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Monday 3rd June, 2013 8.30pmCottier's Theatre
Victor EwaldQuintet no. 3 in D at major, Op.7
Allegro ModeratoIntermezzo
AndanteVivo
Ryan QuigleyShorthand of Emotion
Oskar BhmeSextet in E-at minor, Op. 30
Adagio ma non tanto Allegro moltoScherzo: Allegro vivace
Andante cantabileAllegro con spirito
John Wallace: solo cornetBede and Vicky Williams: trumpets
Fergus Kerr: hornPaul Stone: trombone
Andy McKreel: tuba
Alba Brass andJohn Wallace
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Victor Ewald (1860-1935) is a name well-known to brass players,
but less so in the wider musical world. He was born in St Peterburg
and was one of a group of musicians who were highly inuential, but
had professional lives in other elds. In Ewald's case, his career
as a civil engineer with a particular interest in construction
materials led to great advances in the cement and brick
manufacturing industry! Others in this circle included Mily
Balakirev (railroad clerk), Alexander Borodin (chemist), Csar Cui
(soldier and engineer), Modest Mussorgsky (Imperial Guard Ocer) and
Nicolai Rimsky-Korsakov (navy ocer) who went on to become known as
the Russian Five.
His four brass quintets are believed to be amongst the rst works
written specically for this combination, with the form and style
closely resembling the structure of string quartets of the day. As
he was the regular cellist in the Belayev Quartet (Belayev, the rst
violinist, was also an inuential music publisher) for many years,
this is probably no coincidence! Only one of the brass quintets was
published during his lifetime, with the others not appearing until
his grandson gave the scores to the New York Metropolitan Opera's
bass trombonist in the 1960s. Quintet No.3 was probably written
around 1912, and Ewald himself was probably the tuba player in the
quintet! His fourth quintet was originally thought to be a
transcription of his string quartet, though later investigated
showed that it was, in fact, the other way around. The advances in
instrument technology - particularly with the valve - had led Ewald
to write something which was, at the time, considered
unplayable.
The opening Allegro moderato is dominated by the smooth and
melodic opening theme, which returns continually to restore order
to the more animated passages. The Intermezzo is in ABA form: it
opens with a genial unison section, but the middle section with
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its bright fanfares provides sharp contrast. The Andante, the
briefest of the four movements, is full or expression and emotion.
Ewald rounds the quintet o with a noble Vivo movement which returns
to the lyrical manner of the opening movement.
Ryan Quigley is one of the most in demand lead and jazz trumpet
players in the UK as well as a highly regarded composer and
arranger. As a member of Brass Jaw (who are playing next Monday
night) and lead trumpet with the Scottish National Jazz Orches-tra,
Quigley is no stranger to Scottish audiences. His playing career
has included recording and touring with George Michael, Bob Geldof,
Curtis Stiegers, Eddi Reader, Terry Riley and many others, and his
composi-tions and arrangements are often found on the set list of
big bands and jazz groups.
Music is the shorthand of emotion. Leo Tolstoy.For me, this
phrase perfectly sums up the power of music. Music elates, excites
and pulls at the heart strings as no other art form can.
E.T., Psycho, Vertigo, The Omen, Star Wars, Star Trek,
Trainspotting and the list is endless, none of these movies would
pack the same emotional punch with no sound track. Everyone has a
favourite song or piece of music. Music denes periods of peoples
lives.With this commission for Alba Brass, I wanted to capture some
emotions one might experience over the course of a day. From train
of thought to real experiences, everyones day could have a
soundtrack!
Composer and trumpeter Oskar Bhme was born in Dresden on
February 24, 1870 and graduated from Leipzig Conservatory when he
was just eighteen. He toured Europe as a trumpet player while still
in his teens before emigrating to St. Petersburg, where he was
engaged as a member of the Imperial Theatre
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Orchestra in 1889. From 1901 to 1922, he was principal trumpet
with the Mariinsky Theatre Orchestra, and acquired a reputation as
a teacher and cornet virtuoso. From 1930 to 1934, he performed with
the orchestra of the Maxim Gorky Theatre in Leningrad, and in 1936
became a teacher at the Academy of Music in Tchkalov, where he died
on October 23, 1938. All of Bhmes works are for trumpet and brass
instruments.
The Sextet is an imposing work in its scale, sonority and
formal, textural and harmonic sophistication - a virtual symphony
for brass. It opens with a sombre introduction of rich chords which
serves as a preface to the main theme, a wide-ranging melody given
in imitation. Bhme clearly set challenges of technique and ensemble
that reected the virtuosic capacities of his own playing, and his
use of a solo cornet over and above the quintet show his deep
understanding of the character and possibilities that brass
instruments possess.
Alba Brass
Alongside regular appearances on BBC TV's 'Songs of Praise',
Alba Brass have established an enviable record for commissioning
new works for brass quintet from some of Scotland's leading
composers. They have toured extensively throughout Scotland and
beyond, including visits to North America, Russia, Spain and the
Far East.
In addition to performing the standard brass quintet repertoire,
Alba Brass regularly commission new work that includes vocal, jazz
and folk elements. Recent premieres include works by Ryan
Quigley,Martin Green, Steve Foreman, Terry Johns and Eddie
McGuire.
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John Wallace
John Wallace is Principal of the Royal Conservatoire of
Scotland. He is also Chair of Conservatoires UK and a member of the
Association of European Conservatoires Council.
John Wallace was born in Scotland, attended Buckhaven High
School in Fife and Kings College Cambridge. In professional life he
became a member of the London Symphony Orchestra trumpet section
and later, from 1976 to 1995, Principal Trumpet of the
Philharmonia. He formed his own brass ensemble, the Wallace
Collection, in 1986. Diverse composers including James Macmillan
and Sir Peter Maxwell Davies wrote him concertos. He co-edited the
Cambridge Companion to Brass Instruments (CUP) with Trevor Herbert.
Earlier this year a new book, The Trumpet, co-written with
Alexander McGrattan, was published by Yale University Press.
If you enjoyed this programme, you might enjoy the
conducted by Peter Oundjian playing
Gustav Holst - The Planets
Saturday 5th October 7.30pmGlasgow Royal Concert Hall
www.rsno.org.uk
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The Cottier Chamber Project is part of the West End
Festival.
If you have any comments or suggestions about the series, please
contact us through the website.
WEF Director: Michael Dale
Cottier Chamber Project Artistic Director:Andy Saunders
Scottish Charity Number SC024263
www.westendfestival.co.ukwww.cottierchamberproject.com
WesternBathsTrust
W.M.MannFoundation
McGlashanTrust