HOMEPAGE JUNE 2005

Posted 6 June 2005

Welcome to the Tim Reynish Website

Dear Colleagues,

I have made an attempt in this Homepage to try to organise the files of the past six months a little more logically, thanks to Mike Grieff, my patient web-master.

My thanks to all who have written with ideas and suggestions; I am especially looking forward to presenting in Singapore an incredible programme of major scores which have been premiered in the past two years, and I shall devote the next update on this Homepage to discussing these. 

To those who wonder why some composers and publishers seem to be neglected in these files, I guess that what is commercial does not need my advocacy. The composers that interest me most are those who try to say something new, even if they use an old-fashioned language. This month’s composer is Bernard van Beurden who wrote in a programme note for a CD:

In much music for wind band one finds always the same recognisable use of tone colours. Composers in this field tend to use the same easily applicable instrumentation models all the time, thereby creating a certain dull uniformity in compositions for wind band, as if the same piece is being composed over and over again.

Have a great summer – or winter.

Tim Reynish

INDEX

GALA CONCERT AT BARBICAN, LONDON OCTOBER 24

CANFORD SUMMER SCHOOL still has some vacancies for wind orchestra players.

RNCM/BASBWE INTERNATIONAL WIND FESTIVAL November 4/5/6

GUIDE to files posted to date

NEW THIS MONTH:

25/07/05 Repertoire: American Wind Symphony Orchestra

18/07/05 Repertoire: German Wind Music Classics

06/07/05 Repertoire: Conference Reviews WASBE 1995

06/07/05 Repertoire: Conference Reviews Finland 2005

23/06/05 Repertoire: British Wind Music for Schools

23/06/05 Conducting 5: Knowing the Conductor's Role

23/06/05 Repertoire: Saxophone and Wind Band/Orchestra/Ensemble

WASBE SINGAPORE CONFERENCE 

EARLY BIRD RATES UNTIL 8^th JULY

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STILL SOME VACANCIES LEFT IN THE SUMMER SCHOOL

FOR WIND ORCHESTRA PLAYERS

Put your mouse on 

canford

to enter the site with full details of:

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RNCM/BASBWE INTERNATIONAL WIND FESTIVAL 2005

NEW-LOOK INTERNATIONAL FESTIVAL FOR 2005

In conjunction with the RNCM International Saxophone Festival

For advance publicity of the Festival, point your browser at BASBWE

Highlights will include concerts by:

RNCM Wind Orchestra, soloist John McCabe in Edward Gregson’s Piano Concerto in a programme which will include the world premiere of Richard Rodney Bennett’s Concerto for Saxophone Quartet and Wind Ensemble, Gregson’s Missa Brevis Pacem and Celebration and McCabe’s Canyons.

Guildhall School of Music & Drama Wind Orchestra with John Harle as soloist in Kechley’s Restless Birds before the Dark Moon, new works by Michael Berkeley and Harrison Birtwistle, Adam Gorb’s Dances from Crete and Magnus Lindberg’s Gran Duo.

