Learning Log

Project 3.1. Introduction to Brass Instruments

Exercise 1: Modern Brass Instruments

For this exercise, I was asked to listen to the following pieces in order to learn about the family of the brass instruments:

Trumpet: George Enescu: Légende (1906), Peter Maxwell Davies: Sonata for Trumpet and Piano (1955)
Trombone: Susan Mutter: Ages (2008), Paul Hindemith: Trombone Sonata (1941)
French Horn: Olivier Messiaen: Appel Interstellaire (1974), Beethoven: Horn Sonata in F major, Op. 17 (1800)
Tuba: Øystein Baadsvik: Fnugg (2002),Ralph Vaughan Williams: Concerto for Bass Tuba and Orchestra (1954)

My comments for these pieces can be found in my Listening Log.

Research Point 3A: Brass Profiles

Similar to the previous units I was asked to create a reference sheet for each instrumental family, covering the range, timbre, technique and effective usage. In addition to these entries in my Learning Log I am also working on a table, which should cover all the instruments I’ll have to research about, the table can be found under “Additional work”.

Mutings

Straight mute: The produced sound seems brighter than the natural sound when the muting is made out of metal (often aluminum). When it’s made from cardboard, it sounds more stuffy.
Cup mute: Creates a nasal sound, similar to an English horn, thus, it functions very well in combination with woodwinds
Mica Mute: Similar to the previous one, but the edge is made of rubber, therefore the sound is sealed more efficiently
Harmon Mute (with stem): This mute is mainly made from aluminum and is known well for a sound production, which sounds similar to “wah wah”, which sounds rather cold and distant. It is often used for jazz music.
Whispa mute: The sound is pushed through an absorbent material with holes. This is probably the most quiet muting technique.
Bucket/Velvetone mute: This mute is made from cardboard with cotton inside – the sound is muffled.
Other mute – like effects: Hand over bell, Hand in bell, Plunger, Felt hat,Into the Stand, Handkerchief or cloth ^{1, 2}

¹Black, D. and Gerou, T. (1998). Essential Dictionary of Orchestration. Los Angeles: Alfred Publishing Co., Inc. pp: 312 – 314

² Leeman, D. (2020). Trumpet Mute Types and how they’re used. [online]. Notestem. Available at: https://www.notestem.com/blog/trumpet-mute-types/ [Accessed: 12.02.2021]

Trumpets

Bb – Trumpet:
- Range: E3 – C6
- Timbre: Bright, poor projection of notes in the low register, the middle register is most commonly used: great dynamical control and creates a bright sound. The tones produced in the high register are more penetrating
- Technique: Shake, wide lip, trill, flip, bend, smear, doit, du, wah, rip, fall off, lift, spill, plop, indefinite sound or ghost note, turn, pedal tones, runs, arpeggios, double tonguing, triple tonguing, slurs, tremolo, vibrato, lip trills, trills
- Effective Usage: Often used for concert bands or jazz bands Due to the bright, easily distinguishable sound, the trumpet is very suitable as a solo instrument as well. ^{3, 4, 5}

³Black, D. and Gerou, T. (1998). Essential Dictionary of Orchestration. Los Angeles: Alfred Publishing Co., Inc. pp: 325 – 332

⁴Vienna Symphonic Library (2002 – 2021). Trumpet in C [online]. Available at:https://www.vsl.co.at/en/Brass/Trumpet_in_C %5BAccessed: 12.02.2021]

⁵ Morelli, P. (2020). Writing for the Trumpet. [online]. Paul Morelli, DMA. Available at: https://www.paulmorellimusic.com/writing-for-the-trumpet.html# [Accessed: 12.02.2021]

C – Trumpet:
- Sounding Range: F#3 – D6
- Timbre: Slightly brighter than trumpet in Bb
- Technique:Shake, wide lip, trill, flip, bend, smear, doit, du, wah, rip, fall off, lift, spill, plop, indefinite sound or ghost note, turn, pedal tones, runs, arpeggios, double tonguing, triple tonguing, slurs, tremolo, vibrato, lip trills, trills
- Effective Usage: Often used in orchestras ^{6, 7, 8}

⁶ Black, D. and Gerou, T. (1998). Essential Dictionary of Orchestration. Los Angeles: Alfred Publishing Co., Inc. pp: 325 – 332

⁷ Vienna Symphonic Library (2002 – 2021). Trumpet in C [online]. Available at:https://www.vsl.co.at/en/Brass/Trumpet_in_C %5BAccessed: 12.02.2021]

⁸Morelli, P. (2020). Writing for the Trumpet. [online]. Paul Morelli, DMA. Available at: https://www.paulmorellimusic.com/writing-for-the-trumpet.html# [Accessed: 12.02.2021]

D/Eb Trumpet:
- Sounding Range: G#3 – E6/ B3 – F6
- Timbre:Apart from a few exceptions, the characteristics of the trumpet in D and trumpet in Eb are similar. The sound is more brilliant and colder than thre trumpets in Bb and C
- Technique: Shake, wide lip, trill, flip, bend, smear, doit, du, wah, rip, fall off, lift, spill, plop, indefinite sound or ghost note, turn, pedal tones, runs, arpeggios, double tonguing, triple tonguing, slurs, tremolo, vibrato, lip trills, trills
- Effective Usage: Frequently used as solo instruments. ^{9, 10, 11}

