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£184.99
Rubicon - Bert Appermont
The Rubicon is a river in Northern Italy which Julius Caesar crossed with his army in 49 BC in defiance of the leaders of Rome, who feared his power. A civil war against rival Pompey ensued, which culminated in Caesar seizing power as the absoluteruler of Rome. The phrase "crossing the Rubicon" therefore refers to any person committing himself irrevocably to a risky, decisive and irrevocable of course of action.The work consists of three parts that deal with this important moment in history.Part 1 (Meditation) symbolises Caesars request to the Gods to assist him in his difficult choice. In a slow introduction we hear the melancholy and beseeching sounds of the duduk (alternatively, this part can be played by a soprano saxophone)and of the soprano solo singer over the bourdon accompaniment. The soprano solo singer then sings "dona tibi pacem" (give him rest) in a melodious and probing theme.In Part 2 (Battle of Pharsalus) trumpets and trombones resound alternately ina stately Roman fanfare, producing a stereophonic effect. This develops into a martial theme in which Caesars impressive army goes to battle against the army of rival Pompey. While the theme of Caesars army fades away, Pompeys theme emerges as anaive dance in six-eight time. His army is definitely in the majority and it believes it can easily defeat the enemy. Suddenly trumpets and trombones clash on two sides of the orchestra: Caesars army advances and attacks. A fierce battle ensues inwhich the two themes are played alternately as well as simultaneously. Thanks to his shrewd battle tactics, Caesar manages to win this legendary battle after all: his theme resounds ever louder in trumpets and horns until everything dies out andchanges into a kind of reconciliation between the soldiers of the two armies. The melancholy "dona tibi pacem" from part 1 now serves as a reconciliation theme.Caesar is now the sole ruler of the New Roman Empire, which would be destined to leave itsmark on our Western civilisation to this day. The third part is a sparkling succession of dance music (Dance) with many Greek and Roman elements in which Caesars victory is praised and celebrated. It is common knowledge that the culture(arts, gods, etc.) of the Romans drew heavily on Greek culture. I have therefore used an authentic Greek theme (the Seikolos song) several times in this part (bar 17 in the euphonium, bar 60 in the base section, bar 68 in the sopranosaxophone) to suggest the music of that era and to evoke the right atmosphere. After a gradual increase in tempo in the entire orchestra, the opening melody gloriously resounds once more, surrounded by virtuoso dance music. The work ends withbombastic brass fanfares in which Caesars theme triumphs once more.NOTE FOR THE CONDUCTOR:The Armenian duduk and the monochord that are used in the introduction give a special tone to the music, but could be substituted (soprano saxophone instead ofthe duduk) or left out (monochord). The soprano solo is also doubled within the orchestra and could therefore also be left out if necessary, although it does provide the work with an extra dimension. The male voices in the introduction and the finalecould possibly be replaced with a synthesizer with choral setting.As a visual and acoustic element in part 2, the trumpets, the e-flat cornet, the small drum and trombones can be stood up and placed at two sides of the orchestra (bar 80).Seen fromthe point of view of the conductor, put the trumpets, the e-flat cornet and the small drum in the left section and the trombones in the right section of the orchestra. This also helps to create a visual contrast between the two themes of the secondpart. The players can be seated again at bar 97 or bar 121. The soprano soloist can be placed in or in front of the orchestra, depending on what gives the best result. For the conclusion of the work the soprano solo can be sung from afar (from thewings) to create additional atmosphere.This work was composed especially for the "St Joseph" brass band from Pey/Echt (Belgium) with conductor Mark Prils.
Estimated dispatch 7-14 working days
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£109.99
Dublimania - Menno Bosgra
This new work is based on Irish folk music.In the first part, the main theme is presented as a ballad, starting with the piccolo (as replacement for the flute which is widely used in Ireland), moving on the wood section to end with the entire orchestra.It then changes to a kind of rock style theme: powerful, rhythmic accompaniment with effects in dampers, a pedal point and the use of the spoons which is typical of Irish music (Irish pub), high-range bongo drum (replacement for the Bodhran), etc.In this second part I introduced a second theme as a counterbalance, played by several groups, which has clearly a more legato character and therefore sounds more melodious.The climaxof the work starts in the low-range brass section with its marcato theme that is developed with a great deal of rhythmicity in the accompaniment, clusters, etc. into a percussion solo interspersed by the orchestra in five-eight time with frequent parallel movement in chords (folk music style).Towards the end, theme 2 recurs twice: first as heard earlier with an extra counter melody and accompaniment pattern, then in a canonical form, in which the theme is played by three groups. The conclusion is a repeat of the middle section in five-eight time.I have tried to use many of the colours of a wind orchestra by having the wood sections and brass section play alone and making extensive use of dampers. Percussion also has a prominent role throughout the work.
