https://brianpatrickbromberg.com Brian Patrick Bromberg, Composer & Cellist Tue, 14 Jan 2025 08:44:23 +0000 https://brianpatrickbromberg.com en https://brianpatrickbromberg.com/Color-Valley-by-Stephen-Yip Tue, 14 Jan 2025 08:44:23 +0000 Brian Patrick Bromberg, Composer & Cellist https://brianpatrickbromberg.com/Color-Valley-by-Stephen-Yip WHY YOU SHOULD LEARN THIS PIECE Color. Valley 影谷 by Stephen Yip Brian Patrick Bromberg19 February, 2024 ︎Listen here Stephen Yip’s Color. Valley (影谷) is a special piece for several reasons. The first of which is its connection to the visual arts. Writing music that responds to visual art is nothing new, however Yip’s selection of visual artist is something new. The visual basis for the piece is Wu Guan Zhong’s (吳冠中) paintings. Wu’s paintings often depict natural scenes, and waterscapes. These paintings are equally influenced by impressionist painters from Europe, such as Van Gogh, and Monet as well as traditional Chinese calligraphy and ink wash paintings. This merging of East and West can be heard in Yip’s Color. Valley as well. The other reason why this piece is special is because of the composer’s novel approach to musical impressionism. If you are only familiar with the Impressionists Debussy and Ravel I encourage you to explore Dutilleux, Boulanger, Dukas, Jolivet, and Jean Francaix. Their works take the listener deep into the world of musical Impressionism. Color. Valley opens with the composer exposing the pitches of the open strings G, C, and D. It’s done in such a way that makes us aware that this is something very familiar, something most listeners have heard many times. But, rather than simply play these open strings in succession, they are broken up by natural harmonics, glissandi, and sul ponticello colors.&nbsp; <img width="999" height="143" width_o="999" height_o="143" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/75d9a2d51b326ff69eef17a99ea2ae01c1efabd1ccef98e8a1aff1dd2d394102/download-1-copy.png" data-mid="224718640" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/999/i/75d9a2d51b326ff69eef17a99ea2ae01c1efabd1ccef98e8a1aff1dd2d394102/download-1-copy.png" /> Something wonderful happens throughout this first page of music. The composer gives us such intriguing material to play, while more or less staying in a key with no accidentals, and giving us a rich colouristic line to play without any melody. It's a fantastic introduction to non-melodic writing that challenges the player in a totally unique way. The piece gets progressively busier as we move up the range of the cello, all the while maintaining a very conservative pitch selection based entirely on the cello’s natural harmonic series. To convey all of the nuances of this kind of writing it is of the utmost importance to follow the prescribed dynamics and bring out all of these timbral curiosities. <img width="1014" height="333" width_o="1014" height_o="333" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/28e36c6f046441d7c2bfe48205ffdc6cb497aadfbeabfd480b4ea0308f9cacac/download-2-copy.png" data-mid="224718696" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/28e36c6f046441d7c2bfe48205ffdc6cb497aadfbeabfd480b4ea0308f9cacac/download-2-copy.png" /> I would be remiss if I introduced this piece without mentioning any of its melodic content. Melody is not the focus of the piece, but it is here, and it can’t be treated with secondary importance. It is in these melodic gestures that I hear the ‘Eastern’ influence in Yip’s work. This work on the whole, reminds me of a lot of guzheng writing. The resonating open strings with interjectory melodic fragments really convey to the listener a work of ‘impression,’ and atmosphere rather than one of concrete forms, soaring romantic melodies, and driving rhythms. <img width="1031" height="163" width_o="1031" height_o="163" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/79ea3b68eecf34ee38297dd68e936f58e1a2c310da10125ec574a8212a2cc643/download-3-copy.png" data-mid="224718738" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/79ea3b68eecf34ee38297dd68e936f58e1a2c310da10125ec574a8212a2cc643/download-3-copy.png" /> On the whole the piece isn’t particularly difficult however if one approaches this piece like a Beethoven sonata, it would certainly be a big headache. Try something a little out of the conventional classical realm, and delve into the meditative, atmospheric world of Stephen Yip’s Color. Valley. ︎ Prev&nbsp; All Articles Next ︎ https://brianpatrickbromberg.com/Sonata-for-Solo-Violoncello-by-Ng-Yu-Hng Mon, 21 Aug 2023 17:20:30 +0000 Brian Patrick Bromberg, Composer & Cellist https://brianpatrickbromberg.com/Sonata-for-Solo-Violoncello-by-Ng-Yu-Hng WHY YOU SHOULD LEARN THIS PIECE Sonata for Solo Violoncello by Ng Yu Hng Brian Patrick Bromberg 20 June, 2023 ︎Listen here Ng Yu Hng’s Sonata for Solo Violoncello is something of an odyssey for the player and the listener. Few pieces take you on the kind of journey that Yu Hng takes you on, and this sonata is a marvellous one. So many modern solo cello works seem overly concerned with playing the instrument in new ways using new extended techniques. While this might be interesting to explore it often seems to be done at the expense of writing quality, playable, cello music. Yu Hng’s piece doesn’t fall into this category, on the contrary the composer’s exploration of extended techniques feels more like the outgrowth of excellent cello writing. There are aspects of ancient music as well as a brief passage based on a Ukrainian choral piece. The sonata includes moments of bursting light, and crushing darkness often set in close proximity. This is a piece that explores raw, unrestrained emotion in a way that few other pieces come close to. The sonata is constructed in a three movement form with 2 brief interludes which separate the piece into 2 symmetrical halves that total approximately 22 minutes in length. The piece opens with an idiomatic and glistening movement based on the C harmonic series. If you are looking for cello writing that explores all of the natural harmonic possibilities of the cello, look no further. The composer showcases the cello’s ability to play some slightly less common