⁹ Black, D. and Gerou, T. (1998). Essential Dictionary of Orchestration. Los Angeles: Alfred Publishing Co., Inc. pp: 325 – 334

¹⁰Ody, E. (2017). Different Types of Trumpet. [online].Normans Musical Instruments. Available at: https://www.normans.co.uk/blog/2017/07/different-types-of-trumpet/ [Accessed: 12.02.2021]

¹¹Morelli, P. (2020). Writing for the Trumpet. [online]. Paul Morelli, DMA. Available at: https://www.paulmorellimusic.com/writing-for-the-trumpet.html# [Accessed: 12.02.2021]

Piccolo Trumpet in Bb/A:
- Sounding Range: Bb: E4 – F6, A: Eb4 – E6
- Timbre: As the smallest trumpet it has an even lighter and more delicate sound than the previous trumpets. At moderate dynamics, the instruments produce a soft, flute lie sound. The dynamics become more shrill when playing louder.
- Technique: Shake, wide lip, trill, flip, bend, smear, doit, du, wah, rip, fall off, lift, spill, plop, indefinite sound or ghost note, turn, pedal tones, runs, arpeggios, double tonguing, triple tonguing, slurs, tremolo, vibrato, lip trills, trills
- Effective Usage: The sound of the piccolo trumpet are useful for playing high registers of Baroque music. ^{12, 13, 14}

¹² Black, D. and Gerou, T. (1998). Essential Dictionary of Orchestration. Los Angeles: Alfred Publishing Co., Inc. pp: 323 – 324

¹³ Yamaha Make Waves. (2021). The relatives of the trumpet. [online]. Available at: https://www.yamaha.com/en/musical_instrument_guide/trumpet/structure/structure003.html#:~:text=Piccolo%20trumpet&text=It%20is%20half%20the%20length,order%20to%20sound%20lower%20notes. [Accessed: 12.02.2021]

¹⁴ Slotte, R. (2020). 10 Simple Tips for Piccolo Trumpet Playing. [online]. My Best Trmpet. Available at: https://mybesttrumpet.com/10-simple-tips-for-piccolo-trumpet-playing/ [Accessed: 12.02.2021]

Flugelhorn:
- Sounding Range: E3 – Bb5
- Timbre: dark, warm, intimate, mellow, similar to the horn. more sable in the lower range
- Technique: Shake, wide lip, trill, flip, bend, smear, doit, du, wah, rip, fall off, lift, spill, plop, indefinite sound or ghost note, turn, pedal tones, runs, arpeggios, double tonguing, triple tonguing, slurs, tremolo, vibrato, lip trills, trills
- Effective Usage: mutes are normally avoided and the instrument is mostly used as a solo instrument. ^{15, 16, 17}

¹⁵ Black, D. and Gerou, T. (1998). Essential Dictionary of Orchestration. Los Angeles: Alfred Publishing Co., Inc. pp: 320 – 332

¹⁶ Britannica. (2021). Flugelhorn. [online]. Available at: https://www.britannica.com/art/flugelhorn [Accessed: 12.02.2021]

¹⁷ Chidester, B. (2019). How to play a flugel horn. [online]. The Trumpet Blog. Available at: http://www.thetrumpetblog.com/how-to-play-a-flugel-horn/ [Accessed: 12.02.2021]

Cornet in Bb/Eb:
- Range: E3- Bb5/ A3 – Eb6
- Timbre: The sound seems to be a mixture of the trumpet and flugelhorn. The sound is more round and mellower than the trumpets.
- Technique: Shake, wide lip, trill, flip, bend, smear, doit, du, wah, rip, fall off, lift, spill, plop, indefinite sound or ghost note, turn, pedal tones, runs, arpeggios, double tonguing, triple tonguing, slurs, tremolo, vibrato, lip trills, trills
- Effective Usage: The cornet in Bb is used more often. Well suited for lyrical parts. Even though it is not often used in orchestras, it can often be found for military, concert bands and dixieland jazz. ^{18, 19, 20}

¹⁸ Black, D. and Gerou, T. (1998). Essential Dictionary of Orchestration. Los Angeles: Alfred Publishing Co., Inc. pp: 318 – 319

¹⁹ Britannica. (2021). Cornet [online]. Available at: https://www.britannica.com/art/cornet [Accessed: 12.02.2021]

²⁰ Newton, B. (2015). B – flat Cornet. [online]. Bandestration . Available at: https://bandestration.com/2015/09/18/b-flat-cornet/ [Accessed: 12.02.2021]

Bass Trumpet in Bb and Eb
- Sounding Range: E1 – Bb4/ A1 – Eb5
- Timbre: The bass trumpet in Bb in ore agile than the bass trumpet in Eb. Both are darker and less bright sounding than the trumpets in C and Bb
- Technique: Shake, wide lip, trill, flip, bend, smear, doit, du, wah, rip, fall off, lift, spill, plop, indefinite sound or ghost note, turn, pedal tones, runs, arpeggios, double tonguing, triple tonguing, slurs, tremolo, vibrato, lip trills, trills
- Effective Usage: Even though they aren’t used that often, they can function as a substitute to the trombone and euphonium. ^{21, 22, 23}

²¹ Black, D. and Gerou, T. (1998). Essential Dictionary of Orchestration. Los Angeles: Alfred Publishing Co., Inc. pp: 316 – 317