Principal Clinician Frank Battisti

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WEB GUIDE

BASBWE

Books – A core Library Tims Library

Books – Reviews 31st March 2005 BR310305

Chamber Music, Directed – Introduction Chamber 1

Chamber Music – Listing of repertoire for 7 or more Chamber 2

Chamber Music – Wind music of Beethoven Chamber 3

Community Band world repertoire AMATEUR WIND BANDS

Composers – Beethoven Chamber 3

Composers – Richard Rodney BENNETT

Composers – Derek BOURGEOIS 1

Composers – Derek BOURGEOIS 2

Composers – Derek BOURGEOIS 3

Composers – Edward GREGSON

Composers – Hans Werner HENZE

Conducting 1 – Score Study

Conducting 2 - Score Study 2

Conducting 3 - Master Class

Conducting 4 - Warm Ups

Contact Addresses - CONTACT

History & Analysis - Vaughan Williams Toccata Marziale

History up to 1981 of the British WIND ORCHESTRA

LINKS

Repertoire, creating at RNCM Arnold to Zappa

Repertoire – Concerto suggestions Concertos

Repertoire – Art of Programming1

Repertoire – Art of Programming2

Repertoire - British Wind Music 1981-1991 BWM 1

Repertoire - British Wind Music 1991 – 2005 BWM 2

Repertoire – Canford Summer School Repertoire

Repertoire - Commissions 1981 – 2005 COMMISSIONS

Repertoire – Compact Disc reviews COMPACT DISCS

Repertoire Conference Reviews - CBDNA 1997

Repertoire Conference Reviews - CBDNA 2005

Repertoire Conference Reviews - WASBE 2001

Repertoire Conference Reviews - WASBE 2003

Repertoire Conference Reviews - BASBWE 2004

Repertoire Conferences - 1981 – 1991 BASBWE

Repertoire Conference Review - Symposium 2002 Eastman Wind Ensemble

Repertoire – Music for Wind and Chorus

Repertoire – Music from Hungary

Repertoire – personal international favorites Music That Rings My Bell

Repertoire – School Wind Band SWB Repertoire

School Band - Improving the Sound by Walter Beeler

TIM REYNISH BIOGRAPHY

WASBE

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Singapore beckons – it is a magic city bridging the cultures of East and West, with a myriad of superb restaurants and eating places (even fast food outlets are superb), great architecture, an incredible standard of cleanliness, virtually crime-free, with shops open all night.

The new Arts Centre and Concert Hall presents state-of-the-art acoustics and comfort, the sight-seeing trips to the Night-time Safari, round the rivers, through the museums are alone worth the trip. All this, plus the WASBE Conference – you cannot afford to miss it.

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PREMIERE OF THE MONTH

The Cloud of Unknowing (2004) Kenneth Hesketh for winds, brass and percussion (born 1968)

World Premiere - Royal College of Music Wind Orchestra

Friday 6th May at the RCM, conductor Tim Reynish

(Published by Schotts)

The composer writes:

In composing this work, The Cloud of Unknowing, I was confronted by many different feelings. It was commissioned by Hilary and Timothy Reynish as part of a series of commissions in memory of their third son William. For various reasons it proved a difficult work to write, not the least in how to approach the piece and what to say musically that would not seem trite or contrived.

I turned to early English literature, in this case texts dealing with the mystical or metaphysical. Such texts have long interested me. The title of this work comes from an anonymous manual and guide to mystical experience and was written in the late fourteenth century. In a manner similar to the concept of nirvana in oriental religion, the text espouses an emptying out of all intellect, of all feeling, so that in silence God's love and majesty may rush in. A second text, namely, A Litany by John Donne, also influenced the concept of this piece, specifically with reference to stanzas 23 to 25. Certain phrases and words seem to resonate musically and it was from these beginnings that the work took shape.

The work grows from one melody which is heard almost at once. Constant variation, renewal and development of this theme moves the music forward, sometimes gently, sometime fiercely. The piece starts and ends as if from afar. Various accompanying figures are allowed to flow freely from background to foreground, seemingly at will. The overall structure moves through three sections; processional, mercurial and eventually explosive, recessional.

The Cloud of Unknowing is dedicated to the memory of William Reynish but also with deep affection to Tim and Hilary.

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RECORD OF THE MONTH - AMOS CD 6010

Esprit by the Musikkorps der Bundeswehr conductor Walter Ratzek

With arrangements of de Falla, Ravel and John Williams

I confess to a bias here, since I love my 60th birthday present from Adam Gorb, the Yiddish Dances. Here it comes in an idiomatic performance with some great solo playing, (fantastic Eb player here) well judged speeds and balance, by the superb top German military band under one of my favorite professional conductors, Walter Ratzek. 

Main interest is perhaps in the exciting Improvisation and Fugato by Marco Pütz commissioned jointly by WASBE Germany and the Military, and the disc ends strongly with a work by Thomas Doss, the sumptuous impressionistic Nyx. Ratzek also contributes a deftly scored version of Tea for Two by Shostakovich, and there are arrangements of John Williams, Ravel and de Falla.

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SCORE OF THE MONTH

Aus einem Tagebuch by Heiner Goebbels published by Riccordi

3333:4442:P 4P Flugel; Sample-keyboard; harp; 6 double basses, duration 22 minutes

Simon Rattle’s first commission for the Berlin Philharmonic, this is an extraordinary and evocative score, challenging for everyone but certainly a major contribution by BASBWE’s President and the BPO.