harmonics, and with a bit of practise they can speak quite clearly compared to other string instruments. <img width="1600" height="421" width_o="1600" height_o="421" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/e003407ce6115c221ad4e480d1075de231ec2873f80770cb488932b71340a8d0/pasted-image-0-42.png" data-mid="188510481" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/e003407ce6115c221ad4e480d1075de231ec2873f80770cb488932b71340a8d0/pasted-image-0-42.png" /> After a final harmonic glissando up the C string we come to the first interlude. The first movement works so well because the composer avoids any melodic writing and saves it for the first interlude. This short movement is written in just intonation and is intended to resemble plainchant. It is a great introduction to playing quarter-tones because they are presented in a slow, methodical and melodic way. To practise playing in this kind of intonation I find playing with drone notes absolutely essential. You may also find listening to other pieces written in just-intonation helpful in re-tuning your ear to these new nuances. When played correctly, the effect is very cool. <img width="1544" height="408" width_o="1544" height_o="408" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/90fc71fc72725c5606108ffd4d9c95184008536def1d3e5dfe56385ab290c5ea/pasted-image-0-43.png" data-mid="188510494" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/90fc71fc72725c5606108ffd4d9c95184008536def1d3e5dfe56385ab290c5ea/pasted-image-0-43.png" /> Examples of just intonation Ligeti- Sonata for Viola&nbsp;︎ Just Intonation vs. Equal Temperament The ending of this interlude links seamlessly to movement 2 through the held note F. Movement 2 borrows again from ancient music and presents a cantus firmus that starts in the lower range of the instrument and makes its way higher and higher. This cantus firmus is interrupted with various short bursts of angular writing. While this movement takes considerable practise to play smoothly, if you interpret the interjections in a more rubato fashion it isn’t nearly as difficult as it looks on paper. The end of this movement brings us to a peculiar and rather fun to play ‘guitar-like’ section. The original indication in the score is to play the drone note with a five finger roll, but I opted for a tremolo played with a felt guitar pick in my recorded version. This section could be interpreted several ways but most importantly the clarity of the melodic line in juxtaposition to the drone note needs to be maintained throughout. Interlude B borrows its melody from composer Mykola Lysenko’s piece Prayer for Ukraine written in 1885. It is a simple beautiful melody in D major that seems to fit so perfectly in the sonata between two quite dissonant movements. The movement in itself isn’t difficult to play but, being able to switch modes mentally from the music that comes before it can take some practise. <img width="1600" height="302" width_o="1600" height_o="302" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/d2963422abf50fc479c3a9cb4d3cc01440672ed5b5a95160b79ebb8b4db53570/pasted-image-0-44.png" data-mid="188510501" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/d2963422abf50fc479c3a9cb4d3cc01440672ed5b5a95160b79ebb8b4db53570/pasted-image-0-44.png" /> On the whole, the sonata seems to flow between ultimate optimism and utter hopelessness. When we reach the final movement, marked “harsh, sonorous, molto abrasivo,” it is clear that the composer is working with some very intense emotions. This movement employs the frequent use of very dissonant harmonic intervals set side-by-side plaintive melodic lines that often use quarter-tones. The effect is eerie, and sometimes gut-wrenching. Movement 3 comes to a sombre close gradually while explosions of minor second dissonance are heard in the distance. Yu Hng’s Sonata for Solo Violoncello is a beautiful addition to the cello repertoire and one that is bound to enter the canon. If you’re looking for a solo cello piece that provides a good balance between modern compositional styles and more traditional compositional styles, look no further. Yu Hng’s sonata is tantalising to all open ears! Composer’s website: https://www.ngyuhngcomposer.com/ ︎ Prev&nbsp; All Articles Next ︎ https://brianpatrickbromberg.com/Interlunar-by-Henry-McPherson Mon, 21 Aug 2023 17:16:14 +0000 Brian Patrick Bromberg, Composer & Cellist https://brianpatrickbromberg.com/Interlunar-by-Henry-McPherson WHY YOU SHOULD LEARN THIS PIECE Interlunar by Henry McPherson Brian Patrick Bromberg 28th April, 2023 ︎Listen here My first encounter with Henry McPherson’s work was in a composer’s forum where his piece Sigil was performed by cellist Yi Yang Zhao. Sigil uses a graphic score reminiscent of Earle Brown’s scores. The cellist has to interpret a calligraphically notated tablature and determine how the piece will unfold from there. About a year after this forum, I found that a piece had been submitted to my call for solo cello scores and was delighted to find a newly written work by Henry McPherson titled Interlunar. The composer defines Interlunar as ‘The period of time between the old and new moons.’ Personally, I have always been drawn to music related to the moon so I was immediately intrigued when I saw the title. Interlunar opens with three chromatically descending major 6ths that provide much of the intervallic material for the piece. This careful presentation of chromatic material feels tonally ambiguous and really evokes the feeling of intergalactic mystery. The composer adds to this ambiguity by maintaining an ever evolving sense of metre. These metric changes can really help us understand the sometimes very long phrases. <img width="1496" height="470" width_o="1496" height_o="470" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/e509e3cebb0a3479708274e3d752e859ef21f4d9b64fcbd65720c4089b0a5131/pasted-image-0-40.png" data-mid="188509870" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/e509e3cebb0a3479708274e3d752e859ef21f4d9b64fcbd65720c4089b0a5131/pasted-image-0-40.png" /> As the piece progresses there are many instances of double-stops that swell and come back down. These are wonderful opportunities for expressive vibrato and legato playing. It’s important to remember that as we get higher and higher in the cello’s range, to keep the vibrato loose even though the music becomes very intense. At the climax of the piece, the pitch selection becomes much less chromatic and easier to play in tune. This however doesn’t negate the need to practise this section as well as other sections with drone pitches for intonation. Throughout the piece the composer indicates different intensities of vibrato to coincide with the varying strengths of the musical line. Before we add this important nuance it is a must to practise these passages without vibrato so we can accurately hear the intended intervals in the phrases.