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The orchestra vs band thread got me to thinking...what are some modern band pieces that you feel are great pieces of music? Ones that really let the music shine through over just stupid-hard rhythm and dissonant harmonies?

I'll start...one of my favorites at the moment is Eric Ewazen's Hymn For The Lost And The Living.

I love Brian Balmages's "Reverberations". It's gnarly music and I just wish that it was longer so that he could expand and stretch out those ideas much more. It's a blast to perform.

A few years ago I played a piece called "Norman Rockwell Suite" by a Japanese composer, Hayato Hirose. Light and fun, based on 3 paintings by Norman Rockwell. Would love to find a recording of it somewhere.

Maybe not the most difficult, but I liked it.

I also really liked Eric Whitacre's "October" when it first came out (like 10 years ago?). Seems like every band in the land has done that one by now though. Haven't played anything else by him since.

Bert Appertmont's "Colors for Trombone." It just about killed our community band, but we got a soloist from the New World Symphony, a friend of the director, who handled the trombone solo beautifully, and we got through it anyway. It really grew on me.

Of course the Holst suites. The Melody Shop.

wchoc86 wrote:David Manslanka's "Children's Garden of Dreams"

is the best band piece i've played in the last few years.

I tend to agree with this. I really feel Maslanka is one of the best wind band composers when it comes to exploring the different sounds of the wind band. I admit, he does get repetitive in his music, and a lot of it sounds the same, but I'm still a fan.

That being said, Hindemith Symphony in Bb or Persichetti works are in my fave five as well

Some of my favorites to listen to (and play) are:

Russian Christmas Music by Alfred Reed
Dreams of a Psychopath by Mike Francis
Scenes from the Louvre by Norman Dello Joio
Trittico by Vaclav Nelhybel
La Fiesta Mexicana by H. Owen Reed

I'm personally a fan of Karel Husa's works. Challenging, using strong dissonances as "percussion" effects, great energy and deep sentiments.

I second the Scenes from the Louvre as a favorite. I'm also a fan of Warren Benson's music - Solitary Dancer, Helix (tuba solo with band) and others. In Solitary dancer many of the players have to sing during the later sections of the work - a really neat effect.

Roger

Roger Lewis wrote:I'm personally a fan of Karel Husa's works. Challenging, using strong dissonances as "percussion" effects, great energy and deep sentiments.

I second the Scenes from the Louvre as a favorite. I'm also a fan of Warren Benson's music - Solitary Dancer, Helix (tuba solo with band) and others. In Solitary dancer many of the players have to sing during the later sections of the work - a really neat effect.

Roger

Ah yes, I forgot all about Husa. I simply LOVE Music for Prague 1968. What a truly emotional exhausting work!

ASSUMING original works, not transcriptions, here's my list:

Husa: Music for Prague 1968
Hindemith: Symphony
Ticheli: 2nd Symphony
Giannini: Variations & Fugue
Whitaker: October
deMeij: Lord of the Rings

it's a start......

Gianini Variations and Fugue, but barely. And it's definitely more fun for the band than for the audience.

Nelson's Rocky Point Holiday. Fun for the band; fun for the audience.

Arnold's Four Scottish Dances.

Schuman's New England Triptych.

Grainger's Lincolnshire Posy

And I'll add a third to Scenes from the Louvre, a second to La Fiesta Mexicana, and another second to Music for Prague, 1968, even though the latter is likely to seem overwrought to an audience.

Even though everyone seems to think they are overplayed, in 40 years of playing band music I have played the two Holst suites only a handful of times. The Dello Joio work comes up much more often. The Holst suites define the genre, and are still satisfying to perform a century after their composition. Even Vaughan Williams's English Folk Song Suite and Toccata Marziale will please players and audiences alike, and the latter probably more than the Hindemith.

There are many great transcriptions out there, too, some of orchestral works likely unheard by symphony-goers in their native form. And some movie music arrangements I've played are better in their band versions than in their original versions (The Cowboys is an example).

Rick "wishing there was more out there" Denney

Martin ellerby- Paris Sketches
John Barnes Chance - just about anything he has written
Nelson - Rocky Point Holiday
Sousa, Alford marches and so on and so on....lotsa great stuff out there including GODZILLA EATS LAS VEGAS !!!!!

There are some great Johan de Meij pieces too. I really like Symphony 2 "Big Apple."

The Lord of the Rings stuff is fun the first few times around too, especially if you haven't played it before. But for the most part, it's overplayed and underperformed. Though, it was a *blast* playing the full suite in college with a *full* band covering the entire score (most community groups are lucky to have a bassoon or two, let alone several great bassoon players and a contrabassoon major -- it makes a big difference to build that "color").

How about Suite of Old American Dances by Robert Russell Bennett.

And I love Karl King marches better than most Sousa marches.

Teubonium wrote:How about Suite of Old American Dances by Robert Russell Bennett.

We are just rehearsing that with my band at present - it's certainly a great piece!

I have also thought the following I have played previously great original pieces for wind band;

Hounds of Spring by Alfred Reed
Paris Sketches by Martin Ellerby
Gullimaufry by Guy Woolfenden

There are no doubt a number more, but those have stuck in my mind which is a good indication of a great piece.

Really getting away from "modern" here... Sousa, Reed, Robert Russell Bennett... all great, but not particularly modern (or alive...)

--edited--

Here are some modern ones I like that I was able to find .mp3s of online:

Steven Melillo- In a Cause Called “Glorious.”
West Point Band Recording

Carter Pann- Four Factories
Recording of Mvt. I- Locomotive

A lot of fine band pieces have been mentioned. I'd like to add "A Movement for Rosa." Some really nice sounds. A challenge to play well. I needed a couple of cannisters of CO2, myself.

On the shoulders of giants - Peter Graham (it's a tribute to Amarican brass players) and more stuff here....
http://www.faireyband.com/mediaplayer.html" target="_blank

Sketches from Nowhere - Thomass Doss http://www.bt.no/tv/?id=20449" target="_blank

Lot's of good stuff in the brass band world

ANYTHING by David Maslanka. He takes everything that is wonderful about wind ensembles and makes it sound very modern.