Illinois Music Educators Conference
2013
“Ideas for Finding Advanced String Literature”
By
Jeremy Marino
Featuring the
Libertyville High School Chamber Orchestra
Friday, January 25, 2013, 12:30pm
Peoria Civic Center
Preface
For many years there were only two orchestras at Libertyville High School, a mainly
freshmen string orchestra, and a full symphony orchestra with upper classmen. The ability
level of the students in the upper group was very wide, as was the overall interest in
orchestra/string playing. There were students who practiced every day and planned to
continue at the conservatory level in college, and there were students who had other
interests and whose parents likely had not heard the sounds of string playing in their home
for a few years! Occasionally I would pull out the more motivated students, essentially the
section leaders, and work on chamber music. Finally in 2005, I had the numbers and the
administrative approval to add a third orchestra. This allowed orchestra to join choir and
band in having a three-tier sequence: a freshmen-only group, a “catch-all” group and an
auditioned top group.
The Libertyville High School Chamber Orchestra is that top group. There are usually
around 20 students in the ensemble as dictated by instrumentation needs, quality of
auditions and scheduling conflicts. There are around 90-96 strings in the whole
program. The Chamber Orchestra works on their own program of music, usually three
pieces per concert, as well as all of the music that is performed by the Symphony Orchestra
(the middle group that has winds). They rehearse every day during our last period and we
have one dress rehearsal before the concert to combine with the Symphony Orchestra.
In searching for literature, I quickly discovered the relative dearth of music composed for
this type of group. Virtually all newly composed music each year is between grades 1-4 and
is designed for beginners, middle schools and younger high school students. This is
understandable considering that there are many more students in that category; however
this knowledge makes it no less frustrating a process. If you want to get beyond the
“Standards” like Dvorak’s or Tchaikovsky’s Serenade, Concerti Grosso, or Mendelssohn
String Symhponies, you need to work at it and constantly be on your guard for new
possibilities.
There is no easy solution like a website that lists all string orchestra compositions, including
newly composed ones and has them categorized by type. Although that would be
AWESOME and I would definitely subscribe! Please someone get on that, do you hear me
David Daniels?!.
The purpose of this clinic is, at the very least, to introduce you to music that you may not
have heard before, hear one or two that you actually like and program it on one of your own
concerts in the future. The hope of this clinic is that you will be inspired or re-inspired to
search out new pieces on your own and perhaps one day share them with others.
Program
Serenade in F major, op.6
1. Andante, quasi Allegretto
Felix Weingartner
Serenade for String Orchestra
1. Un poco adagio; Allegro con spirito
Samuel Barber
Atone (abridged)
1. “Stained Glass”
Nathan Ball
Elegy
Jeffery Cotton
Serenade for String Orchestra
3. Vivo
George Antheil
White Man Sleeps
2. Second Dance
String Quartet in A minor, op.132 (abridged)
3. Adagio (ending)
Kevin Volans
Ludwig van Beethoven
La Disposicion
Philip McLeod
soloists - Alex Wang, violin; Ingrid Reid, cello
Inner Demons (abridged)
Stacy Garrop
Libertyville High School Chamber Orchestra
Violins
Rosanna Chen
Jessica Gutheil
Megan Harder
Jennifer Isaza
Richard Pan
Matt Pierson
Melanie Qing
Alex Wang*
Megan Yeung
Lucia Zhang
*Section leader
Violas
Natalee Algozino
Jane Recker
Brian Schubert*
Cellos
Hannah Lampinen
Ingrid Reid*
Matthew Schubert
Michelle Sweeney
Basses
Micah Brame
Tim Johnston
Drew Krinitsky
Connor McNeir*
Where to look and listen
Radio
Well this may seem rather obvious, and perhaps it is for most, but it took a while before it
dawned on me that I might actually play a string orchestra piece I heard on the radio
beyond the standards that I already knew. I never listen to WFMT with the purpose of
finding new music so anything I come across is completely fortuitous. If I do hear
something intriguing I try my best to listen to the end to find out the title and composer. If I
can't wait until the end I go to the WFMT website (link to website) and try to find the
information on their program guide.