Estimated dispatch 7-14 working days
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£274.99Symphony No. 2: States Of Mind, Opus 87 - Teo Aparicio-Barberán
I- Logos (reason)II- Pathos (emotion)III- Ethos (credibility)The ancient Greeks believed that music shaped the character of man. In Egyptian temples, music was an essential part of the magical rites to alter the course of nature or to treat illness.And today we know that sound can actually alter matter. The secret of music lies in harmony and mathematics, as many great musicians and experts have always known.One of the most important qualities of music is that it enables the listener to focushis attention inwards instead of on what is around him. It is indisputable that music can inspire emotion. Music leads us into a universe of emotions that are difficult to put into words. In short, music reaches into corners of our soul and thoughtsthat words cannot reach and makes it possible to more clearly describe these different States of mind.The composer of this symphony also believes that each "musical argument" must be constructed so that it will induce the desired reaction in thelistener.Music: more than wordsIn recent times, most orchestral symphonies have been based on a story, a text or something similar so that their composition must be structured accordingly.The intention of this work by Teo Aparicio-Barbern is quitedifferent. The composer describes the three elements of the argument as the only formal structure of the work. Since certain philosophers in world history were able to subdivide grammatical argument, why shouldnt that also be possible for the musicalargument?Since ancient times the power of the spoken word has captivated mankind. How can an argument move people and mobilise the masses? Where does the power of words come from today? The answer lays not so much in what people say but in how theysay it.Rhetoric is one of the oldest humanist disciplines in Western civilisation. Aristotle, in the 4th century BC, called it the art of persuasion. Indeed, the terms rhetoric and persuasion are mutually interchangeable.More than 2000 years agoAristotle structured his rhetoric according to the following three elements: the logos, the pathos and the ethos.Logos (words, reason) is the reasoning that gives freedom to the structure of the text by expressing what one wishes to say usingspecialist terms. With logos we create arguments to receive public approval and to defend our ideas.Pathos, the second element, refers to the effective use of public psychology. Pathos can be considered as the capacity to induce the desired emotionalresponse in the public, by creating an emotional connection with the public so that they accept our message.The third element, ethos (credibility), refers to the character of the speaker and is perhaps the most important of the three elements.Aristotle based his concept of ethos upon his belief that truth and justice will always have the upper hand over anger. He believed that what was true and good was easier to prove and was more persuasive.This second orchestral symphony from thecomposer from Enguera follows these three parameters of the argument according to Aristotle. Each movement tries to summon a different state of mind in the listener so that the message itself can be better understood and appreciated. Apart from thesethree general concepts the music is only structured, as Claude Debussy would say, in a "formative way".The first movement, logos, is based on a scherzo melody that undergoes various changes in rhythm and harmony. The arguments are presented by meansof conventional techniques of composition. The second movement, pathos, is characterised by suggestions of sound. It is subdivided into two large parts. The first part is based on a five seven sequence with five sounds that are repeated in differentenvironments, structures and dynamics. The second part, which is largely tonal, brings out more directly the emotional overtones that each argument must have. The third movement, ethos, is a faithful rendition of the composers personality. In thislast part, clear rhythmic sequences stand out, there are large dynamic contrasts and lots of tone variation. In addition, and this is quite in keeping with the composers earlier work, the harmony in States of Mind is handled in a manner that is bothoriginal and efficient, as a result of which Aparicio-Barberns message is well understood by the listener.This second symphony by Teo Aparicio-Barbern is devoted to "my dear Henrie Adams, a guiding light in this eternally dark musical world. Thankyou for everything."
Estimated dispatch 7-14 working days
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£94.99Biberussa - Bert Appermont
'Biberussa', the old name of the small town of Beverst in Belgium, is a combination of the words 'biber' and 'ussa', meaning beaver and river. This concert march was composed for the 100th anniversary of the Koninklijke Harmonie (Royal Concert Band) 'Ons Verlangen' from Beverst, a place where the composer had his first musical training. After the opening passage, a proud, heroic theme is heard. As a contrast, it is followed by a simple chorale melody and both themes then appear simultaneously in a grand tutti passage. This is followed by a cantabile trio with a majestic reprise of the main theme bringing the work to a close.