<img width="1600" height="244" width_o="1600" height_o="244" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/43c05692eb0b5d8ebdb40d6e770c6f35852ef8129edef65796f7c5f2778283e4/pasted-image-0-41.png" data-mid="188509911" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/43c05692eb0b5d8ebdb40d6e770c6f35852ef8129edef65796f7c5f2778283e4/pasted-image-0-41.png" /> At first glance Interlunar isn’t a difficult piece to play, the double-stops all fit under the fingers nicely, the lyrical writing is very idiomatic for the instrument, and the musical impetus of the piece is easy to interpret. The challenge of the piece lies in two fundamental techniques. The first is that of bow sustain. The crux of the piece is in the long sustained phrases. Extra attention has to be spent working out how to maintain the composer’s phrasal intentions while bowing the piece in a conventional and easily manageable way. The second technical aspect that Interlunar presents is that of accurate finger spacing across all of the positions, and accurate shifting between these positions. If you like expressive, legato playing (who doesn’t!?) Interlunar is a great, and fairly brief (just 5 minutes) addition to any programme. Check out this wonderful new work by this fantastic young composer! ︎ Prev&nbsp; All Articles Next ︎ https://brianpatrickbromberg.com/Three-Poems-by-Benjamin-Frankel Mon, 21 Aug 2023 17:11:23 +0000 Brian Patrick Bromberg, Composer & Cellist https://brianpatrickbromberg.com/Three-Poems-by-Benjamin-Frankel WHY YOU SHOULD LEARN THIS PIECE Three Poems by Benjamin Frankel Brian Patrick Bromberg 26 February, 2023 ︎Listen here When I first started to write this column, my intention was to bring light to the massive catalogue of solo cello works that don’t receive enough attention. Many of these pieces I came across some time ago during my university years. Others are the results of recent collaborations with composers. This piece, however, I came across recently while researching serial music in film. Benjamin Frankel is usually credited as being the first composer to write serial and/or twelve-tone music for film scores; his most famous example of this is the Curse of the Werewolf. When I come across new composers I very often check to see if they have any repertoire that includes the cello. I find that playing a composer’s music is by far the best way to learn about their compositional style. It allows a much deeper understanding than simply studying their scores. I was overjoyed to find that Benjamin Frankel has written no less than three pieces for cello and piano. The first two of these three poems are some of the most absolutely beautiful music I have come across. Poem One, marked grave, is a cello melody with sparse chordal piano accompaniment that spans the entire range of the instrument. One of the most challenging aspects of this movement is preserving a sense of phrase at this very slow tempo. What makes this even harder is that the piano often doesn’t provide any kind of motoric pulse, so it is largely up to the cellist to shape and mould the various melodic lines. If you look at the melody excerpt below, I have marked in (with a dashed slur) the phrasing that I choose to implement. Certainly, other choices are possible; this is what makes playing this kind of music so fun. <img width="1600" height="541" width_o="1600" height_o="541" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/ced54818d3c78c4281d1b33d5afe83c953d61e8e46ef18e04da21ed0f3a96f31/pasted-image-0-37.png" data-mid="188509397" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/ced54818d3c78c4281d1b33d5afe83c953d61e8e46ef18e04da21ed0f3a96f31/pasted-image-0-37.png" /> Poem Two is again a gorgeous melody for cello, but this time there is a bit more interaction with the pianist’s part. If you observe the time signature, Frankel has written the piece in 3/2 with the tempo marking tranquillamente. Even though the tempo should be quite slow, we have to preserve the feeling of three beats per measure and not let the pulse settle into a six beat subdivided bar, lest it become too weighted and overly burdened. If you look at the graphic below, you’ll see two rhythms that prevail throughout the piece: the quaver/dotted crochet rhythm, and the semiquaver/double-dotted crochet rhythm. Not only do these rhythms need to be accurately differentiated, but the semiquaver/double dotted crochet rhythm has to be executed without accent or too much emphasis that it disrupts the line.<img width="1600" height="210" width_o="1600" height_o="210" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/7f7d099136182ad23b7f17c29d96ea81923b5177fbcbd84f27776fe3bd3f6db5/pasted-image-0-38.png" data-mid="188509409" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/7f7d099136182ad23b7f17c29d96ea81923b5177fbcbd84f27776fe3bd3f6db5/pasted-image-0-38.png" /> Finally, this brings us to the fiery third poem. If we follow the composer’s tempo instructions, each of the poems should be faster than the preceding poem. I took the last of the three poems at approximately minum = 85. This third poem is definitely the most difficult of the three, mostly because of the faster tempo. If you can play it at a fast enough tempo, you’ll be able to maintain the syncopations and provide a fun and moving listening experience. I can’t help but be reminded of some similar lines in the Shostakovich second cello concerto. <img