If anybody wishes to hear it, I'll zip it off privately.

As for instrumentation, it is a standard Concert Band with no E-flat Clarinet,
English Horn, or low Clarinets past Bass (sorry, guys!). The E-flat may be
added later - I don't know yet. That color is hard to mimic anywhere else, but
I don't know whether I'll need it yet. There is also a (relatively) important
Piano part, a Bass Trombone part, a Piccolo part, and the Percussion parts get
rather complicated - though in the first movement there is only Snare Drum,
Bass Drum, Field Drum, two Toms, Crash and Suspended Cymbals, Chimes,
Xylophone, and Bells.

Anything else? Let's see - the Horn parts are pretty high in a few places,
including 4th Horn, so I hope your players are up to it. I'm rough on Horn
players as a general rule - I like the sound very much. The Trumpet parts get
up there, too. The beginning is pretty slow (M.M. 60) and contains some of the
harder music for the movement. When it changes tempo (and goes into 6/8 - M.M.
120), it turns into a march-like thing which isn't all that hard - at least I
don't think so. Where it might sound bad would be in the orchestration - I'm
not too good at that yet. I have no idea how long the movement it - I've never
timed it out from my sketches. A rough guess wold be in the 6 to 8-minute
area.

I think that's all. Anything else anybody wants to know, ask away! And
Thanks!

-- Scott

   
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