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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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£204.99Credentium - Jan Van der Roost
A spectacular dive via an extended chromatic scale immediately submerges us in a charged and somewhat archaic-feeling atmosphere. Trumpets, horns and trombones resound in rhythmic patterns, buttressed by restless motifs in the percussion. A second theme, in the woodwinds, begins much calmer but is quickly pushed aside by that same brass offensive. This introduction is the musical expression of the sometimes tumultuous early history of the town of Peer in Belgium. It closes with a D scale played over two octaves and repeated three times, symbolizing the church steeples that dominate the townscape. Peer has the credentials of a town, and people should know about it.There followsa rhythmic, turbulent passage: in the course of history, Peer has not been spared the ravages of war, arson, occupation, epidemic and other evils. In contrast, a slow, pastoral, lyrical part expresses the periods of peace and prosperity the town has known, as well as the serene geographic setting that still characterizes the place. Various instruments in groups are developed in solo style while the accompaniment displays vast, painterly images of sound. Now and then an exotic intonation is heard: a variety of peoples and cultures have left their mark on the town.This episode of tranquility and peacefulness comes to a sudden end when, via a surprising, almost chaotic transitional passage, we are in effect transported back to our own time. A hopeful, festive march expresses the confidence in the future that the Royal Concert Band of Peer exudes. This confidence is wholly justified: under the direction of conductor Willy Fransen, the 95 members of the concert band have experienced an extended period of good fortune, and the 75 musicians of the youth band - and the 45 little musicians of the mini-band - are involved in thriving operations.
Estimated dispatch 7-14 working days
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£202.99Avalon - Jan van der Roost
The magical world of King Arthur, Merlin and Mordred is the setting for Avalon. Unexpected opening figures portray the sudden entrance into another world. A choral-like melody represents the procession of ghosts headed by the mighty magician Merlin. Suddenly, ostinato figures and bi-tonal motifs indicate the attempt of Mordred and his horde to disturb the peace and quiet in the otherwise calm Avalon. Following a powerful statement of King Arthur, we hear a glissando referring back to the opening bars, and... we are back in the normal world. The journey through the underworld has come to an end and the dream is over.
Estimated dispatch 7-14 working days
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£60.99Jamaica - Timothy Travis
Jamaica is an island in the Caribbean. In 1494 it was discovered by Christopher Columbus, who used it as private property until 1509. After some skirmishes it fell under British rule and the sugar trade on the island flourished. After the abolition of slavery in 1834 it was only granted Home Rule in 1944, but it remained a member of the British Commonwealth of Nations. Whereas the export of cane sugar used to be Jamaica's main export product for many years, nowadays music has taken over this role. At first American music used to be very popular on the island. Later, however, Jamaican musicians started to experiment and thus in the end created their ownmusical style called Reggae. Well-known Reggae musicians are Bob Marley and Peter Tosh. The most important instruments used in Reggae are the bass and the drums. Together they form the base for the style: the riddim. A bass drum accent on the second and fourth beat are characteristic of a typically reggae drum beat. To this syncopic patterns are often added. The rhythm guitarist plays chords in a characteristic Reggae rhythm, not on, but between the beats.
Estimated dispatch 7-14 working days
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£104.99Jubilant Prelude - Toon Hagen
'Jubilant Prelude' is an orchestration of the 'Preludium over Psalm 150' originally composed for organ by Toon Hagen. Since 1998 Toon Hagen has been organ-player of the 'Grote or Sint Michalskerk' in Zwolle (the Netherlands). He has written several 'contemporary' compositions for organ.'Jubilant Prelude' has a capricious character by the use of irregular measures and its many measure changes. The structure of the Prelude is that of a fugue and is based on motives from the psalm.After the first climax, which is both dynamic and harmonic, the theme in the Andante Jubiloso is clearly audible and it is alternated with erratic motifs. Tension increases until at last the psalm itself isheard in all its glory. The melody of the psalm sounds as a cantus firmus in tenor register, with motifs in ornamentation for saxophones, bugles and trumpets. The finale, like the prelude is capricious and vehement.The instrumentation for concert band was made by Wim Rouw. It is particularly colourful and has a surprising role for the percussion section.