Once I have the title and composer the real work begins. Almost always the pieces I'm
looking for are rental works. And since a composer's works can be held by numerous
publishers in various countries, this can be quite a challenge. If I can't find the piece on one
of the main publisher's websites (Presser, Boosey, Schirmer) then I usually send an email
to my sales rep at Luck's Music who has better contacts and always likes a challenge.
Commission
I am a big proponent of commissioning new music. Unfortunately, composers are not
writing a lot of music for advanced high school string groups (compare that to the oodles of
music being composed for advanced high school wind groups, even by well-known
composers). The problem is twofold; there aren’t nearly as many string groups at that level
as there are bands at that level or younger string groups, and most (or many) conductors of
advanced groups stick with the standard repertoire. For those who want to commission a
new work your next steps are finding money, and finding a composer whom you like and
who will write you a piece for that amount. I have commissioned at least four pieces by
composers and they were each $2000. However, I know that you can commission works
for less. I recommend checking with universities and seeing if their professors are willing or
if they have a student who would be interested. There are also many composers who
would be happy to write a piece as long as they are assured that there will be a recording of
the performance that they can use for their portfolio.
Of course there is the risk with commissions that you end up spending money on a piece
that may not be all that good. Well, there are many great composers who have a few duds
in their catalog. It is my belief that the benefits of being a part of that process, of having
your kids work with the composer (if at all possible), of potentially bringing a great piece into
the world makes the risk well worth it.
New Music USA (formerly American Music Center)
In my search for new music and for composers to commission pieces from, I came upon
this website. Some of the great things about the site include: detailed search options that
let you be very specific about what you are looking for, links to composer websites that
allow you to directly contact a composer about their piece, many have mp3 and pdf files
already attached so you can sample the music. I don’t necessarily expect to find a
composition once I visit the site, but I just let me curiosity take me where it will and I
sometimes find a cool piece or get a great idea for where to look next.
Web Browsing
Again, this may sound like an obvious concept but I believe that finding new music is always
about being open to where the moment might take you. Most of the music I find has come
from looking specifically for something entirely different or unrelated. I found the composer
for our electric strings piece La Disposicion because I was looking for a full orchestra piece
by Piazzolla. Perhaps I will be looking for a CD on amazon.com of a piece we are doing
and will stumble upon a different piece by that composer, or another piece on the same CD
by a different composer, or something even less related. Even in putting this clinic together
and researching composers online I found a site that listed numerous Serenades and found
a new composer. I don’t know if I will ever perform, or even find that piece, but I absolutely
saved the link for further investigation. If you are constantly on the lookout for new pieces (I
mean 24/7/365 or 19/3.6/347 metric) then you will find them.
Group Stalking
Krista Halvorson talked about this technique at her clinic last year. Essentially it involves
having a few groups that you like and keeping tabs on what they perform. I’ve done this
through amazon.com, through youtube.com, and via the web to see concert programs. You
can also “Composer Stalk” via composer websites and publisher sites. A third version of
this fun game is “Colleague Stalk”, but in this case you’ll want to just check in every few
years via email or phone and see if they have any new suggestions (avoid showing up
outside their house with a boombox above your head!).
Detailed Information on Each Piece
Weingartner - Serenade in F major, op.6 - 1882 (2:30”)
Felix Weingartner, 1863-1942, Germany
Four Movements, 12”+ minutes total
Publisher: Ries & Erler (Berlin), available in US through Presser.
Style: Very Romantic sounding. Very tonal and melody-based.
Comments: Downside to this piece is that it is a rental and there was no printed version
available in the USA. I had to wait six weeks to get a bad, photocopied version of the score that
was held together by decades-old, brittle tape. Had to wait another three weeks to get the parts
and they charged me $250 plus international shipping for the privilege of playing the short first
movement. (Remind me again how publishing companies stay in business?)
Links:
Weingartner’s Wikipedia page
Another biography on allmusic.com
Naxos biography
CD by Marko Letonja and Basel Symphony Orchestra (amazon.com)
Webpage of Serenade at German publisher. Still need to go through Presser.
Barber - Serenade for String Orchestra, op.1 - 1929/43 (3:30”)
Samuel Barber, 1910-1981, America
Three movements, 9” total
Publisher: Associated Music Publishers, Inc. Available for purchase ($80 at Luck’s Music)
Comments: Tonal music with interesting colors and harmonies. Introduction to first movement
seems to hint at his op.11 Adagio. Beautiful melodies and interesting music for all parts(bass
usually just doubles cello). Originally written for string quartet while Barber was studying at
Curtis Institute.
