Search results for: 'Quartet for brass'

This work was written at the request of Tina Carpenter (bassoon) and Nick Scales (bass), and was premiered by them in January of 2007. The original intent for the piece was to showcase as many different timbral possibilities for these instruments as possible, while still holding to a high level of artistic credibility. Its three movements, separated by cadenzas for each instrument, belie a rough adherence to the principles of sonata form in that the two themes so prominently displayed in the first movement provide the main material for the music of the third. The atmosphere is meant to evoke the naturally mournful sounds of long-forgotten caves. Learn More

Tuba, Bb Clarinet, Cello and Percussion; Winner of a 2006 Harvey Phillips Award for Composition Excellence from the International Tuba-Euphonium Association Learn More

Clarinet, Viola, Euphonium and Piano

3 movements Learn More

Horn and Tuba; For Jay Hunsberger and James Wilson Learn More

For Flute/Piccolo, Tuba and Piano

From the composer:

“Where Leaves And Birds A Music Spin” consists of six short movements, each loosely depicting a scene in nature.

1. Borne On a Great Wind
2. And the River Flows Ever Onwards
3. Emerson’s Acorn
4. Through Dawn Mist, A Doe
5. Dauwtrappen
6. Lithic Engines

The first scene is a fantasy of being carried on the wind, rushing over the landscape below. The second follows the journey of a river, through winding meandering paths to rapids. The third movement is based on a quote from Ralph Waldo Emerson’s essay on History that reads, “The creation of a thousand forests is in one acorn.” In the fourth, a scene unfolds of a foggy morning and the appearance of a doe. The word Dauwtrappen comes from Dutch and describes the concept of walking barefoot in the morning grass when the grass is still covered in dew. The final movement imagines the inner workings of the planet, with lithic, or rock and magma, engines driving continents, creating new lands, mountain ranges, as well as the slow destruction and recycling of the old.

Although I have suggested scenes with each title, I don’t intend these to be concrete depictions, and the listener should let their minds wander freely and create their own scenes as the piece progresses.

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reduction with Rhythm section (recording is with wind ensemble)

The Concerto for tuba and winds is in my usual Third-Stream style, but I utilized
many new techniques for the first time in this piece. Jazz, rock, hip-hop and many kinds
of classical styles come together in the Concerto. Polymeter, improvisation and intuitive
swing notation play important roles in this piece as well as traditional four-part
counterpoint and ancient Greek form. It is simply titled Concerto in a classical fashion
but each movement has a more descriptive title.
I. Swing Low
II. Adagio
III. Cutting Contest

I utilized a customized variation on the classical concerto form: a sonata-allegro
first movement, a slow second movement and a theme and variations finale.
Philosophically, this piece explores the traditional nature of a concerto from several
different angles. The first movement explores the cooperative side of a concerto. One
Latin root of the word concerto is conserere, which means to join. The soloist and wind
ensemble cooperate to produce many layers of polymeter in Swing Low. The Latin root
certamen, on the other hand, means to fight. So while the first movement is a
cooperative effort, the third movement, Cutting Contest, explores the idea of a musical
battle between the solo tuba and the wind ensemble on a familiar tune.

On March 6th, 2012, the Concerto was premiered in Seattle. Erin Bodnar led the
University of Washington Wind Ensemble with myself soloing. The Central Washington
University Wind Ensemble then recorded it with Dean Snavely conducting.

This reduction of Concerto features two different versions of the third movement
to allow for players to navigate the virtuosic fingering acrobatics on an E-Flat or F tuba.
The solo lines at letter E were inspired by Arban’s Carnival of Venice.

Curtis Peacock
January 26, 2014

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Violin, Trombone and Piano Learn More

with PianoGuitar and Tuba Learn More

Guitar and Tuba Learn More

Horn, Tuba and Piano Learn More

Tuba and Percussion

"This piece is written in such a way that any or all of the movements could be juxtaposed beside or between each other, before or after. Hence the movement titles ' ....vs'

In this respect, I am suggesting that moral dilemmas come in many forms and to many different people. Enjoy and experiment." Barbara York

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Spoken Voice, 2 Tubas and Piano Learn More

Euphonium and Flute or Piccolo Learn More

A Walk in the Woods for Flute and Tuba is a Suite in three movements.

The first movement, ‘Start of the Journey’, is light and filled with excitement and anticipation of the ‘journey’ ahead. The middle of the movement utilizes a familiar theme in celebration of joy for the impending trip.

The second movement, ‘Exploration in the Phrygian Woods’, uses the Phrygian mode to give the feeling of wonder and suspense of what our two musicians may find. The flute starts with the lead, but the tuba, not to be outdone, quickly takes the melody to have his turn to ‘explore’ the movement. The two join forces to end this movement.

The final movement, ‘Lost and Found’ begins very dark and slow giving the audience the sense of helplessness. But, the sun shines through and our two musicians find their way out of the woods with a light and playful melody. The movement comes to an end as all are well and at peace once more.

Please enjoy, ‘A Walk in the Woods’ for Flute and Tuba. Learn More

with Piano Three Sketches for Euphonium, Tuba, and Piano was written for the Conviviality Trio based out of Ann Arbor, MI. Non-programmatic and serious in nature, the work is divided into three distinct movements that feature all instruments prominently. The first movement begins mysteriously, struggling to find balance between joy and sorrow. The tension builds harmonically and dynamically into a brief yet powerful fast section. After a reprise of the original material, the piano rips into rapid octave jumps which begins the "Aggressively" section, which puts the technical abilities of all three performers on full display. The movement ends with the original material making one last return. The second movement begins with a slow, jazzy noir-like atmosphere set by the pianist before the tuba and euphonium enter, echoing each other throughout. A solo section follows, emphasizing the low register and the lyrical capabilities of the euphonium. The movement ends with a hypnotic back-and-forth progression between the three performers that diminishes to nothingness. The last movement again puts the technical capabilities of the performers on display. Beginning with several mixed-meter runs, the movement evolves into a tour de force finale that includes long, rapid runs in the piano and tuba and euphonium melodies in fourths. Learn More

For Horn, Tuba and Piano;

I. Farewell to Lois (sound sample from Isosceles Trio)

II. Last Dance (recorded by Eastern Standard)

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For Horn, Tuba and Piano;

I. Casual Promenade

II. Distant Song

III. Strange Waltz

IV. Playful March

As recorded by Eastern Standard Learn More

This a great set of duets for the concert stage:

1. Invocation to the Moon

2. Hobgoblins

3. Nocturne

4. Critters

5. Dirge at Dusk

6. Wood Sprites

 

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Clarinet, Soprano and Piano; from "The Creation" Learn More

Voice and Tuba Quartet (EETT) Learn More