width="1600" height="223" width_o="1600" height_o="223" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/61ba157b5d0b769670fbfb6109f0b8eb8f0d0d614e1a834f8e3b9a42e38baa11/pasted-image-0-39.png" data-mid="188509413" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/61ba157b5d0b769670fbfb6109f0b8eb8f0d0d614e1a834f8e3b9a42e38baa11/pasted-image-0-39.png" /> Three Poems evokes atmospheres reminiscent of film music. It is a great study in melody, bow control, phrasing, and is impossible by which to not be moved. These three movements are definitely doable by an advanced student; they simply require a methodical approach to intonation, shifting, and bow speed. Three Poems running time is between 8 and 10 minutes and is a great opener for a recital and a lovely substitute for the more obvious repertoire choices. ︎ Prev&nbsp; All Articles Next ︎ https://brianpatrickbromberg.com/Sonata-for-Violoncello-Solo-Op-31-by-Egon-Wellesz Mon, 21 Aug 2023 17:06:15 +0000 Brian Patrick Bromberg, Composer & Cellist https://brianpatrickbromberg.com/Sonata-for-Violoncello-Solo-Op-31-by-Egon-Wellesz WHY YOU SHOULD LEARN THIS PIECE Sonata for Violoncello Solo Op. 31 by Egon Wellesz Brian Patrick Bromberg 3 August, 2023 ︎Listen here I wish I had come across Egon Wellesz music years ago. He writes a totally unique blend of modernism and ancient music. His contemporary and fellow countryman Arnold Schoenberg overshadowed Wellesz’s fame and his music still remains quite buried in the musical canon of this great era of music. Wellesz was a very prolific composer with a catalogue including 9 symphonies, 9 string quartets, operas, ballets, and solo pieces for nearly every instrument. These solo pieces include 2 fantastic works for solo cello. His opus 39 titled Suite for Solo Cello, and opus 31 Sonata for Violoncello Solo are both excellent additions to the repertoire and deserve a great deal more attention. Written almost exactly 100 years ago, Sonata for Violoncello Solo feels somehow both antique and current at the same time. Part of this, no doubt, comes from Wellesz’s love of Renaissance music. It makes several appearances throughout the piece and serves to anchor the music in a clearly tonal territory. <img width="1600" height="445" width_o="1600" height_o="445" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/3396df3449fe7b477c93c8f64e52a115169490066d2c49aa316fe46aaa936fc2/pasted-image-0-34.png" data-mid="188509146" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/3396df3449fe7b477c93c8f64e52a115169490066d2c49aa316fe46aaa936fc2/pasted-image-0-34.png" /> The opening of the piece exposes a strong whole-tone melody on the C string which acts as a recurring theme throughout the piece. If you can play this opening passage in higher positions on lower strings and reserve this colour for everytime this theme happens, it provides a wonderful timbral layer of cohesion to the piece. The second theme that comes into play is the first appearance of what I hear as being ‘Renaissance,’ influenced. Wellesz writes this double stop theme in G minor over a sort of tolling open C and G string left hand pizz. This happens again later in the piece and both times it sounds very much like the music has come to rest in a key without much tension. <img width="1600" height="259" width_o="1600" height_o="259" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/02817a5320a0af67e9422de8d5aeb2801c3011d8eca137617de2c7e6bee72282/pasted-image-0-35.png" data-mid="188509164" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/02817a5320a0af67e9422de8d5aeb2801c3011d8eca137617de2c7e6bee72282/pasted-image-0-35.png" /> While the sonata is written as one, non-stop piece of music, it clearly has some sections that function like movements to a larger whole. When we reach the 5/4 section marked Allegretto Grazioso, Wellesz again resorts to this very cool Renaissance style of composition. This section is clearly the composer’s rendition of a courtly dance. It's fun to play, and with a bit of practise you can get it so that it really dances. <img width="1600" height="365" width_o="1600" height_o="365" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/3b0489bdc05c8ccca67afbd5e0fd23a61df7b4c01412463559cfcff2e7093ba2/pasted-image-0-36.png" data-mid="188509168" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/3b0489bdc05c8ccca67afbd5e0fd23a61df7b4c01412463559cfcff2e7093ba2/pasted-image-0-36.png" /> As the piece progresses we encounter previously heard material in snippets and new material woven through this. About halfway through the sonata we reach the section marked Allegro Moderato where again, Wellesz returns to the whole-tone scale to write his melodies. This is the first and only time during the piece that we get ‘unadulterated’ whole-tone material but it doesn’t last long. This section is fast and does take some practise to play intune but it is composed wonderfully for the instrument. Finally we reach a sort of extended coda where the composer writes gradually more and more diatonic lines making his way to eventually end in C major. The writing throughout this section is quite beautiful and easy to play. The challenge is being able to maintain your stamina throughout the entirety of the piece, so that when you get to this final section you can play it with the strength that it needs. Egon Wellesz’s Sonata for Violoncello Solo is one of those rare wonderful pieces that can challenge intermediate players as well as professionals. It is a piece that I will revisit many times in the years to come. The piece is totally suitable for a level 7 or level 8 student. It doesn’t have extended techniques but it does require some slow methodical practise in certain sections to be able to play them intune and musically. The total running time is around 13 minutes. This month I have a challenge for you! I want to hear your recordings! Record the above passages and send them to my email address, let me know what you think of the piece and how you practised the parts. ︎ Prev&nbsp; All Articles Next ︎ https://brianpatrickbromberg.com/Bunraku-by-Toshiro-Mayuzumi Mon, 21 Aug 2023 17:00:14 +0000 Brian Patrick Bromberg, Composer & Cellist https://brianpatrickbromberg.com/Bunraku-by-Toshiro-Mayuzumi WHY YOU SHOULD LEARN THIS PIECE Bunraku by Toshiro Mayuzumi