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 COMPOSERS' CORNER VOL. XXII October, 2018 with Brett Abigaña New Music for World Projects Publishing This month, I wanted to let you know about some exciting new offerings from World Projects Publishing! As you may know, our domestic festivals include the possibility of a free commission with one of our composers, to be premiered at the festival concert. This means that every year, we increase the size and variety of our catalogue, and we continually have new pieces available on our website, https://world-projects.net/shop/. You can search by instrumentation or by composer, and every piece includes sample scores and recordings. Check out our catalogue, and if you’re particularly interested in a specific composer, let us know about it!
Here are a few of our newest published works from the 2018 Festival Season, with introductions from the composers themselves: Hymn for Grieving and Acceptance
by Christopher Lowry “On May 6, 2017, my apartment in Baton Rouge, LA, burned down, destroying many personal items and irreplaceable memories, and killing my cat Clara. Needless to say, the next several months were filled with sadness, anger, confusion, and helplessness. Though I am still working through all of this, I decided to deal with the pain through music. Hymn for Grieving and Acceptance is the first piece I have written since then that directly deals with these emotions. As the title suggests, this piece represents the gradual transition from grief to peace; though I’m still in the process of figuring out exactly how that feels and what it means, this piece is my own personal, musical expression of this process as of now.
Hymn concerns itself more with the journey to peace than with the actual despair; the mood of the piece is largely reverent and hopeful. The basis of the piece is a slow chorale that starts somberly and progressively grows more resolved throughout the piece. The second theme is a hymn-like tune that owes much to Gustav Holst. These two ideas develop together motivically as the piece grows in emotion and intensity. The latter third of the piece is a faster, more assured variation on the themes, which leads to a final climatic statement of the chorale statement of the chorale.” - C.L. This beautiful work is a wonderful way to introduce young musicians to the idea of development. The slow introduction doesn’t seem like the kind of thing that would develop into the fast music we hear at the end of the piece, but Lowry moves so effortlessly from one area to the next that it really does seem to have an aura of inevitability to it. At a Grade 4, it’s perfect for a high school ensemble that may not be ready for really challenging dissonances, but is itching for something less formulaic and more expressive than the run of the mill stuff.
San José
by Carl Wittrock “San José is a colorful composition with a Spanish touch. All the sections of the orchestra get the opportunity to show themselves in the lively first part of this piece. The midsection starts with a solo for the principal violist. It continues with a romantic melody, later on repeated in the orchestra. The slow movement ends with a conversation between the celli and the clarinet. San José ends with a reprise of the first part and an energetic coda.” - C.W.
San José is a wonderful piece with much energy and color. Wittrock’s use of the strings is unique in Grade 4 literature, as is shown by the virtuosic unison flourish at the beginning. The strings do more than create a backdrop for the winds, which is a welcome change from the norm. A beautiful, lyric violin solo in the middle precedes an almost cinematic interlude, which will show off all sections of the orchestra to their expressive capacity. The harmonies move effortlessly forward, and always in unexpected but satisfying ways. San José is an interesting and engaging alternative to Ravel’s Rhapsodie Espagnole or Bizet’s Carmen Suite.
Remembering the Many
by Justin Casinghino “As a father, as a teacher and as a human being, I find the increasing amount and continuing threat of mass gun violence throughout the American school system to be an unfathomable concept. By nature, our schools should be a safe haven of learning for students, with no worry of these atrocities. Remembering the Many is a personal attempt to comment on these tragedies, honoring those who fell victim both directly and indirectly, while also portraying the crushing shock of the incidents themselves. While in no way meant to diminish the horrific nature of any event of this kind, the piece does make specific numerical reference to the impacts of three of the most horrific incidents in public schools, namely those of Columbine, Sandy Hook and Marjory Stoneman Douglas. Throughout the piece, the 61 chime articulations that are part of these numerical references are presented as paired dyads to further mark the number of those lost to gun violence within schools at the time of this piece’s writing. My hope can only be that these numbers do not soon get outdated, but in truth, I fear it may be so.” - J.C.
Remembering the Many is an emotional tour de force. While the piece has much to keep an ensemble busy on the technical side of things (the precise, sharp percussion notes may be difficult without a firm sense of rhythm and pulse), what really sets the piece apart are the emotional demands on the musicians and the listener (I must admit to shedding some tears upon hearing for the first time). While this may not be the piece to inspire a rousing standing ovation at the end of your concert, no doubt this will be the one the audience will remember and talk about, as they should.
And Yet, the Sun Rises
by Brett Abigaña “The title of And Yet, the Sun Rises has several meanings. When I spoke to Matt Howe about the piece he wanted for this concert, he immediately suggested a kind of hymn of thanks. Among other things, the piece offers thanks for health, love, happiness, and peace, in a world so often lacking in all four. There is also an unseen pun in the title, as the word “sun” could easily be replaced by “son”. As such, the title also refers to the fact that whatever older generations do, undo, or, increasingly, DON’T do, the younger generation will rise to take its place, thereby righting some of the wrongs they see in the world. In a society paralyzed by fear, hatred, and inaction, I’m given hope by what my own students and indeed their entire generation have and will continue to accomplish for the betterment of the world, despite the obstacles placed in their way. May they continue to rise and use their voice to find the glory which has proven so elusive to those that came before.” - B.A.
This is a good piece if you find yourself with trumpets to spare, and woodwinds with fabulous breath control and sustain. Extra trumpets can be placed around the audience to handle the antiphonal parts to truly “blow the doors off the hall,” as it were. It is also a study in timing, so you can control the flow and development of the piece, allowing it to blossom slowly and gradually.
Check out our entire catalogue of new music at https://world-projects.net/shop/, and remember to drop by our booth at Midwest to hear some music and speak to us about new music, travel, festivals, and more!
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