B2DF846C-D426-4784-9739-F92DA2A4036B
| ID | B2DF846C-D426-4784-9739-F92DA2A4036B |
|---|---|
| Titlecode | R01130 |
| Title Name | Beyond the Brass Gates: Concerto for Violin and Wind Ensemble |
| Marketing Copy | The brass section is formally isolated from the rest of the ensemble, playing "Gates" beyond which lie a series of seven "Realms" depicted by the solo violin, woodwinds, and percussion. This form owes a great deal to Pictures at an Exhibition and Bluebeard's Castle -- Mussorgsky's promenades and Bartok's keys become Brass Gates which open to display fantasy worlds, the variegated domains ruled by the solo violin. |
| Instrumentation | Violin, Piano Reduction Reduction from: 2+Piccolo.2.3+E-flat Clarinet+Bass Clarinet+ContraBass Clarinet.2. AATB Saxophone Ensemble: 4.4.3+Bass Trombone.2 Euphonium.2: Percussion(6) |
| Commission | Commissioned by Baldwin-Wallace College, Florida State University, and Indiana University. |
| Dedication | (not set) |
| Program Notes | My greatest concern as I began writing this Concerto for Violin and Wind Ensemble (or Concert Band) was how to explore the potentials of a band's large brass section without overwhelming a solo violin. My strategy in solving this problem ultimately provided the form and the character of the work as a whole. The brass section is formally isolated from the rest of the ensemble, playing "Gates" beyond which lie a series of seven "Realms" depicted by the solo violin, woodwinds, and percussion. This form owes a great deal to Pictures at an Exhibition and Bluebeard's Castle -- Mussorgsky's promenades and Bartok's keys become Brass Gates which open to display fantasy worlds, the variegated domains ruled by the solo violin. The first brass gate, a brisk but stately fanfare, opens onto a vast, warm realm, "Filtered Sunlight," dominated by sweeping lyricism and flickering triadic tremolos. Gate 2 interrupts with urgent brass repeated notes opening to Realm 2: "Rustic Clockwork," a mechanism populated by the violin's disjunct harmonics pitted in hockets against the insistent rhythms and lines of the winds and percussion. Gate 3 allows the brass to be heard in a rich, expressive choral style, surprised by the exposure of Realm 3: "Heavy Hitting," a hard rocking episode in heavy triple meter. The stuttering end of this realm stumbles onto Gate 4, a montage of thick, dense brass clusters supported by gongs and tamtams, clearing to uncover the low solo violin and Realm 4: "Plaintive Strains," built around a sighing melodic subject. Gate 5 relieves this sultry mood with a bright, canonic fanfare, superseded by the even faster swirling dance of Realm 5: "Tarantella." Gate 6 has the brass chanting throbbing chord progressions to unveil Realm 6: "Buttermilk and Honey," featuring a backdrop. Gate 7 grows seamlessly out of this realm, with rising overlapping lines in the muted brass scaling to a dreamy height that is rudely shattered by the incursion of Realm 7: "Rough Coursing," a bumpy ride through a rugged landscape. The intrusion of the brass at the end of this realm spurs a striking detour --a mini-cadenza for scurring muted violin and barely audible cymbals capped by a brusque return to the rough course as the gate slams shut. Beyond the Brass Gates was premiered March 26, 1999 by Julian Ross and the Baldwin-Wallace Conservatory Wind Ensemble who commissioned the work in consortium with Bands from Indiana University and Florida State University. |
| Title Brand | 2 |
| Year Composed | 1998 |
| Copyright Number | (not set) |
| Copyright Year | (not set) |
| Duration | 23 |
| Ensemble Size | 2 |
| Date Created | 2008-10-31 20:33:04.000000 |
| Date Updated | 2025-09-30 20:33:04 |
| Inhouse Note | (not set) |
| Bsc Code | (not set) |
| Text Author | (not set) |
| Premier Performance Memo | (not set) |
| Recording Credits | (not set) |
| Review | (not set) |
| Awards | (not set) |
| Title Category | 10 |
| Title Movements | (not set) |
| Title Grade | (not set) |
| Set Series ID | (not set) |
| Title Instrument Category Text | Violin |
| Title Sub Category Text | (not set) |
| Title Sub Category | 99 |
| Title Instrument Header | 56 |
| Title Grade Text | (not set) |
| Clean Url | beyond-the-brass-gates-concerto-for-violin-and-wind-ensemble-r01130 |