Brian Patrick Bromberg 15 January 2023 ︎Listen here For those of you who read last month’s article about Chen Yi’s piece Memory, you’ll recall that there were some parts in the piece that I mentioned sounding like the er hu. Earlier last year, I also wrote about a piece from Korean American composer Serra Hwang, titled Beckoning, where the composer wrote lines for the cello that resemble vocal lines in traditional Korean music. This cross-cultural type of composition is not unique or uncommon; it is, however, quite rare to find well written pieces that fit into this category. Bunraku is one of these pieces. Toshiro Mayuzumi is a composer whose background and compositional style embrace both Western art music and traditional Japanese music. His piece Bunraku brings these two styles together in a wonderfully creative way. The title ‘Bunraku’ refers to Japanese puppet theatre. The accompanimental music of Bunraku is typically only a shamisen and a vocalist, and Mayuzumi does a fine job of maintaining this feature in his piece for solo cello. If you have heard the shamisen before, then you know it is a plucked string instrument with a tone colour similar to the banjo. Composers who write for the shamisen traditionally make abundant use of octaves and half steps, evoking something similar to the western Phyrgian and Locrian scales. The music of the theatre includes long improvised sections as well as more structured songs. In Bunraku’s opening lines we are effectively playing the music for opening the curtain at the theatre. <img width="1600" height="248" width_o="1600" height_o="248" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/3625599bcdbea319a8ba11fb912dc171084442ffe893a12764874fea5d7e7426/pasted-image-0-30.png" data-mid="188508328" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/3625599bcdbea319a8ba11fb912dc171084442ffe893a12764874fea5d7e7426/pasted-image-0-30.png" /> This section is followed by a recitativo section that introduces the ‘singer’s’ voice, played arco by the cello while continuing the accompanimental pizzicato. In traditional shamisen music, the score is notated using tablature, a notational method quite common for guitar, bass, and banjo. The major advantage of using this method is that the player is told exactly where to place their fingers on the fingerboard. This is particularly helpful because these instruments play in a variety of tunings, and using traditional staff notation would be quite challenging to read and play if the location of our notes were always in different places. The disadvantage is that this notation doesn’t really have a great way to indicate rhythm, which results in a somewhat freer interpretation of rhythm. If you look at the lyrical section below, it perhaps looks rhythmically challenging at first, but really the composer is using traditional western music notation to write rhythms that would usually be left up to the performer to decide. As such, we can approach these with a lot more rhythmic freedom - they needn’t be so metronomically strict. <img width="1600" height="225" width_o="1600" height_o="225" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/ba314097581f10c5f87a61bc59194b35a757c68a95c9e3ae83e4901fc0250439/pasted-image-0-31.png" data-mid="188508340" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/ba314097581f10c5f87a61bc59194b35a757c68a95c9e3ae83e4901fc0250439/pasted-image-0-31.png" /> It’s important to identify the sections that need to embrace a more standard metric pulse and the sections where lyrical freedom should be taken. With a bit of guidance and experience, you’ll easily be able to recognise a passage such as: <img width="1600" height="268" width_o="1600" height_o="268" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/eaa0b45b1b05d00dcdb272018eb5cb608b1e706d14d7b587bfe95540142b522f/pasted-image-0-32.png" data-mid="188508504" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/eaa0b45b1b05d00dcdb272018eb5cb608b1e706d14d7b587bfe95540142b522f/pasted-image-0-32.png" /> Here, the composer writes a consistent quaver pattern which we can interpret as clearly wanting a regular pulse to mimic the rhythmic strumming of the shamisen. Bunraku bounces between these two textures for the majority of the piece, giving it an improvised feel. The final two pages bring us to the exciting climax and exposes some of the cello’s higher range. The repetitive nature of the scalar passages make the seemingly difficult passages much easier. <img width="1600" height="201" width_o="1600" height_o="201" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/6119bcf9d5552d72cc388fc6d4fd541f2ff0a6aa0cf981d729e4b4a76939922b/pasted-image-0-33.png" data-mid="188508729" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/6119bcf9d5552d72cc388fc6d4fd541f2ff0a6aa0cf981d729e4b4a76939922b/pasted-image-0-33.png" /> Overall, Bunraku is a totally achievable piece for an advanced student. The harmonic material is comprised of easy-to-hear intervallic content written in a way that sounds fresh to the ear. For someone looking to explore Japanese music and music that blurs the lines of Western and Eastern traditions, Bunraku is a great place to start. ︎ Prev&nbsp; All Articles Next ︎ https://brianpatrickbromberg.com/Memory-by-Chen-Yi Mon, 21 Aug 2023 16:52:58 +0000 Brian Patrick Bromberg, Composer & Cellist https://brianpatrickbromberg.com/Memory-by-Chen-Yi WHY YOU SHOULD LEARN THIS PIECE Memory by Chen Yi (陈怡 — 思念)&nbsp; Brian Patrick Bromberg 9 November, 2022 ︎Listen here Most cellists are probably familiar with Chen Yi’s cello concerto written for Yo-Yo Ma and The Los Angeles Philharmonic in the early 2000’s. Her works that incorporate traditional Chinese instruments, and implement Chinese instrumental playing techniques are well known in the western art music world. The question is: As cellists where do we start with her huge catalogue? We start with her short piece for solo cello titled Memory! Memory was originally written for solo violin but after listening to this piece I think you will agree that it is even better suited as a piece for solo cello.&nbsp; Even in the opening line it isn’t hard to hear the influence of Chen Yi’s Chinese heritage. The free phrasing, frequent glissandi, and grace note ornaments bring to mind similar folk melodies played by the erhu.