²² Gingery, A. (2001 – 2021). The Bass Trumpet – A Brief Overview. [online]. Musika – Discover the music in you. Availale at: https://www.musikalessons.com/blog/2016/04/the-bass-trumpet/ [Accessed: 12.02.2021]

²³ Sherman, J. C. (2011). On the Bass Trumpet. [online]. Jcsherman.net. Available at: http://www.jcsherman.net/on-the-bass-trumpet [Accessed: 12.02.2021]

Trombones

Tenor Trombone
- Sounding Range: E1 – C5
- Timbre: Full and dark in the low register, sonorous, full and rich in the middle, and more and more brilliant towards the upper register.
- Technique: double tonguing, triple tonguing, flutter tonguing, lip trills, trigger trills, tongued legato, glissandos
- Effective Usage: Jazz bands. ^{24, 25, 26}

²⁴ Black, D. and Gerou, T. (1998). Essential Dictionary of Orchestration. Los Angeles: Alfred Publishing Co., Inc. pp: 304 – 310

²⁵ Vienna Symphonic Library (2002 – 2021). Tenor Trombone[online]. Available at: https://www.vsl.co.at/en/Brass/Tenor_trombone%5BAccessed: 12.02.2021]

²⁶ Youngcomposers. (2010). Trombone. [online]. Available at: https://wiki.youngcomposers.com/Trombone [Accessed: 12.02. 2021]

Bass Trombone
- Sounding Range: E1 – C5
- Timbre: The low register is warmer and produces a stronger sound than the tenor trombone. The upper registers are sonorous, becoming brighter as well.
- Technique: double tonguing, triple tonguing, flutter tonguing, lip trills, trigger trills, tongued legato, glissandos
- Effective Usage: Very effective in solo passages, ^{27, 28, 29}

²⁷ Black, D. and Gerou, T. (1998). Essential Dictionary of Orchestration. Los Angeles: Alfred Publishing Co., Inc. pp: 399 – 301

²⁸ Vienna Symphonic Library (2002 – 2021). Bass Trombone[online]. Available at:https://www.vsl.co.at/en/Brass/Bass_trombone%5BAccessed: 12.02.2021]

²⁹ Youngcomposers. (2010). Trombone. [online]. Available at: https://wiki.youngcomposers.com/Trombone [Accessed: 12.02. 2021]

Alto Trombone
- Sounding Range: A1 – F5
- Timbre: more delicate, lighter than the tenor trombone, lyrical characteristics
- Technique: double tonguing, triple tonguing, flutter tonguing, lip trills, trigger trills, tongued legato, glissandos
- Effective Usage: Effective for high trombone parts. Unlike other members of the trombone family, the alto trombone harmonizes well with other instruments. ^{30, 31, 32}

³⁰ Black, D. and Gerou, T. (1998). Essential Dictionary of Orchestration. Los Angeles: Alfred Publishing Co., Inc. pp: 297 – 298

³¹ Newton, B.(2015). Alto Trombone. [online]. Bandestration: The online guide to composing for wind instruments. Available at: https://bandestration.com/2015/10/04/alto-trombone/ [Accessed: 12.02.2021]

³² Youngcomposers. (2010). Trombone. [online]. Available at: https://wiki.youngcomposers.com/Trombone [Accessed: 12.02. 2021]

French Horns

French horn (Horn in F):
- Sounding Range: F1 – F5
- Timbre: Within the low register, the French horn sounds similar to a tuba, quite dark and not very solid. The middle register can provide several characteristics: warm, dark, but also velvet and heroic. The higher the register the more brilliant becomes the sound.
- Technique: Single tonguing, vibrato, sforzarto, double tonguing, triple tonguiing, flutter tonguing, glissando, trills, stopped, half stopped open, brassy, mutes, legato, bells up, lontano
- Effective Usage:Blends well in ensembles, thus it is also part of the woodwind quintet. On the other hand, it seems weaker than other brass instruments. ^{33, 34. 35}

³³ Black, D. and Gerou, T. (1998). Essential Dictionary of Orchestration. Los Angeles: Alfred Publishing Co., Inc. pp: 146 – 156

³⁴ Vienna Symphonic Library (2002 – 2021). French horn [online]. Available at https://www.vsl.co.at/en/Brass/Horn_in_F%5BAccessed: 12.02.2021]

³⁵ Holloway, J. A. (2016). Efficient Strategies for Playing the Horn. [PDF] Las Vegas: University of Nevada. Available at: https://digitalscholarship.unlv.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=3870&context=thesesdissertations [Accessed: 12.02.2021]

Tenor horn (alto horn) in Eb and F
- Sounding Range: A2 – Eb 5 / B2 – F5
- Timbre: The timbre is similar to the horn in f, but slightly lighter.
- Technique: Single tonguing, vibrato, sforzarto, double tonguing, triple tonguiing, flutter tonguing, glissando, trills, stopped, half stopped open, brassy, mutes, legato, bells up, lontano
- Effective Usage: Often used in orchestras for high passages for the horn. ^{36, 37}

³⁶ Britannica. (2021). Tenor Horn [online]. Available at: https://www.britannica.com/art/tenor-horn [Accessed: 12.02.2021]

³⁷ Holloway, J. A. (2016). Efficient Strategies for Playing the Horn. [PDF] Las Vegas: University of Nevada. Available at: https://digitalscholarship.unlv.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=3870&context=thesesdissertations [Accessed: 12.02.2021]