Links:
NPR’s page celebrating Barber’s centennial
Notes for the Serenade by classicalmusicarchive.com
Samuel Barber Wikipedia page
Serenade, Luck’s Music
CD by Gerard Schwartz and the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra (amazon.com)
Program Notes (from classicalmusicarchive.com):
Samuel Barber wrote the Serenade for String Orchestra when he was one of Rosario Scalero's
star composition students at the Curtis Institute in Philadelphia. The piece actually began life as
a string quartet. A resident faculty ensemble, the famed Curtis Quartet, championed the work on
their extensive concert tours, affording it great exposure. With an extra sixteen measures in the
first movement and a bass part, the Serenade for String Orchestra received its premiere in
1943. The following year G. Schirmer published it in the original quartet version.
Barber's lush lyricism, so evident in his very popular Adagio for Strings, is already apparent in
this early work. In his day, Barber was the target of much criticism from the musical elite for his
conservative style and lack of innovation. To be sure, Barber's musical language was neoRomantic: traditional use of melody, harmony, and form in a highly emotional context. However,
this piece ventures into more chromaticism and tonal ambiguity than is typical. Written in three
movements, the Serenade begins with a slow introduction that shares similar thematic material
with an intense Allegro that follows. The second movement, Andante con moto, sweet and
lilting, is in a minor mode with interesting tonal shifts. The mood brightens to a major key in the
final movement, Allegro con brio. Again, Barber injects little unexpected harmonic twists that are
both witty and mischievous.
Ball - Atone: I “Stained Glass” - 2009 (5”)
Nathan Ball, 1985-, America
Work in progress, first movement 7” (we play an abridged version)
Publisher: Idyll Press (composer’s publishing company). He charged me $90 for the set.
Comments: Great to find a piece by a living composer that is playable and accessible for high
school students. Nice colors throughout. Some mildly challenging rhythms to work out.
Links:
Composer Webpage
New Music USA Online Library page
Program notes (by composer):
“Stained Glass” is the first movement of what will be a three-movement work entitled Atone.
The word atone means “forgiveness,” or, “to become in harmony with.” Each movement under
this title is a vignette or character piece that revolves around a specific aesthetic experience
encouraging spiritual renewal. Since each movement explores its own musical tone, it is
acceptable to perform any of these movements by themselves.
The first movement strives to depict the solemn yet beautiful atmosphere of a large cathedral
with extraordinary stained glass murals throughout the structure. My goal was to capture the
sound of the varying shades of light as they resonate throughout the cathedral. The movement
is in sonata form in an effort to emphasize the narratives of struggle that many window displays
depict. So, in this manner of thinking, “Stained Glass” may be heard as a narrative between the
forces of light and darkness.
Contact the composer for score and parts: [email protected]
Cotton - Elegy - 2001 (5”)
Jeffery Cotton, ca.1960-, America
Originally written alone, now the third movement of his Symphony for Strings, 30” total
Publisher: Through composer. They print on demand depending on what you need, I paid $145
for the score and parts (for all four movements) for this group.
Comments: Great colors, absolutely playable for students. Has numerous small solo parts but
nothing too exposed or difficult. Even though it resides in F# minor, there is no key signature
and the piece does not have any painful accidentals. I have played the perpetual motion
second movement a couple times, a rewarding challenge for the students.
Links:
Composer Webpage
New Music USA Online Library page
Elegy Score and Title Page
Program Notes (by composer):
The Elegy was composed between September 14 and 20, 2001 as a tribute to all those
who perished in the attacks of September 11.
My own office lies directly across Liberty Street from the South Tower and was so
severely damaged that we will likely never be able to reenter it.* So, like most
Americans, I spent much of the following week glued to the television, and searching for some
meaning.
I live in Jersey City, New Jersey, the waterfront of which became an enormous staging
area for the rescue people coming from the west. They were shuttled back and forth across the
Hudson River on ferries, private boats, anything that floated, really. The people who live here
became an impressive back-up force, forming long bucket brigades to unload trucks of food,
water and clothing.