&nbsp; <img width="1600" height="230" width_o="1600" height_o="230" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/df31358270d48508d978476fdcf2e6710211056d197886dbe207472bfbb8f1a6/pasted-image-0-27.png" data-mid="188507905" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/df31358270d48508d978476fdcf2e6710211056d197886dbe207472bfbb8f1a6/pasted-image-0-27.png" /> Another element in her compositional style that makes her music appeal to audiences and performers alike is her abundant usage of the pentatonic scale. The pentatonic scale is the backbone to harmony in many culture’s music. We encounter this scale not only in traditional Chinese music but also in gamelan music from Indonesia, blues music from the United States, Celtic music, West African music, and Jamaican Reggae. Chen uses materials present in traditional Chinese music while manipulating them in her own way to create a very personal sound. <img width="888" height="364" width_o="888" height_o="364" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/10fce1ca489e0c56a4abe4bfce081222f87dca6ef0f5a641249e1f1b5ed1cff3/pasted-image-0-28.png" data-mid="188507941" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/888/i/10fce1ca489e0c56a4abe4bfce081222f87dca6ef0f5a641249e1f1b5ed1cff3/pasted-image-0-28.png" /> <img width="944" height="253" width_o="944" height_o="253" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/4a2a15c921a41759917fe3b8aa555e6b57d1159ff7c298b141b23f6f346bdae0/pasted-image-0-29.png" data-mid="188507943" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/944/i/4a2a15c921a41759917fe3b8aa555e6b57d1159ff7c298b141b23f6f346bdae0/pasted-image-0-29.png" /> Rather than writing a singable earworm-like melody she tends to write lines that sound more improvisatory in character. The melody itself isn’t as memorable as the shape of her lines and the energy and impetus that these create. The flexibility that is offered in Chen’s lines makes this a very fun piece to learn. Much like we are faced with the challenge of deciding on bowings and phrasings in Bach’s suites, we also have to make decisions in Memory that are very personal ones. We must approach her piece with a slightly different mindset regarding fingerings. In our cello education we are usually taught to shift ‘cleanly,’ or in a way where the sound of the shift isn’t heard very much. This is quite the opposite in Chen’s music. She very much so wants to hear these glissando sounds and so we have to rethink our fingering so as to most effectively bring these nuances out. For the most part Chen has written very idiomatically for the cello. Passages that sound very challenging are actually quite easy to play because she has taken into consideration the geography of the cello’s fingerboard. These aspects make this piece a great choice for cellists interested in exploring music by Chinese composers. Scores available at presser.com ︎ Prev&nbsp; All Articles Next ︎ https://brianpatrickbromberg.com/Tembusu-Evenings-by-Ho-Chee-Kong Mon, 21 Aug 2023 16:46:35 +0000 Brian Patrick Bromberg, Composer & Cellist https://brianpatrickbromberg.com/Tembusu-Evenings-by-Ho-Chee-Kong WHY YOU SHOULD LEARN THIS PIECE Tembusu Evenings by Ho Chee Kong Brian Patrick Bromberg 9 November, 2022 ︎Listen here It seems the cello has inspired a great deal of music to be played or listened to at night. The countless nocturnes, and serenades that exploit the cello’s darker side indeed seem to make up a good portion of our repertoire. Two excellent examples presented in previous editions of Why You Should Learn This Piece include David Feurzeig’s Cello Suite, and George Lam’s Suite for Cello. This month we will take a look at Singapore composer Ho Chee Kong’s Tembusu Evenings. The composer offers this short description about the piece: “The Tembusu is a hardy tree that is native to Southeast Asia. Its canopy of leaves provides welcome shade in the equatorial climate and its flowers exude a fragrance that grows stronger as the night deepens. Tembusu Evenings is a little suite of stories surrounding this majestic tree and the misty memories that unfold under its leafy folds.” The opening Lento acts as an unveiling of the Tembusu tree itself. There are woody pizzicatos sprinkled throughout the majestic and stately double stops that give the feeling of solidarity and stability. Technically, it poses a challenge for the performer to play these double stops in tune, but using open strings and harmonics to help calibrate your hand frame is a sure way to success. <img width="1600" height="322" width_o="1600" height_o="322" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/872014750fc39da0e6bcee5f4ba6a6b97526beac9e64adc7b2744461fe95fbc1/pasted-image-0-24.png" data-mid="188506212" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/872014750fc39da0e6bcee5f4ba6a6b97526beac9e64adc7b2744461fe95fbc1/pasted-image-0-24.png" /> In his notes about the piece Ho mentions that the piece is a ‘...little suite of stories…’ and as a performer this is something we can really use to our advantage in the early stages of learning the piece. I always encourage my students to think about what the piece means to them, and I find for many students, visualisation helps to establish strong musical characters in the music, it forces us to play with a focus on something other than accuracy and getting all of the notes right. To give you an idea of what I am talking about I will describe what I imagine when I hear and play the second movement/story. I see a young hero receiving their call to action. There is some second guessing as to whether or not the hero is brave enough to answer the call. After some introspective consideration the hero agrees with a solemn acceptance. Perhaps your idea of the story is completely different, this is what makes music and performing so interesting and engaging. Everyone approaches a piece of music from a different background and viewpoint, all of which are valid. What is your idea? <img