Wagner Tuba in bb and F:
- Sounding Range: E2 – F5 / B1 – F5
- Timbre: Even though it’s called “tuba” it is part of the horn family. The tone quality is similar to the alto horn but creates a stronger, more secure sound.
- Technique: Single tonguing, vibrato, sforzarto, double tonguing, triple tonguiing, flutter tonguing, glissando, trills, stopped, half stopped open, brassy, mutes, legato, bells up, lontano
- Effective Usage: It is rarely used, as its main cause is to recreate music from Wagner, Strauss and Bruckner. ^{38, 39}

³⁸ Black, D. and Gerou, T. (1998). Essential Dictionary of Orchestration. Los Angeles: Alfred Publishing Co., Inc. pp: 146 – 156

³⁹ Vienna Symphonic Library (2002 – 2021). Wagner tuba [online]. Available at https://www.vsl.co.at/en/Brass/Wagner_tuba%5BAccessed: 12.02.2021]

Tubas

Tuba (Bb, C, Eb, F):
- Sounding Range: E1 – C4 / D1- D4/ D1 – G4
- Timbre: The low register is dark and creates heavy notes, the middle register is realy velvet and smooth sounding. The high register sounds heroic similar to a horn.
- Technique: Single tonguing, vibrato, sforzato, double tonguing, triple tonguing, flutter tonguing, glissando, trills, mute, legato
- Effective Usage: It blends well with other instruments.
Euphonium/ Baritone Tuba:
- Sounding Range: Bb1 – Bb4
- Timbre: Mellow, Smooth
- Technique: Single tonguing, vibrato, sforzato, double tonguing, triple tonguing, flutter tonguing, glissando, trills, mute, legato
- Effective Usage: Often used in bands and small ensembles, rarely used as a solo instrument.^{40, 41, 42}

⁴⁰ Black, D. and Gerou, T. (1998). Essential Dictionary of Orchestration. Los Angeles: Alfred Publishing Co., Inc. pp: 335

⁴¹ Britannica. (2021). Euphonium [online]. Available at: https://www.britannica.com/art/euphonium [Accessed: 12.02.2021]

⁴² Cresci, A. (2021) Tuba. [online]. Philharmonia. Available at: https://philharmonia.co.uk/resources/instruments/tuba/ [Accessed: 12.02.2021]

In addition to the paragraphs above, I was asked to do some more research about of these instruments. I listened to some pieces written for the instruments above and found the trombone created the most interesting sound.

Originally, brass instruments come from the discovery, that tubes can be used to amplify the voice. Instruments, similar to megaphones were used to make calls or signals. With the developing civilization and the discovery of metals, brass instruments started to exist. By the middle ages, trumpets were associated with royalty as they were used as fanfares or to go hunting. Today’s trombones developed from slide trumpets and ⁴³

It is assumed, that the trombone’s first appearance as it’s common today was in 1495. Thus it is, one of the oldest instruments in the orchestra, which is able to play chormatic scales. During the period of the renaissance, the trombone was often used as part of ensembles with strings and singers. The Baroque era focused more on string instruments, therefore the trombone was only rediscovered during the 18th and 19th century. Ernst Sachse (1788), Friedrich August Belcke (1795) and Ferdinand David (1810) were the first ones to write solo pieces for the instrument. ^{44, 45}

Today, the trombone is used in symphony – orchesras, march bands, big bands and brass – quintets. Jazz music also dominates with music from the trombone.

The trombone is not a transposing instrument. It has a cylindrical bore which widens into a flared bell, which allows the instrument to create a rich and powerful sound. All notes away from the harmonical series can be played by moving the slide to several positions. ⁴⁵

Most of the basic techniques for the trombone are the following:

Non legato, detaché, Legato, Staccato, Staccatissimo, Marcato, Accent, Tenuto, Double Staccato, Triple Staccato, Trill, Tremolo, Frullato:

Some modern techniques are the following:

Air sound, Breathy sound, Inhaling air, Exhale air, Non specific tone inhalation, Air: Lowest highest zones, Windy sound, Sound combined with air, Articulations, Slap, Play and sing Pitched voice, Growl, Tap on mouthpiece ⁴⁵

⁴³ Ardley, N; Arthur, D; Chapmanth, H; Perry, J; Clarke, M; Crisp, C; Cruden, R; Gelly, D; Grigson, L; Sturrock, S. (1977) The book of music. London: Macdonald Educational Ltd, p. 115

⁴⁴ Ardley, N; Arthur, D; Chapmanth, H; Perry, J; Clarke, M; Crisp, C; Cruden, R; Gelly, D; Grigson, L; Sturrock, S. (1977) The book of music. London: Macdonald Educational Ltd, p. 94

⁴⁵ Trombone (2021). Symbolium. [online]. Available at: https://www.symbolium.com/musical-instruments/ClassicalInstruments-Brass-Trombone?categories=2 [Accessed: 13.02.2021]

Exercise 2: Orchestral Brass: The Past and the Present

My observations for the three pieces (Jauchzet, frohlocket, auf, preiset die Tage (Bach), Symphony no. 9 III. Rondo – Burleske (Mahler), Gruppen (Stockhausen)) can be found in my Listening Log.

After listening to these pieces, I was asked to write a short essay considering the following quiestions:

What are the difference in the way the brass instruments are used?
What are the similarities?
Considering the date of each work are there any trends you can identify?

