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Test pieces

To: brass-band@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: Test pieces
From: J.Alexander@xxxxxxxxxxx (J.Alexander)
Date: Fri, 5 Jul 1996 14:25:22 +1000
Priority: low
Reply-to: brass-band@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
>Addressing to
>
Rolf Miezitis
and all else

Rolf said:

>I do not want to appear that I am flaming this mail item

Rolf, you are doing exactly what I intended to happen - start a discussion
on the topic of Brass Band Repertoire.   I hope we can have some argument
without it being interpreted as "flaming".


> It is my opinion, that it is purely the test
>pieces that we play that maintain the brass band as the highest standard
>non-professional music group in the world today.

Deep down I agree, but it's the quality of the pieces as music that concerns me.

>
>>     (d) Must show how up to date I am.  A few whole-tone scales, like that
>>really modern composer Debussy.  Maybe a tone-row like that other modern
>>composer, Schoenberg.  Polytonality - that's good, just like Percy Grainger
>>(was he really an Australian?).
>
>I therefore assume that you do not like the works of any of these
>composers and it is not worthwhile copying any of their techniques

Far from it, but everything in its place.  A good modern composer can use
all "modern" elements without it being obvious to the listener that it is
there for the sake of technical rather than artistic reasons.   A good
example is Leonard Bernstein: "West Side Story" (either the musical or the
symphonic suite) has in it just about every musical device from the last
400 years of Western  Music + jazz + Latin-American, but as a listener at
no time do you suddenly sit up and say "There's a tone-row" or "there's
some polytonality" or whatever.

>>     (c) Let's give  'em an impossible balance problem.   Every section
>>playing at once, but in different rhythms and different tunes, and all ff,
>>with a crescendo to fff over the last ten bars.
>
>I think that this is what a musician would call a challenge to
>presenting the music. I am reminded of the works of Stravinsky and
>Shostakovich which have some similar ideas (boy weren't they boring
>pieces!).

But Strav and Shostakovich wrote their big pieces for symphony orchestras,
where the possibilities for different colourations are immensely greater
than in a brass band.  The best way to achieve good coloration contrasts in
a brass band is to limit the number of instruments playing at the one time,
but writers of test pieces seem to be reluctant to do this.  Also, why did
Stravinsky write most of his post-Rites or Spring music for smaller
chamber-size orchestras?

>>If we must have contests, maybe there should be one
>>for composers as well, or maybe test pieces should just be chosen from the
>>standard repertoire.
>
>Does the word "Stagnation" have any meaning to you?

I don't see how a competition for composers equates with stagnation.
Okay, I shouldn't have used "standard repertoire"; I guess I meant works
written for general performance, not specifically as test pieces.
>>I don't know of any other musical competition which has its own test
>>pieces.  Oh well, maybe brass bands aren't musical anyway.

>
>As for your last comment, I suggest you go and listen to hip-hop or
>grunge or what ever else non musical people listen to. I am ashamed to
>play the same instrument.

Oi Rolf, this really is "flaming".   Okay, I'll boil the mouthpiece before
I hand the instrument back to you.
>
>I admit that this has appeared to form a flame, but I really feel that
>there is no need for this kind of attitude on this mailing list. It is
>hard enough to get recognition and sponsorship from the rest of the
>community, without people trying to sabotage it from within.

Rolf, the Brass Band Movement is hardly flourishing here in Australia (and
probably elsewhere for that matter).  If we just sit around telling
ourselves how good we are without examining the need for change in some
Brass Band attitudes, then brass banding will become a specialist activity
carried on by some funny people playing funny instruments.  Yes, I enjoy
the technical challenge of test pieces, but I also like to play to an
audience, but we'll lose whatever audience we have left if we don't play
MUSIC.

>Rolf Miezitis
>First Baritone
>Glenorchy City Concert Brass
>(Current B-Grade Champions - Australia)

...and congratulations to you!

Jack Alexander


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