width="1600" height="281" width_o="1600" height_o="281" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/ad3c4bdd7bbfee436f672d1b71f334d5a042b95ea93e844d902f92b741617fd7/pasted-image-0-25.png" data-mid="188506232" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/ad3c4bdd7bbfee436f672d1b71f334d5a042b95ea93e844d902f92b741617fd7/pasted-image-0-25.png" /> Put your bow down for the wonderful pizzicato third movement that further embraces the arboreal flavours from the introduction. Here, the playful lines need to unfold in-time without interrupting the metric feel of the music. As with all pizzicato movements we have to play with a very strong left hand so the notes remain resonant throughout. To help with this resonance vibrato is a must. Movement 4 brings us to an almost baroque setting that manoeuvres between G minor and E flat major. The moving semi-quaver passages are perhaps reminiscent of a toccata or ricercar that eventually gives way to a cadential figure that rests on G and A. The challenge to this movement&nbsp; is finding a suitable bow stroke that is somewhere in between a feathered baroque bowing style and a more aggressive romantic style. <img width="1600" height="235" width_o="1600" height_o="235" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/61e4bf079f915711191d56968e30639a0477f21095f1930006d566c9fa505611/pasted-image-0-26.png" data-mid="188506248" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/61e4bf079f915711191d56968e30639a0477f21095f1930006d566c9fa505611/pasted-image-0-26.png" /> Finally we have the fifth movement which recalls the opening material of movement one. A similar character prevails giving the piece the resolved feeling of having come full circle. Tembusu Evenings on the whole is not out of reach for an intermediate student. There are a few extended techniques, some double stops, and many easy to hear melodies. The piece includes much of the fluidity of Bach’s writing without sounding like a copycat. Expand your horizons and play some music by an Asian composer. Composer’s contact hocheekong@nus.edu.sg ︎ Prev&nbsp; All Articles Next ︎ https://brianpatrickbromberg.com/Theme-and-Variations-on-Draw-the-Sacred-Circle-Closer-by-Adolphus Mon, 21 Aug 2023 16:40:23 +0000 Brian Patrick Bromberg, Composer & Cellist https://brianpatrickbromberg.com/Theme-and-Variations-on-Draw-the-Sacred-Circle-Closer-by-Adolphus WHY YOU SHOULD LEARN THIS PIECE Theme and Variations on “Draw the Sacred Circle Closer” by Adolphus Hailstork Brian Patrick Bromberg 13 September, 2022 ︎Listen here Sometime ago I came across Adolphus Hailstork’s third string quartet and was immediately drawn into his harmonic language, and his wonderful sense of texture. The quartet uses a familiar tonal grammar with clever nuances that take the listener on unexpected routes through his musical world. I began to explore the rest of his catalogue and I came across his piece Theme and Variations on Draw the Sacred Circle Closer for solo cello. The theme, which distinctly resembles the contour and phrasing of an American spiritual, originally made its appearance in the composer’s EarthRise, a cantata for orchestra and two choirs. EarthRise uses the text from Schiller’s Ode to Joy to unite people in their similarities. The opening of Theme and Variations starts with this American spiritual played on the cello’s D string accompanied by left hand pizzicato bass notes to fill out the harmony. It’s important to remember this vocal aspect of the music throughout the piece and try to recreate this feeling on the cello. <img width="1600" height="324" width_o="1600" height_o="324" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/8d6bf967108911c0262e6fe28645ad3d425b2b62a2bb03cb97f30d05265ea6c5/pasted-image-0-21.png" data-mid="188506002" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/8d6bf967108911c0262e6fe28645ad3d425b2b62a2bb03cb97f30d05265ea6c5/pasted-image-0-21.png" /> The opening theme is written in a very pure G major, and, as the piece develops, so too does the harmonic complexity.&nbsp; When we get to the first variation, a sprightly 12/8, one can’t help but recall Bach’s Jesu, Joy of Man’s Desiring as the cello line weaves its way around the lower positions. You’ll notice a kind of bluesy flare that the composer invokes by ornamenting the G major texture with Bb's and C♯’s. There are many wonderful opportunities to explore different executions of grace notes. Sometimes it seems appropriate to treat them as glissandi and other times as the more classical variety. <img width="1600" height="244" width_o="1600" height_o="244" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/5fdda82160e71da5d4def1b01fd4dec3cb6b313bd99410673d254ca3447bd562/pasted-image-0-22.png" data-mid="188506008" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/5fdda82160e71da5d4def1b01fd4dec3cb6b313bd99410673d254ca3447bd562/pasted-image-0-22.png" /> As we make our way to variation 2, the writing becomes more virtuosic with running scales and arpeggios.&nbsp; All of these lay nicely on the cello and add to the playful character that the composer is trying to evoke. From the opening until the end of variation 2 we haven’t strayed far from our opening key with only occasional excursions into E minor and G minor. Then we get to my two favourite variations which really stretch the player’s capabilities and perk the listener’s ears. Variations 3 and 4 are the two slow variations written at crochet equals 42. Throughout these two variations the cellist has endless opportunities to explore different kinds of vibrato, phrasing, and colouristic expression. Both variations are written in a two-voice texture, one high and one low. With careful attention to bow speed and articulation we can separate the differences in these lines and accentuate the contrapuntal writing. As always, practise these kinds of slow sections with a metronome so that the pulse doesn’t disappear.