Estimated dispatch 7-14 working days
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£64.99Christmas Fantasia - Satoshi Yagisawa
Christmas Fantasia was commissioned by Seika Girls High School Band and its director, Mr. Yoshihisa Fujishige, for its annual concert, premiering in December of 2009. The composer followed the band's request to employ a melody similar to Holst's Jupiter as well as Christmas songs. This pops composition is a rarity among the many works of Yagisawa.
Estimated dispatch 7-14 working days
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£202.99
Porco Rosso - Joe Hisaishi
From the 1992 Japanese animated film about an Italian World War I flying ace who, for a wartime misdeed, was transformed into an anthropomorphic pig. The flamboyant post-war story of Porco Rosso (Crimson Pig) battling air pirates is full of intrigue and romance, and the film's diverse and lush soundtrack is one of the more rare Studio Ghibli scorings. Mr. Tomoki Ubata, (band director at Ina Gakuen Sr. High School) assisted with medley design as we both became intrigued with the music.The sixth song, Kyouki ~ hishou (insanity & soaring), appearing on Joe Hisaishi's album "My Lost City", is often performed for his concerts. Due to its complexity I am sure this is one of Hisaishi's favorites. I also added the French chanson "Le Temps des cerises" (Antoine Renard) that Madame Gena sings in the film. This is my favorite of all chansons; I was happy to include this bittersweet, beautiful melody.The following themes are contained in the arrangement:1. Le Temps des cerises2. Jidai no kaze (Wind of the Times)3. Mammaito4. Pikkoro no onnatachi (Women of Piccolo)5. Porco e Bella6. Kyouki ~ hishou (Insanity & Soaring)7. Tooki jidai o momomede (Seeking for Far Times)You can hear how the story folds without a screen.(Kazuhiro Morita)
Estimated dispatch 7-14 working days
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£202.99
Spirited Away - Joe Hisaishi
This is an arrangement of Ghibli's Anime film, "Spirited Away". It consists of six themes including No-Face, One Summer Day, The Bottomless Pit, Yubaba's Panic, Always with Me, and Reprise. I also added an alternate introduction using The Dragon Boy. The No-Face opener is somewhat avant-garde with technical difficulties so select the opening that is best suited to your ensemble. The arrangement concept was created by Mr. Tomoki Ubata of Ina Gakuen Sr. High School. His wonderfully crafted ideas always impress me. Especially, in the arrangement, mallet percussion and piano are effectively used to sound like a music box and the lyrical melody of Reprise is superimposed. This scene is the best part of the entire arrangement and is very emotional. All these fine melodies from the film transport both audience and performers to the fantastic world of anime. (Kazuhiro Morita)
Estimated dispatch 7-14 working days
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£129.99
A Jupiter Fantasy (from the Planets) - Yasuhide Ito
Utilizing the melody from the central section of Holst's "The Planets: IV. Jupiter", I have exclusively written a chorus piece for an event in 1999. Based on that particular piece, a duo for piano and flute was written the same year. Later, more than a total of 30 renditions were written based on the original piece.This version of "Jupiter", arranged for the large wind band, is one of three parts of a three-part composition, which includes "Mars" and "Earth", composed in 2003 and 2005 respectively.The trumpet ad lib kicks off the central section, in which various other instruments could repeatedly perform the section, and ad lib is most welcome too.(Yasuhide Ito)
Estimated dispatch 7-14 working days
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£106.95
Merry-Go-Round - Yukiko Nishimura
As the title suggests, this new piece from composer Yukiko Nishimura depicts the joy of riding on a merry-go-round or carousel. The main melody is delightful and memorable. Yukiko's orchestration colors are unique and fresh. Her harmonic sensibilities lead a bit toward the Jazz idiom making her compositions different and very interesting.
Estimated dispatch 7-14 working days
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£112.50Irish Tune from County Derry And Shepherd's Hey - Percy Aldridge Grainger
Performable either together or separately, the first selection, commonly known as Danny Boy) is a masterful example of the pure beauty of sound and melody, while Shepherd's Hey is a sprightly dance.
Estimated dispatch 7-14 working days
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