beta testing tuba-4-tet element from larger composition

[imperialbari]

Health and eye problems have kept me away from arranging and composing for some years. The health has improved and a process towards a better eyesight hopefully will start in August. I can read from a computer screen, but I am not happy about reading from sheet music.

You all want some new music, and I need some help testing. Maybe we could create a few overlaps of our needs.

An introduction to my project followed by a bass clef score and parts in bass clef as well as in British treble clef notation:

Bear dance for 4 tubas – test version

Around 2002 I worked with a project concerning simultaneous music in different meters. The complexity is no way near some Indian music, yet opens for come choreography in concerts.

The common denominator of the three sub-ensembles is the 1/8-note = 360, whereas the pulses of the single ensebles are considerably slower.

The bass line of all three ensembles is the same but for some octave displacements and different accents.

The first element composed was the Cavalry March with the ½ note = 90. The ensemble is:

3 trumpets (cornets) in Bb

3 tenor trombones

1 bass trombone

4 timpani in Bb, F, f, and eb, with a simpler version for 2 timpani in Bb and F.


The second element is Light Infantry band marching at the dotted eight-note = 120. The ensemble basically consists of the band members left over, when the above instruments and the tubas are taken out to form their own ensembles, all woodwinds, and all brasses from euphoniums and up plus side drums.

The 3rd element is a 4 part tuba ensemble doing a Bear Dance at the dotted half-note = 60, which is the same as a waltz.

The top line could be played on euphonium, but that would take the fun out of this element, which is the object of this test release.

The score only comes in bass clef concert, whereas the actual tuba parts come in bass clef concert as well as in treble clef notation for the standard 2 Eb and 2 BBb tubas of the British Brass Band tradition.

The final version is planned to let the 3 elements be introduced separately and then interact as aural and visual Quod libet’s as the local band director finds working best for his/hers ensemble and performance environment.

Klaus Smedegaard Bjerre in Korsør on June 29th 2009

[imperialbari]

More .jpg files laid out for 600dpi printing. Please mail me for access to 1200 dpi .pdf-files

[imperialbari]

The 3 last .jpg files:

[pierso20]

Seems like a very novel idea! Unfortunately I am unable to have a quartet to test it out. I'm hoping to hear what other people are able to put together!

[Tuba Guy]

I may have a quartet if I go back to school in the fall, so if we do, I would love a chance to perform some new music

[imperialbari]

The idea is not new at all. Mozart has 2 stage ensembles playing simultaneously with the pit orchestra during the ball scene in 2nd act of Don Juan. They play 3 differemt dance types, but share the 4th note pulse.

The first time I saw simultaneus marching at 2 tempos, was in the late summer of 1964 at a military show in Cheltenham - UK. I was surprised, as this was new to me, but it was just about the center columns suddenly taking off by marching full length steps on the eights of a slow march. They then slowed down and the outer columns catched up by doing the double steps.

Indian music may combine bar lengths of 5 and 17 eights, which requires periods of 85 eights. Such numbers do not come naturally to Westerners, so I used the simplest possible polyrhythm math by combining 2 and 3 (which involves 4 also), still keeping a shared eight-note shared sub-pulse.

Klaus

PS: You can see the basic tempo/double tempo contrast on these videos. The staff persons marching along the band march short steps on the eight notes.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RZIliNEHL1M

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D4jjweotgmk