Daniel Speer 2 sonatas for 3 bassoons

[imperialbari]

Reading about Daniel Speer in another context let me find free editions of two of his sonatas for 3 bassoons here:

http://icking-music-archive.org/ByComposer/Speer.php

Speer was a German baroque composer of the pre-Bach era. He is known in brass circles for his sonata from the Bänkelsängerlieder.

I haven’t heard these sonatas, only eyed through them. Looks like they would work well for a trio of 2 euphoniums and 1 bass tuba.

Klaus

[Lingon]

Thanks for sharing the link. Will be nice to start the new season with.

[imperialbari]

Since last I took down the midi versions and opened them in Finale. To make the lines mosre distinguishable I changed the sounds from 3 bassoons to bassoon, trombone, and tuba.

This is not stellar music like the best of Bach, but it represents its period beautifully. My only complaint is where the 2nd line only is an embellishment of the bass. That was a matter I was warned about during my own training in Bach settings. And I haven’t seen that with J. S. himself (but then I by far haven’t read all of his scores).

Still it enjoyable music where both of the top lines play in counterpoint, and where the very obvious progressions of the bass line offer good opportunities to play perfectly in tune.

Klaus

[Lingon]

...Still it enjoyable music where both of the top lines play in counterpoint, and where the very obvious progressions of the bass line offer good opportunities to play perfectly in tune.

Unfortunately not always played in tune... Speer's music is enjoyable but maybe not master pieces though.

[imperialbari]

My reference to the possibility of playing in tune is rooted in my own band experiences. I played in two different Copenhagen bands, which both competed in the Championship division. The first one was fairly conservative, but has very good intonation and section balance. The second one was on the leading edge, repertoirewise, but their intonation always was a bit sore.

Until the Philip Jones brass project became hip. That modernistic band played the Earle of Oxford’s March. And suddenly the intonation became very good.

My point being that avant-gardism is all OK. If the players have sufficiently trained ears to hear the complex tonal structures and play in tune accordingly. And that ability, like any other ability, best is trained in a pedagogical progression going from simple to complex. Within that grading the Speer music is among the more easily accessible genres.

Klaus

[Lingon]

My reference to the possibility of playing in tune is rooted in my own band experiences. I played in two different Copenhagen bands, which both competed in the Championship division. The first one was fairly conservative, but has very good intonation and section balance. The second one was on the leading edge, repertoirewise, but their intonation always was a bit sore.

Isn't it strange what people are listening for?! I never cease to be fascinated when hearing a brilliant musician playing as many notes as possible per second, with quite poor intonation, where almost all of the audience enthuastically discusses how fantastic the player was. Then there is another one with not that techniqal brilliance but with a great melodic singing sound, playing someting perfectly in tune. Now the audiece yawn a little and says that OK, it sounds nice. Personally I liked the 2nd one that could really play the instrument best. However, the question still is, what is people listening for?!

I also remeber many years ago when we played a super complicated composition by Xenakis. At the dress rehearsal it worked perfectly and sounded really great. At the concert almost nothing worked as it should, but there were standing ovations from the audience. On my question to some of the listeners about how they liked the performance that was not at all good, they replied "Well, it is Xenakis, then it is great". Nothing in tune, nothing in time, now that's great...

[imperialbari]

I happened to like what Anne Sophie Mutter made together with Karajan several years ago. I even have heard her practice the piano in a TV feature and I was truly impressed with that too. But was it really her musical qualities that sold the tickets?

Klaus

[Lingon]

...I happened to like what Anne Sophie Mutter made together with Karajan several years ago. I even have heard her practice the piano in a TV feature and I was truly impressed with that too. But was it really her musical qualities that sold the tickets?...

Well, I have over the years been more and more convinced that is not the musical qualities of almost anyone that sells the tickets...