As long as I live I will never forget the look on the faces of the rescue workers coming
back to Jersey City after a twelve or fourteen hour shift at Ground Zero. We would all stop what
we were doing to applaud and cheer for them, but their dark, anguished expressions told us that
our worst fears were true.
After a couple of days of this, my emotions were running so high that I could not even
look at the New York skyline without breaking down, and so I stayed home. It seemed to me
that there was still something I could do, however. I knew that the Metamorphosen Chamber
Orchestra, with whom I am composer-in-residence, had decided to go ahead with their concert
on September 28th, just two weeks after the attack. After a brief conversation with Scott Yoo,
the ensemble’s music director, I started improvising the Elegy at the keyboard.
I had hoped working on this piece would be cathartic for me, at least something other
than the smoking New York skyline to focus on. But ultimately composing the Elegy only pulled
me in closer, made the disaster more real, and I've since decided that was a good thing. Still,
how do we find a way to mourn that even begins to approach the scale of the loss? It's not
possible. We take part in bucket brigades, we applaud our heroes. It's a start, at least.
Jeffery Cotton
September 21, 2001
The composer asks that applause be withheld at all performances of this work in perpetuity.
Antheil - Serenade for String Orchestra, 1948 (4:30”)
George Antheil, 1900-1959, America
Three movements, 16” total
Publisher: Weintraub Music Co., distributed by G.Schirmer. This cost me $440.
Comments: The first thing that came to mind when I thought of Antheil was Ballet Mechanique,
a early 20th century work of the musique concrete era where composers got their inspiration
from the sounds of industry as automobiles and airplanes were coming onto the scene. I was
so pleasantly surprised to hear this piece on the radio because it had that uniquely Antheil
quality to it but also had hints of Mahler and Copland. The piece moves in and out of strict
tonality and the harmonies and part writing can be difficult to sort through in rehearsals when
trying to create a transparent sound. This is one of the hardest pieces we have worked on but it
has strong melodies and a form that the students can lock on to so that they don’t have to feel
like they are playing a “weird” new piece. This is another rental, big downside, I know. But it is
out there and was fairly easy to get from Schirmer if you are up for the challenge and can afford
the fee.
Links:
Antheil Wikipedia page
CD of Daniel Spalding and Philadelphia Virtuosi Chamber Orchestra (amazon.com)
Webpage of Serenade on G. Schirmer’s website
Program notes (from Naxos):
The Serenade for String Orchestra was composed in 1948, concurrently with
the Fifth and Sixth Symphonies and shares much in common with those scores. The breezy first
movement, in sonata form, features material related to the opening of the Fifth Symphony and
includes sly references to The Battle Cry of Freedom. The second moment, begins with a gently
undulating 5/4 rhythm, and pizzicato quotations from the first movement. Mysterious tremolos
accompany a series of solos and cadenzas before a return to the opening material. The third
movement begins as a leaden-footed waltz in 6/8 time ending with a coda that sounds as if
Shostakovich had gone to a barn-dance, before an augmented reprise of the movement's
beginning.
Volans - White Man Sleeps - 1982/86 (5”)
Kevin Volans, 1949-, South Africa
Five movements, 22” total
Publisher: Chester Music Ltd., available through Hal Leonard ($33.95 score, $73.50 parts)
Comments: The version we are playing was arranged by the composer for the Kronos Quartet
in 1986. You will have to decide what you want to do with the bass part. I’m using a Dolby
surround sound set-up that I creates a cool effect appropriate to the piece. I heard a few
differences from what I saw in the score and what I heard on my Kronos recording so I felt free
to make some small tweaks (diminuendo one section, add more bow in the col legno section,
etc). What I love about this piece are the repetitions, and how it allows me to introduce this type
of music (minimalist-esque) in an interesting way. I also appreciate that it is music whose core
comes from an entirely unknown musical culture, Africa’s. I really like the fourth movement to
this quartet as a potential piece for my group too. It is much more calm and has a lot more
repetitions (also much easier to play), but if you have the right group of kids it could be a fun
change of pace. It also has a cool viola solo.
Links:
Kevin Volans’ program notes on White Man Sleeps.
Video of Nyungwe pan pipe music of Mozambique, on which the second mvt is based.