As already mentioned in my Listening Log, the trumpets from “Jauchzet und Frohlocket” have the role of fanfares, majestically introducing the choir’s entry. This effect is achieved by them playing a staggered major chord, echoing one another. Interestingly, the trumpets were the only brass instruments used for this piece. During the Baroque period, most composers were only able to work with a limited amount of instruments. As it was often the case to use trumpets alongside timpani, they were written next to one another.

Looking at the development of the brass section, the choice of the usage of the three composers becomes quite obvious: During the Baroque and Classical period the main brass instruments were the trumpet and horn, as the horn wasn’t as agile as it is today, the trumpet was often preferred. As the orchestras were growing over the course of the Classical and Romantic era, each instrument section became larger as well. With the invention of valves around 1815, more difficult keys could be used for the brass sections. Most composers of the Romantic era took advantage of that and started to put more focus on this section, which explains the huge difference between Bach’s and Mahler’s piece. ^{46, 47}

When one puts aside the choral part of Bach’s Weihnachtsoratorium and just focuses on the instrumental part, the strings seem to be the most dominant section of the orchestra. In comparison, the brass section of Mahlers 9^th symphony is much more dominant. Consisting of 3 trumpets, 2 horns, 3 trombones and a tuba. Mahler also seemed to have put a special focus on the horns, even though they probably create the smoothest sound in comparison to the other brass instruments, they often get to play the main theme of the movement before the rest of the orchestra echoes it. Whilst Bach used the trumpets to frame the choir, Mahler even included a solo section for the horns.

With the amount of percussion and the lack of a diatonic key used, Stockhausen’ Gruppen seems to be a model for the music of the 20^th century. Interestingly it’s not only the orchestra that’s split into three groups, but also the music. Whilst the percussion seems to be playing a really dominant part, the brass section alongside most of the other instrument sections all appear to be equally important. Stockhausen also made greater dynamical changes than Mahler, who was already much more expressive than Bach.

Overall, I found it difficult to find some similarities for the use of brass instruments. They all were used differently, fitting to their epoch. Nonetheless, I noticed that especially the higher brass instruments, like the trumpets, were used to embolden the other instruments, whilst the lower ones (apart from the horns in Mahler’s 9^th) were used to fill the orchestral sound.

⁴⁶Jimenez, K. (2011). The evolution of brass instruments and orchestral brass writing from the late classical period to the end of the romantic period. [PDF]. MU Instrumenta Ensemble Literature. Available at: https://www.d.umn.edu/~rperraul/MU5204-EnsembleLit/KJimenez.pdf.pdf [Accessed: 14.02.2021]

⁴⁷ Wildridge, J. (2018). The Orchestra in the Romantic Period. [online]. CMUSE. Available at: https://www.cmuse.org/the-orchestra-in-the-romantic-period/ [Accessed: 14.02.2021]

Project 3.2. (Brass) Bands

Exercise 3: Big Band Style

For this exercise I was asked to find some of the following features within scores:

1) Use of instrumental colour
2) Parallel movement within instrumental sections
3) Syncopation
4) Extended chords
5) Rhythmic feel – e.g. latin, swing, funk
6) Antiphonal writing between the sections

As some of those features overlap, I didn’t always mark all of them.

Brass Band

The origins of the Brass Band can be found in the UK. When English military music arranged an ensemble for woodwinds only, it was noticed, that they were well suited for open air concerts. Due to the volume, they could also easily be used in a small setting. Being inspired by the idea, some company owners started to create “factory bands” which were the first ensembles to be called “Brass Bands”. Some of the most well-known ones, which developed from this are “Carlton Main Frickley Colliery Band”, or “Williams Fairey Engineering”. ^{48, 49}

At the beginning several different instrumentations were possible, for all kinds of performances like march, concerts, dance or entertainment music. It was often the case, that one musician had to play more than one instrument due to the lack of musicians. Only in 1857 these different ensembles were unified to the following setting:⁴⁹

Soprano cornet in Eb
9 cornets in Bb
Flugelhorn in Bb
3 Tenor horns in Eb
2 Baritone horns in Bb
2 Tenor trombones
1 Bass Trombone
2 Euphoniums
4 tubas
2 or 3 percussion players ⁵⁰

The influence of the Salvation Army should also be considered: In 1880 the soldiers and officers of the British army had to learn an instrument and were asked to play in the Salvation Army. 6 years later, over 400 bands had developed. These brass bands wandered through the UK and later transported the sound of the British Brass Band to the rest of the world. Several composers, such as Richard Slater and Arthur Goldsmith, wrote pieces solely for Brass Bands. In the prewar period of WW1, it was difficult to get new, young Brass Bands. The depression and unemployment after the war made it difficult to develop ensembles. It became even more difficult during WW2, some only survived the war, because they were allowed to play. From 1945, the radio promoted brass bands, which inspired younger generations more to become part of one.^{48, 49}

⁴⁸ Farr, R 2013, The Distin Legacy : The Rise of the Brass Band in 19th-Century Britain, Cambridge Scholars Publisher, Newcastle-upon-Tyne. Available at: https://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/ucreative-ebooks/detail.action?docID=1765538# [Accessed: 19.02.2021].

