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Post by Tim Marko on Jul 10, 2018 22:49:57 GMT
This is a lesser known staple for bands/wind ensembles by Holst. (His 2 suites are considered basic repertoire).
Written in the early 30's it's quite an evolution to much of his previous works. The score is available on imslp, but I wasn't sure if the copyright would allow it to be posted. In it you find the opening prelude section has the low brass ostinato in a different key from the rest of the ensemble. Also many sections of the scherzo involve combined time sigs (mostly 3 against 2 patterns, not to uncommon).
He also later arranged it for orchestra, but personally I find the original better.
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Post by Bob Porter on Jul 19, 2018 2:14:08 GMT
Just for the sake of discussion, I'm kind of baffled by this score. I know I'm just a simple folk singer. I did spend time in a top notch college concert band. I also know that brass instruments in the early 20th century were not solidified like they are now. I suppose the bass line (and horns ) are in a different key. There is evidence of this in that cues in other parts are in non transposing with accidentals. Yet military bands are very traditional. My guess is that they weren't using the latest stuff. Heck, I grew up playing a trumpet we got from relatives that had all the slides marked so that the thing could be pitched in "A" rather than Bb. "A" was common for European trumpet parts. So what instrument was the bass part written to be played on? "Eb" was still common then. Yet none of the other transposing instruments are...transposed. Not in the parts either. Was everyone expected to transpose on the fly? Or, Is it a transposed score? There's just no signatures at the beginning because there are no notes for most parts. Actually I've put more time into this than I intended. And now I'm worn out. Just wanted to post something. Thanks, tim.
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Post by Tim Marko on Jul 19, 2018 15:15:09 GMT
It was written for Horns in F and a standard Bb tuba. It's actually done in a polytonality where he uses E maj aginst F min. In the second part (scherzo) he uses polyrhythmic devices.
The score is transposed, but the second part is done without key signature.
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Post by Mike Hewer on Jul 27, 2018 14:26:05 GMT
The prelude did nothing for me on one listen (so it's probably unfair to say so), but the scherzo is really neat. It reminds me of some Ealing comedy film scores in places, not that he cribbed as he clearly couldn't have.
He was so ahead of his time, especially in his harmonic palette....a genius imv.
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