http://youtu.be/kXxkeV4TagQ?list=UUM5ogaKyZsl6P9PYzp1uJZw
"Fanfare for Earth" for Brass and Percussion. I have been working on a series of fanfares here lately. In the video, "Fanfare for Earth" ends at around 3'30" then "Festiva Fanfare" begins. So feel free to stop listening after the first fanfare ends since I already posted Festiva Fanfare on the forum.
Thank ya,
~Rod
Replies
Open 5ths in the horns. What's not to like!
You truly do hate horn players!!!lol Seriously, towards the end, you have just one horn playing the rips and descant lines. I don't know that a single player will be able to cut through the full brass sustain sound. Is it possible to use the whole section as you did earlier in the work?
The other concern for me (fwiw) is regarding listener fatigue. Just as in "Festiva", it would have been nice to hear things back off a bit to really set up the ending.
I know you are doing these as a series, but do you see these being paired into a single work ala Leo Arnaud's fanfares, or used as single entities?
I do like horns doing fanfare licks in fifths. NO other instrument can pull it off as well.
PS Reverb on this one sounded a bit heavy to me, but it could be my system.
The consensus with me and my horn buddies is, "I love them, they hate me." It's interesting that y'all see this as one player per part. I see this as an entire horn section so at least 2 on a part. I have played in ensembles where we've had as many as 3 and 4 on a part. I may go back and see if I can use the entire horn section at the end, but first I need to see if horn 2 and 3 have important lines or is their color an important part of the blend in those sections.
Concerning listener fatigue, I am praying that the different colors of the section features will be enough. The goal of this fanfare was for everyone to get the main fanfare melody and be around 3 to 3.5 minutes long. The piece could had easily ended before the low brass stated the main fanfare theme. I know and do see what you are saying, but do you want a slow, soft melodic section in the middle? Is that what you are wanting to hear?
I will be honest with you, I don't know what fate has in store for these fanfares. I have noticed that I first tend to write chamber pieces and then later they expand to large ensemble works later on. For example, I would first write a piece for solo voice and piano, then later I add solo cello, then expand the voice to full choir, then maybe full orchestra, and lastly off to the publisher. This has work to my advantage in several cases where a choir director or brass professor has first heard the smaller ensemble recording and then asked me to arrange the work for their larger ensemble. Concerning the fanfares I can hear full out orchestral scores in my head with them especially Festiva Fanfare. I would love to see the brass versions as concert starters or event starters to get the crowd ready for the rest of the concert or festivities.
I like to think that each of these fanfares are a little different than the norm. Fanfare for Earth is based on parallel 5ths, Festiva Fanfare is based on Latin rhythms mixed with pop and rock, then I got a 30 second fanfare based on the most musical 12 tone row ever, and then the final fanfare will give the chance for brass player to improve, choose a note, and other extended techniques causing tension before landing on a beautiful major chord almost like what you would hear in drum corps and marching band warm-ups.
The reverb is way too much. You are correct, but this was done with those horrible Garritan sounds which I used too much reverb just to make them sound decent. I composed this fanfare first, then did Festiva Fanfare experimenting with CineBrass Core, then a few weeks ago I went back and reworked the 5 timpani parts in Fanfare for Earth and widdled them down to only 2. I haven't did a demo with it yet using my new CineBrass sounds but will when I get CineBrass Pro later this month, hopefully...
Thanks for commenting. Please let me know your thoughts.
~Rod
My first thought was a single player, one per part ensemble. If you are planning multiple players per part it should be alright. You might want to consider an alternate horn part if the ensemble doesn't have the size or at a minimum an asst. principle.
No, nothing slow and melodic. That would kill the piece. I was thinking soft and intense. Keep the same motion and movement, but perhaps a sub ensemble (5tet, 6tet, etc.) playing at a lower dynamic, but just as intense. You mentioned drum corps, if you saw BD this year, the first fifteen seconds just upper brass. When the low brass finally enter, it takes your breathe away. Not so much volume, but the sudden timbre change plus volume was what made it effective.
They will stand on their own, I was just curious as to your vision for them. Is the 12 tone the one you posted here a while back? I thought that was very well done. The first 12 tone piece I've ever really liked.
Look forward to the, dare I say it, "Cage" inspired fanfare. That sounds interesting.
score: https://app.box.com/s/ydzx6krf0suwi7da4gj0
sound: https://app.box.com/s/pccdfz3t5vcpr7pgodio
The "Cage" might sound more like BD's space chords btw. ;)
It sounds good. It's like the first mov of Also sprach Zarathustra by Strauss in a way.
Maybe more timpanis. It is a splendid work.
I enjoyed this. It's got energy and a memorable melody. In general I am a big fan of fourths and fifths and think they can be one way to root a piece in the modern era, to me a greatly important goal. At times I thought of the theme of the movie Exodus. Thanks for posting!
Ädd them at approriate places, just like Strauss did. :)
Rodney Carlyle Money said:
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