Interview with New York Public Radio (WNYC)
CD by Kronos Qt, Pieces of Africa (amazon.com)
Music as available from Hal Leonard Distribution
Program Notes (by composer):
In 1984 I was asked by the Kronos Quartet to re-work the piece for string quartet. I resisted
the idea for over a year. I couldn't see how the quartet version could either play in quasi-African
tuning, or compensate for the loss of unique colour brought about by equal temperament.
However, I was tempted, because the string quartet encapsulated the very heart of Western
classical music. I began work, using as many open strings as possible (partially because of my
inexperience in writing for strings). I was delighted with the result. The open strings gave the
piece a distinctly recognizable sound, and whereas the first version hovered between a Baroque
suite and a set of African dances, some passages of the later version hinted at Schubert and
the Biedermeier world of the early 19th Century. White Man Sleeps for 2 re-tuned harpsichords,
viola da gamba, and percussion (1982) [and White Man Sleeps for string quartet (1986)]
The (second) movement is based entirely on Nyungwe music played by Makina Chirenje and
his Nyanga panpipe group at Nsava, Tete valley, Mozambique, which was recorded and
transcribed by Andrew Tracey (to be found in an article entitled "The nyanga panpipe dance" in
African Music, Vol. 5, No. 1 (1971). Andrew came to give a workshop on this music in Durban,
getting us to try and play the music on the original instruments (without, alas, a great deal of
success). The original music is filtered, re-cast into patterns suitable for the two harpsichords
and presented in two contrasting tempi. In the string quartet version of the piece, I further reworked the material to create the fourth movement, filtering it down to a single line and slowing
the tempo by 4 time octaves. I also added a freely composed viola line in the second section.
Beethoven - String Quartet op.132 - 1825 (6”, abridged from 17:50”)
Ludwig van Beethoven, 1770-1827, Germany (know of him?)
Five Movements, 45” total
Publisher: Public Domain. Available from Luck’s Music ($35).
Comments: I was on a mission to find a great adagio piece I could do with the group that wasn’t
Barber’s Adagio for Strings. I decided to pull out my Dover score to the Beethoven quartets and
see if I could find something that would work in a string orchestra format. I came across the
op.132 Adagio one glorious day, and although there was no way I was doing all 18 minutes of it,
I found a good spot just before end that worked so that it still sounded like a piece. Perhaps this
is heresy, but I don’t care, my kids are playing some late Beethoven!
Links:
String Quartet op.132, Lucks Music (there are other editions, and collected editions also
available)
Dover score to complete Beethoven String Quartets, amazon.com ($6)
NPR article on the quartet, along with performance by Emerson Qt
IMSLP page for op.132
Robert Kapilow speaks at Stanford University Medical School about this movement, followed by
performance by the St. Lawrence Qt. (video)
Op. 132 Wikipedia page
Program Notes (by Tom Huizenga):
In the spring of 1825, when Beethoven was 54, he became terribly sick. He was in bed for a
month and he wrote to his doctor, "I am not feeling well ... I am in great pain." The doctor put
Beethoven on a strict regimen, warning, "No wine, no coffee, no spices of any kind." The doctor
also advised Beethoven to get away from the city to where he could find fresh air and "natural
milk."
Beethoven followed his doctor's orders and moved to the Baden region in May. He eventually
recovered, but his illness scared him — at one point, he thought he would die.
Throughout his sickness, Beethoven worked on a new string quartet, his Op. 132 in A minor. It
would last almost twice as long as his First Symphony. The music begins ominously with four
dark, uncertain notes, then travels through paths of pain and suffering, eventually triumphing in
sunlight.
At the heart of the quartet lies a slow movement with a subtitle that explains much about the
music: "Hymn of Thanksgiving to God of an invalid on his convalescence. Feeling of new
strength and reawakened feeling." When the hymn-like opening material returns at the end of
the movement, Beethoven instructs the musicians to play "with the most intimate emotions." It
amounts to 17 minutes of grateful meditation on being alive, and is arguably the most
profoundly soulful music Beethoven ever wrote
McLeod - La Disposicion - 2012 - (4”)
Philip McLeod, living composer, Australia
Publisher: Self-published, available from the composer. I paid $2000 to have him arrange this
piece for us.