⁴⁹ Kahler, E.T. 2013, Brass band history and idiomatic writing in brass music, University of North Texas. Available at: Brass band history and idiomatic writing in brass music – ProQuest (oclc.org) [Accessed: 19.02.2021]

⁵⁰ Stape Silver Band.(2019). Instruments of a Brass Band. [online] Available at: Instruments of a brass band (wixsite.com). [Accessed: 19.02.2021]

Concert Bands

The term „Concert Band“describes ensembles featuring woodwinds and brass instruments, its’ origins can be found at around 1770, were the ensemble was often used for open air concerts or table music. The common instrumentation consisted of a wind octet (two of each: oboes, clarinets, horns and bassoons). Pieces for this instrumentation are today seen as chamber music. Extensions through additional bass instruments (Contrabassoon or even double bass), and further wind instruments, lead to the formation of extensively instrumented wind orchestras. ⁵¹

During the Classical Period in Vienna, Concert Bands were also common in the aristocratic society. Some of the richest families, which were able to buy their own orchestra, owned a Concert Band. One example would be the Habsburgs, who founded an imperial and royal Concert band in 1782. This ensemble existed until 1837 and played over 170 opera transcriptions and 22 original works. ^{51, 52}

It often weren’t composers themselves, which reworked their music for concert bands. The oboist Johann Nepomuk Wendt for example, rewrote around 40 operas for a concert band. Another good example would be Beethoven himself, who had his 7^th and 8^th symphony reworked for concert bands and other ensembles under supervision. Joseph Haydn composed a few pieces for concert bands as well; One of the most well-known ones is probably his “partita in B”. ⁵²

⁵¹ Reginald, T. (2021). What’s a Concert Band?. The Evolution of the Concert Band. [online]. Spinditty. Available at: What’s a Concert Band? The Evolution of the Concert Band – Spinditty – Music [Accessed: 21.02.2021]

⁵² Stein, M.(2004). Zur Geschichte und Auffphrungspraxis der Harmoniemusik. [PDF]. Augsburg. Available at: 04 (d-nb.info) [Accessed: 19.02.2021]

The following entries can also be found in my Listening Log:

Troublemaker

Composer: M. Davis
Instruments: Soprano cornet in Eb, 9 cornets in Bb, Flugelhorn in Bb, 3 Tenor horns in Eb, 2 Baritone horns in Bb, 2 Tenor trombones, 1 Bass Trombone, 2 Euphoniums, 4 tubas, percussion
Performed by: Carlton Main Frickley Colliery Band
Listened to: 19.02.2021

This short piece has a jazzy character with a slow, forward leading melody, which is altered between the higher instrument sections. The lower brass instruments communicate with the melody in question – answer motifs (antiphonal). With each new entry of the melody, a new feature, such as extra percussion or a further instrumental section is added. The slightly softer B – part creates a great contrast to the sharp melody.

Tournament for Brass

Composer: Eric Ball
Year of composition: 1954
Instruments: Soprano cornet in Eb, 9 cornets in Bb, Flugelhorn in Bb, 3 Tenor horns in Eb, 2 Baritone horns in Bb, 2 Tenor trombones, 1 Bass Trombone, 2 Euphoniums, 4 tubas, percussion
Performed by: Williams Fairey Engineering

The piece is divided into three movements: The first one is stylistic similar to the previous one: Different sections of instruments seem to converse with antiphonal verses. Here again, Ball made use of putting higher and lower instrument sections against one another. The second movement introduces a short, melancholic theme which functions as the introduction of a variation. Most of them are played within different solo sections, having the other instruments accompany the theme. The final movement, a scherzo, seems to be the first movement where the music focuses on the whole ensemble instead of a single instrument or a section, although, several solo – phrases appear as well.

Exercise 4: Listening to voices in Orchestration

Mass in B – minor

Composer: Johann Sebastian Bach
Year of composition: 1733
Performed by: Gewandhausorchester Leipzig
Listened to: 19.02.2021

Traditionally the kyrie is in three parts. Between the surrounding kyre – parts is the Chritste, which is distinctively different than the outer parts and creates and interesting contrast. Whilst the words from the kyrie melt with one another, sung by all five voices several times, the Christe is arranged as a duet. During the Gloria the sopranos have colourful arias to sing, although as they are thematically closely related to one another there does’t seem to be much harmonic change. The trumpets, which are played for the first time during this part help to emphasize the heroic character of the Gloria. The Credo is the centre part of the mass and interestingly seems to be constructed in a symmetric ways as well. The Sanctus has six instead of the usual five voices and is therefore slightly different than the Sanctus part from other masses. There was a strong emphazise on making the words more audible, which wasn’t always the case within the previous movements. The overall mood of the mass is gloomy and melancholy, creating dramatic contrast and making it therefore highly entertaining to listen to. I really enjoyed the solo – parts, as they seemed to create full, warm but dramatic harmonies.

Neptune from the Planets

Composer: Gustav Holst
Year of composition: 1914 – 1916
Performed by: The Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra
Listened to: 19.02.2021

The orchestra starts with a wavy pattern moving through different instrumental sections, creating the sound of a cold, mysterious atmosphere. The whole piece is in pianissimo, which also makes it appear slightly further away. A choir featuring female or children’s voices only seems to be even further in the distance. The singers seem to slowly take over the orchestra. Unlike in Bach’s mass, there aren’t any words being sung, instead the choir just uses the vowel “a”. Towards the end, the choir is the only part that can still be heard, as it slowly fades away.