Estimated dispatch 7-14 working days
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£117.80Freedom Defended - Rossano Galante
Inspired by the non-violent civil rights protest of February 1, 1960 against a segregated lunch counter in Greensboro, NC, Freedom Defended strives to encapsulate the story of this now historic event. Commissioned by the band directors of the North Carolina Central District and East Central District Bandmasters Associations, this four movement piece honors each of the North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University students known as the "Greensboro Four", Joseph McNeil, Franklin McCain, Ezell Blair Jr., and David Richmond. Their actions directly led to the Civil Rights Act of 1964 which mandated desegregation in public spaces. Movement 1 (Da Sogno) - The opening thematic material is dream-like and idyllic as the "Greensboro Four" enter the Woolworth Store at 132 South Elm Street and peacefully sit at the lunch counter and order coffee. Movement 2 (Con Fuoco) - The piece takes a dark turn when they are refused service and are told "We don't serve Negros here". The music is somewhat dissonant and rhythmic but a heroic theme captures the tenacity and courage of these brave young men. Movement 3 (Molto Cantabile) - A plaintiff theme portrays the hopelessness the four freshmen faced as they continued to be refused service until they leave when the store closed that night. Movement 4 (Con Spirito) - Undeterred, the "Greensboro Four" returned the next day, this time joined by more than twenty other black students. While they were again refused service, the sitins began to attract media attention and each day more and more students, both black and white, joined the cause. By February 4th, over 300 students staged sit-ins not only at the Woolworth Store but also the lunch counter at Greensboro's S. H. Kress & Co. The music is rejoicing and uplifting, similar to the opening statement, but now fully orchestrated and more fully developed. Coda - a quiet theme based on the motives from the opening thematic material brings the work to a reflective close as we remember these four men who, in the face of adversity, stood up for equality for all men and women.
Estimated dispatch 7-14 working days
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£78.20Caribbean Summer - Luigi di Ghisallo
Most people who live in the Caribbean are of an outspokenly straightforward nature, and always in good mood. "Caribbean Summer", a three-movement piece, captures this very mood: Very early in the morning, a summer day begins with "Guadeloupe", a Caribbean waltz. In this the change from a triple meter to a duple meter counter rhythm is of prime importance. From it, the music draws a particular lilt.At noon there is a happy and lively hustle and bustle on the beach. Vendors ("The Coconut Vendor") sing and offer their sugar-peanuts ("Chou-Cou"). A guest spontaneously begins to drum his fingers on a table, a second one reaches for a calabash or a cowbell - a cha-cha-cha is born. Finally, in "Caribbean Nights" a joyful parade of happy people march down the streets. Based on this very feeling, a special dance developed chiefly in the Dominican Republic: a simple basic two-step pattern in even rhythm becomes a "Merengue" together with the right, so to speak contra rotating motion of the hips! This cheerful dance then marks the close of day in a happy way - and in the morning everything will begin over again...
Estimated dispatch 7-14 working days
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£105.80No War - Marco Somadossi
The theme of this composition is immediately evident from the title, which almost requires no further explanation. It will never be possible to represent or reproduce the full implications of a tragedy such as war, all too often forgotten, concealed, exploited or written off as being an evil that is "necessary" for the development of civilisation. War changes the course of human history: man kills man, fathers bury their sons, children take up arms, and mankind is devastated by evil, choosing death over life. The atrocities, repeatedly perpetrated and evident to all observers, are an offence to human dignity. Yet they are tolerated and, at times, even re-interpreted as inevitable remedies for "obstacles" to the global economy, in order- it would seem- to build "a better world". And all this goes on despite the fact that the terrible scars left by past wars are still evident and should serve as a warning to ensure that such tragedies do not return to devastate our world. "No War" is thus a heart-felt protest against any form of culture that justifies war as a means of gaining wealth and power, satisfying the economic needs of the richest countries at the expense of the poorest nations. In so doing the one truly fundamental value is annihilated, that of human life.
Estimated dispatch 7-14 working days
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£165.601944 - Alex Poelman
At the end of 1944, Allied troops invaded the Netherlands from Belgium. Hope and longing for freedom, which now seemed so close, swept through the Netherlands: Operation Market Garden was launched. Huge numbers of paratroopers made the dangerous jump to take over enemy territory on the south side of the Rhine. Fierce fighting and attempts to cross and secure the river resulted in heavy casualties for the liberating forces. Ground support from the south came too late and there was no alternative but to call off Operation Market Garden. What looked like a quick liberation of the Netherlands turned into a long, bitter struggle. To make matters worse, a harsh winter followed: hunger and cold ate away at hope and the prospect of a liberated Netherlands. The composition 1944 uses original radio fragments from 1944 to describe these events.Download the electronic sounds:fragmentADownload the electronic sounds:fragmentBDownload the electronic sounds:fragmentCDownload the electronic sounds:fragmentD
Estimated dispatch 7-14 working days
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£152.99To A New Dawn - Philip Sparke
To A New Dawn was commissioned by the United States Continental Army Band - Captain Timothy J. Holtan, Commander and Conductor.The brief was for a piece to celebrate the 3rd Millennium and it was the composer's aim to provide a work which, as well as looking forward to the challenges of the new century, also contained moments of reflection about the last one.After a bright introduction featuring the trumpets a perky theme, passing quickly through several keys, appears on the woodwinds. A solo trumpet takes up a new theme over bubbling quavers (eighth notes) and this leads to a rhythmic figure on low clarinets, followed by the upper woodwinds. A brass interlude follows and, after ashort bridge passage, an oboe takes up a contrasting legato tune that builds to a climax.An andante section follows with solos for horn and flugel horn (or trumpet) and a florid flute cadenza. A passionate climax leads back to the faster music and, eventually, to a full recapitulation, revisiting the earlier material before a lively coda close the work as it began.
Estimated dispatch 7-14 working days
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