Comments: I was looking for a Piazzola piece called Tangazo on the web one day last year
when I came across a website with the same name. Just through some curious clicking I found
a recording by this Australian group that had cool effects both on the drums and on the violin
and accordion. I thought it might work as a piece for my after school string group, and for this
clinic. The drum effects I heard on the recording were created by using an analog delay pedal
called the Mooger Fooger. That pedal sells for about $700, and that wasn’t an option, so
instead I had the composer create a drum track that retained all of the same sounds that we
could play along with. There are two solo parts, violin and cello/viola that are fairly challenging,
a rather simple ensemble part and a suggested drum part (if you decide against the drum
track). The bass should be amplified and the soloists use electronic instruments with a little bit
of delay for both and distortion for the violin in one section. The pedals needed for the soloist
do not need to be fancy. The piece has a bunch of interesting sounds, allows us to work on a
much different style of playing than we normally do, and I have always liked the idea of
performing a piece with “tape” or some recorded sound; helps us develop our listening skills.
Components I used: Two monitors, Boss ME50, Two Behringer mixers, iPod to play drum track,
patch cables, Fishman pre-amp for violin, NS Wav Violin, Yamaha cello.
Links:
Here is the piece I was actually looking for by Piazzola.
Composer Biography:
Philip McLeod
Philip is a multi-instrumentalist, composer, performer and teacher. He has toured the world
playing with his band Blue Grassy Knoll and their live soundtracks to Buster Keaton films. He
has also played Double Bass with the Spaghetti Western Orchestra and Mikelangelo and the
Black Sea Gentlemen, Cello with Missy Higgins, Accordion with Russian Criminal band
Vulgargrad and electro Tango ensemble Tangazo. He has composed music for The State
Orchestra of Victoria, ABC Radio, and Red Stitch. He works regularly with Irish Cabaret singer
Camille O'Sullivan, Mick Thomas, The Mighty Buzzniks and has been the resident musician for
the Edinburgh and Melbourne seasons of the Famous Spiegeltent’s La Clique. He has recorded
and contributed to many CD’s and movie soundtracks including Animal Kingdom and Noise.
Contact the composer for score and parts: [email protected]
Garrop - Inner Demons - 2005/7 (7:30”)
Stacy Garrop, living composer, America
Two movements attacca, 10:30” total
Publisher: Presser (now a rental)
Comments: Around 2007, the Civic Orchestra of Chicago was performing a different work by
Ms. Garrop, Thunderwalker, and since I didn’t know that piece I immediately tried to find out
more about it. From that search I discovered that Thunderwalker was a little too hard for my full
symphony but, I found a new piece that my two-year-old Chamber Orchestra might be able to
play. Inner Demons had just been arranged by the composer, having taken the middle two
movements of her String Quartet No.2 and flipping them around. This piece is a wild ride of
accidentals, sound effects, and complex rhythms, but is also a piece that the students --and
audience members --really connect with. You must have strong players in all sections. It has
become one of my go-to pieces, especially if I need something for my Fright Night concert!
Links:
Stacy Garrop’s Composer Page
Composer’s page on Presser.com
Program Notes from composer:
Disguised demons, forgiving angels, tortured human souls. Inner Demons (an arrangement ofo
two movements of String Quartet No.2: Demons and Angels) tells the story of a man who
thought his actions were guided by the forces of good, only to discover that he has lost his mind
and wreaked havoc on earth. The piece begins with a depiction of the man losing his mind. We
hear four themes: a tarantella, a demented waltz, a scherzo, and the Appalachian folk hymn
“The Wayfaring Stranger.” The themes are stated quite briskly until arriving at the hymn. This
theme consumes the man; it destroys his mind and he melts down. As his mind is slowly
rebuilt, his thoughts become increasing chaotic, until elements of all four themes are heard
simultaneously. After the pieces comes to a screaming halt, we hear a slow, angelic section
that remembers the goodness that existed in the man before his personality transformed.
String Quartet No.2: Demons and Angels was commissioned by Music in the Loft for the Biava
Quartet for the Loft’s 2004/2005 season.
[Type a quote from the document or the summary of an interesting point. You can position the text box anywhere in the document. Use the Drawing Tools tab to change the formatting of the pull quote text box.] Beginning of next movement. Great cello solo and eerie harmonics.