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BOOK OF THE MONTH

Lead and Inspire by Garofalo and Battisti

Published by Whirlwind Music Publications

Jim Croft writes:

I salute Garofalo and Battisti for sharing their considerable experience and wisdom with us. Lead and Inspire; A Guide to Expressive Conducting is an important reference which, when used with their Guide to Score Study, will provide process and direction for the neophyte as well as the experienced practitioner. The book needs to be in the library of anyone who teaches conducting.

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Let me get it off my chest immediately; this is yet another excellent American pedagogic book on conducting which neglects that most important ingredient of performance, phrasing. There are so many ideas on how to indicate different activities and emotions, but phrasing, and a sense of architecture, are both neglected, and I have a feeling that these are missing in so many of the technically perfect, yet musically unsatisfying, performances in the USA.

That said, here is certainly an enormous amount of material for the student and the experienced conductor to think about, especially in the Rehearsal Procedures, and the amount of sheer practical information on what the players are hoping for from their conductor is well worth the cost. Evaluation forms for conductors, gestures to fit every possible musical and sometimes unmusical happening, the psychology of rehearsal and performance, all are discussed and illustrated in a most entertaining and informative way.

However, I am surprised that there is no discussion of the French six as opposed to the Italian, a six which goes to the right for 2nd and 3rd beats, and across for 4 and 5, which makes it very easy to move into a gently subdivided 2 and back again. And take care with the gesture of approval. A thumbs-up sign means “well done” in both America and England, and possibly Europe, but I heard of a conductor in Turkey who had given it after a testing rehearsal of the brass; they immediately walked out!

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DISCOVERY OF THE MONTH

Sofia Gubaidulina Hour of the Soul (Stunde der Seele) (1976-88)

Works available from G. Schirmer, Inc. in the USA, Canada, and Mexico

Duration: 30'

Text by Marina Tsvetayeva (Ru)

version for Mezzo-soprano and wind ensemble:

4(2pic:2afl)+pic.3.13+bcl.5sax.3/6.4+4cnt.4+tsxhn.3+barsxhn/3perc/2hp.cel.pf/2db

My thanks to Charles Peltz of New England Conservatory for drawing my attention to this work by one of the major composers from Russia.

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BERNARD VAN BEURDEN bernardvanbeurden@wanadoo.fr

Compositions for windorchestra, windensemble and fanfareorchestra by Bernard van Beurden.

FOR WIND ORCHESTRA

1984 Concerto for violin, viola and windorchestra

1988 La Messe ( The Mass ) for soprano, accordeon, violoncello and windorchestra.

1990 Concerto for Large Windorchestra

1991 Concertino for sopranosaxophone and windorchestra

1992 Praise the Trumpet for 9 trumpets and windorchestra

1992 Concerto for piccolotrumpet, trumpet, flugelhorn and windorchestra

1993 REQUIEM for 3 female voices, malechoir and windorchestra

1993 From Turkey for soprano and windorchestra

1998 Concerto for violoncello and windorchestra

1999 Music for a Medieval (K)Night.

2002 Pastorale for violin and windorchestra

2002 Let’s Go for 9 saxophones and windorchestra.

2003 Song of the Skyloom for mixed choir, voice (spoken) and windorchestra.

2003 DE MIS ( The Mass ) for malechoir and windorchestra.

2004 Boulevard des Misères for female choir, 3 solo-malevoices, 2 voices (spoken) and windorchestra.

FOR FANFARE WIND ORCHESTRA

Fanfare is a typical dutch brassorchestra you also find in Belgium, Luxembourg and Germany.

The orchestration is saxophones, flugelhorns, trumpets, horns, trombones, tenor tubas, bass tubas and percussion. (A Fanfare is NOT a brassband )

1991 Grenzeloos ( Boundless ) for soprano and fanfareorchestra

1991 Estampie for fanfareorchestra

1995 Poème de l’Automne ( Poem for the Autumn ) for flute and fanfareorchestra

1995 Concerto Mediavale for brassquintet and fanfareorchestra.

2000 A vous bel ami for soprano, harp, viola and windorchestra.

2001 Wals ( walz ) for violoncello and fanfareorchestra.

2003 Four Turkish Folksongs for soprano and fanfareorchestra.

2004 Concerto for Fanfareorchestra (première july 2005 in Singapore during the WASBE)

FOR WIND ENSEMBLE (about 15 players )

1982 Estampie for windensemble

1992 Concerto for bassoon and windensemble

1998 Pour le Tombeau d’Anatole for soprano and windensemble

1998 Game / Jeu for windensemble

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