Daphnis et Chloé – Part II

Composer: Maurice Ravel
Year of composition: 1909 – 1912
Performed by: Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra
Listened to: 19.02.2021

The piece starts with fast arpeggios played by woodwinds, and long dark underlying notes from the strings. Slowly, more and more instruments are added, nonetheless, the volume is kept really quiet, which adds further effect to the mysterious, yet lively atmosphere. The choir, which starts in pianissimo as well, almost seems to melt with the sound of the orchestra. Also only singing vocals, it’s the choir supporting the orchestra instead of the orchestra supporting the choir. After a long flute solo, accompanied by pizzicato strings, and a section which features some percussion for the first time, an reminded me of a “hunting” theme the piece ends rather abruptly.

Fugue en Ré Mineur

Composer: Bach, new cover by The Swingle Singers
Year of composition: 1703 – 1707 (1963)
Instruments: voices, drum kit, double bass
Performed by: The Swingle Singers
Listened to: 19.02.2021

Only accompanied by a plucked double bass and a drum kit, the Swingle Singers perform a 6 – voiced piece from Bach, which was originally written for organ. Interestingly, with the added instruments in the background, the piece becomes an, for a Bach piece unnatural sounding jazzy character. Similar to the previous pieces, no words are used. As the notes are sung really rapidly the singers often used sounds like “Ba” and “Da”, similar to scat singing, to reproduce the notes.

Sinfonia

Composer: Luciano Berio
Year of composition: 1969
Instruments: Orchestra, Amplified voices
Performed by: Roomful of Teeth
Listened to: 19.02.2021

Unlike the previous pieces, this one is from the Contemporary Classical epoch and has overall more dissonant features. The first three movements seem to involve the 8 singers more than the 4th and 5th. Interestingly, Berio didn’t just let them sing, but also focused on the sound of languages. Within the first movement, the singers alternate with talking in French and singing vocals, which creates a somewhat quirky effect in addition to the orchestra. The following to movements are similar, but one can hear the English language instead of French.

Gold Mine

Composer: Take 6
Year of composition: 1988
Instruments: Acapella (6 male voices), body percussion
Performed by: Take 6
Listened to: 19.02.2021

This piece has a swinging, jazzy character. Even though most of the high voices sing the melody (this time with text) rhythmically together, they all sing at different pitches, which creates the effect of having one main melody, sung by the highest voice, with chords lying beneath. The only difference to a “normal” song, is that these chords involve the melody as well. The only voice which is rhythmically more independent, is the bass voice, which also sings sounds like “ba” and “da”, similar to the Swingle Singers and therefore seems to function as a plugged double bass.

Exercise 5: Pachebel Canon – Acapella

I was asked to arrange Pachebel’s Canon in D for a choir with a maximum split for four voices of SSAATTBB. Addmitively, the arrangement was more difficult than expected, considering the ranges of each voice. I furthermore didn’t want it to be too monotonous, especially for the bass line. Therefore, I switched the voices around a few times and parted them where necessary. Overall, I found this Exercise really challenging, and I’m still not completely pleased with the outcome, but enjoyed working on it.

Research Point 3c: Modern Ensembles

Comparison of the instruments used from Reeling performed by Bang on a Can, and Floe, performed by the Philip Glass ensemble.

Reeling

Composer: Julia Wolfe
Year of composition: 2015
Instruments: male voice, clarinet, piano, cello, double bass, e- guitar, body percussion, drum – kit
Performed by: Bang on a Can
Listened to: 02.03.1021

Reeling starts acapella with a male voice performing something similar to a recitative, a melodic pattern can be found in it as well. The other musicians start to snap and stamp rhythmically to the mans voice. Shortly after, a clarinet can be heard imitating the man’s voice. As barely any sounds are used, yet there is a strong rhythmic feeling present, the music has a forward – moving, encouraging yet relaxed character. More and more instruments join in one after another giving the piece more depth, the musical motif stays the same.

The first instrument which plays rhythmically independently is the e-guitar. Interestingly, the electronic sound over the otherwise organic instruments blends in really well and adds another calming feature to the piece. Instead of playing something different, the guitar plays the same harmonic pattern, but slightly delayed echoing the other instruments. After the entry of the e- guitar some of the other instruments start to move more independent as well becoming more and more distorted until it seems to be one big cluster chord.

Floe

Composer: Philip Glass
Year of composition:1981
Instruments: 2 flutes, 2 soprano saxophones, 2 tenor saxophones, 2 horns, synthesizer
Performed by: Philip Glass Ensemble
Listened to: 02.03.2021

Even though Floe starts softly, and with slow repetitive patterns, all creating one chord, it rapidly expands to a vivid sounding mix of different instruments. Similar to the previous piece “Reeling” there are some non – organic instruments used as well, in this case an electric organ (synthesizer)n, which nonetheless blend well with the other instruments. Although, I personally found that it had a stronger impact on the mix of sounds than the e- guitar, as the organ created louder, stronger notes. The mostly arpeggiated melodies seem to dance around one another, some alteration to the music can only be found when the amount of instrument or one note in the played chords change. Interestingly, apart from the saxophones and the organ, I personally would have found it difficult to find out which instruments were used for this piece, which is probably due to the well balanced mix of the ensemble.

Whilst the instruments in Floe are each used as a small part to create a new sound combination, Reeling seems to put more focus on each instrument individually. Obviously, there are some parts which are more in the foreground, such as the male voice introducing the theme. Towards the end of Reeling, the instruments dislimm increasingly, creating a similar mixed – sound effect as Glass’ Floe. Although, as Glass focuses more on simple chord progressions, Wolfe’s Reeling sounds more disharmonic towards the and, as all instruments seem to play individually instead of playing with one another. I personally really liked the use of body percussion in Reeling, which is a rarely used, yet effective feature to create a simple, decent beats behind a melody.

Project 3.4 Instrumental Choirs

Exercise 6: Listening to Instrumental Choirs

For this exercise, I was asked to listen to at least three different pieces arranged for different instrumental choirs, and compare them with their original instrumentation. Furthermore I had to consider the following questions:

Do you consider the arrangement to be a success? Why?
Has anything been lost in the arrangement from one ensemble to another?
What obstacles has the arranger had to overcome (and have they succeeded)?
Has contrast been preserved in the more limited timbral palette of the choir?
Has the arranger added anything which wasn’t in the original?
Is knowledge of the original piece required for appreciation of the arrangement?
If the piece was originally for voice, has the text been lost and is so what effect has this had?

Shostakovich Waltz No. 2

This version for 2 oboes, 2 English horns and a player alternating between those two instruments was arranged by Jacob Nathan. I personally think that, with the given instruments, the arrangement is written quite well, although in my opinion lacks in dynamical colours. The whining sound of the English horn fits very well to the melancholic melody of the waltz. Nonetheless, I personally think, that the strong bass played by the brass section in the original version plays a very important, supporting role, which the oboe playing the bass voice is not capable of, thus the arrangement sounds slightly “empty”. Furthermore, when the music switches from minor, to major, the dynamics increase drastically in Shostakovich’s version, with the added percussion it has the effect of a knot being released. The key switch of the oboe – version isn’t quite as fulfilling in my opinion, as the amount of volume and instruments playing stays the same. For this piece, I even think that it might be quite useful to know the original version in order to understand the aim for depth.

The sound of music

This version is written for an ensemble of 6 flutes. I was surprised by the amount of harmonic layers one type of instrument is able to produce. The light, uplifting, airy sound of the flutes fitted very well to the light nature of the piece. Similar to the previous one, I had the impression, that some wider dynamical changes got lost within the arrangement. Interestingly, even though it is just one group of instruments playing (similar to the previous piece), I didn’t have the impression at all that the piece sounds empty. I noticed, that the arranger added quite a few trills and turns, which made the piece sound more full and rich. Obviously, the original version was written for a one or several voices in the foreground, but as one or more of the flutes are more in the foreground “singing” the melody, one doesn’t really miss the words. I think it would be very important to know the original version of this piece, to know what the flute playing the melody wants to recreate. Though, not having the text of the original composition allowed me to focus more on the harmonic and chord progression of the played pieces.

Toccata and Fugue in Dm – Bach

Finally, during my search for different ensembles, I stumbled over Bach’s Toccata and Fugue in d- minor written for an ensemble of e – guitars covered by the group “Sinfonity”. I hugely enjoyed listening to this version of Bach’s piece. The distorted sounds of the e – guitars fitted very well to the dark notes of the intro. I sometimes had the feeling, that some of the bass from the original version for organ is missing, even though there are some parts featuring deeper notes from one of the guitars.

I found it interesting, that the timbre of e – guitars, a fairly modern instrument, is quite similar to a church organ, both create a somewhat dissorted sound, yet the organ sounds more “bell” – like. Whilst the sound of the organ stays the same throughout, Sinfonity often altered the amount of guitars playing according to which voice is used in the original version, creating a welcome change. Even though Bach’s original version is a well – known piece, which is often used in media, for example for Halloween – settings, I personally don’t think it is necessary to know the original in order to enjoy this version.

Exercise 7: Exploring Instrumental Choirs

I was asked to arrange three different pieces for instrumental choirs of my choice.

No.1. – Fats Waller: Effervescent

For the first piece I chose a guitar orchestra featuring classical guitars and acoustic guitars. Due to the brighter sound of the nylon strings from the classical guitars, I chose them to play the higher ranged parts, the metal strings are, in my opinion better used for the lower and middle ranged parts. Nonetheless, the mix of both sounds creates a warmer note, which is why I used a combination of both for the “left hand”. I initially thought about using an acoustic bass as well, but had the impression, that the guitar – like character got lost during the process, thus, I put the low parts up by an octave. As the beginning and ending section of the piece has an antiohnal structure, I also alternated the dynamics, trying to give the piece some more colour.

No. 2 – Monteverdi: Cruda Amarilli

The second piece was originally written for a SATTB – choir. I took a closer look at the word endings to place slurs or phrase endings. Similar to the previous piece, I also allowed myself to make some alterations to the dynamics, and made use of some technical abilities from the cello.

3. Mendelssohn: Song Without Words

As I was really inspired by a flute choir playing a medley of “The song of music”, I initially wanted to use flutes for the last piece. Nonetheless, I found an even richer, brighter spectrum of colours using clarinets instead. The biggest hurdle I had to overcome was obviously, that a clarinet is only capable of playing one note at a time. That made some parts, for example bat 14 rather difficult to rearrange, as 7 notes are played at the same time, yet I chose to write for only 6 instruments. In these cases I tried to find out which notes are the least needed, so that the whole chord still creates the same effect.