&nbsp; Finally, we make our way to variation 5 and wholeheartedly return to G major. This variation makes use of a common rag-time rhythm that seems to call for a shuffled 16th note feel. The composer does eventually give way to this temptation in the final few bars notating this swing feel as triplets in the upper voice. It is important to not let the tempo run away from you as you are making your way to the finale. The effectiveness of Hailstork’s writing can’t be rushed through but should instead be savoured as you reach the highest range of the cello. Playing this way gives the ending an almost symphonic weight, a fantastic end to this wonderful piece. <img width="1528" height="317" width_o="1528" height_o="317" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/7a57955d8de9128031bd582a3b6bb29f8cb17da903c959a14d165a5e40460e5e/pasted-image-0-23.png" data-mid="188506012" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/7a57955d8de9128031bd582a3b6bb29f8cb17da903c959a14d165a5e40460e5e/pasted-image-0-23.png" /> If you are looking for music that effectively blends popular styles with classical styles or are looking for cello music with blues and jazz influence then look no further, Hailstork’s Theme and Variations is the piece for you. ︎ Prev&nbsp; All Articles Next ︎ https://brianpatrickbromberg.com/Threnody-for-the-Prematurely-Departed-by-Kathryn-Blake Mon, 21 Aug 2023 16:35:30 +0000 Brian Patrick Bromberg, Composer & Cellist https://brianpatrickbromberg.com/Threnody-for-the-Prematurely-Departed-by-Kathryn-Blake WHY YOU SHOULD LEARN THIS PIECE Threnody for the Prematurely Departed by Kathryn Blake Brian Patrick Bromberg 15 June, 2022 ︎Listen here Music helps us work through difficult situations in our lives such as grief, loss, abandonment and sorrow. We see this illustrated in pieces like Penderecki’s Threnody for the Victims of Hiroshima, Sibelius’s Finlandia, and John Corigliano’s Symphony No. 1 written to memorialise those lost in the AIDS pandemic. This month’s article is about Katheryn Blake’s Threnody for the Prematurely Departed, a powerful and moving, musical examination of mental illness and suicide.&nbsp; Blake’s piece for solo cello is a set of 5 short ‘stages’, based on the 5 stages of grief.&nbsp; The composer uses a pitch set derived from the phone number for the suicide prevention hotline, which serves to harmonically unite all of the movements.&nbsp; Stage one subtitled ‘Disconnected with reality’, opens with left hand hammer-ons set over open string pizzicatos.&nbsp; This hammer-on effect, notated with an ‘X’ notehead, is achieved by slamming the left hand fingers hard on to the indicated pitches to produce a sort of barely resonant, dry, woody timbre. It very effectively expresses the frustration that permeates much of this work. <img width="1600" height="292" width_o="1600" height_o="292" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/87af3352ba3dfbecc3188b23d313f7ccf918cb0d93377c6fae080f6e528102d2/pasted-image-0-18.png" data-mid="188505710" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/87af3352ba3dfbecc3188b23d313f7ccf918cb0d93377c6fae080f6e528102d2/pasted-image-0-18.png" /> After this rather calm introspective opening we reach the second stage titled ‘Blistering,’ which takes the listener on a blazingly fast, virtuosic, string-crossing jaunt that lasts just over a minute in length.&nbsp; At first look it may seem like a very difficult movement to play but with slow methodical practise it is totally achievable.&nbsp; Minimising left hand shifting, and focusing on bow control are the keys to success in this movement. Stage three opens with the familiar pitch set, this time presented with artificial harmonics.&nbsp; One of the strongest points of the piece is how Blake has woven a narrative throughout.&nbsp; From the performer’s perspective, this narrative takes shape not only in the notes we play, but also in the silences between the notes.&nbsp; Stage three really gives us a chance to explore how space, time, and breath play such an important role in music.&nbsp; <img width="1600" height="236" width_o="1600" height_o="236" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/884e77c710422b6bc42696bb112c65c3c4a0eeff3da5f4a401368a69b19bdb97/pasted-image-0-19.png" data-mid="188505713" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/884e77c710422b6bc42696bb112c65c3c4a0eeff3da5f4a401368a69b19bdb97/pasted-image-0-19.png" /> The next movement brings us to a very slow chromatic melody that starts in the low range of the instrument and weaves its way over a range of 2 octaves.&nbsp; The opening 20 measures are a test of legato bowing and bow speed control.&nbsp; If you can keep a consistent dynamic and support of sound throughout, the next section titled ‘Spiraling out of control’ will be even more effective.&nbsp; These opening measures are also a great opportunity to practise slowly with a background drone note to really refine your intonation.&nbsp; This movement, which is the longest of the whole piece, also contains the most sustained climax; pacing becomes very important so you can carry the energy over the entire fortissimo passage. Finally we come to stage five with the subtitle ‘Coming to terms with what is real.’&nbsp; The pitch set that has been used throughout the piece, finally finds resolution in C.&nbsp; The dissonances that prevailed earlier disappear and gradually a feeling of diatonicism comes to the surface.&nbsp; Before this happens though there are some really fun-to-play passages that sound like the melodic line is trying to find its way to this resolution.&nbsp; The rhythms and articulations are reminiscent of human speech, almost like one melodic fragment asks a question and another gives an answer. <img width="1600" height="452" width_o="1600" height_o="452" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/c35ed0b961f6c8216e3e3d98c2b8779daaed56117b1280e6ed7eb88e57b47d72/pasted-image-0-20.png" data-mid="188505767" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/c35ed0b961f6c8216e3e3d98c2b8779daaed56117b1280e6ed7eb88e57b47d72/pasted-image-0-20.png" /> Threnody for the Prematurely Departed is a satisfying piece to play.&nbsp; It not only challenges the performer technically but also poses a challenge that is beyond the notes on the page.&nbsp; To execute a successful performance you have to examine how the smaller musical parts fit together to create a larger picture.&nbsp; At just over 13 minutes to play, this piece is very concisely written; there are no superfluous passages; every note and phrase was carefully composed.&nbsp; Take a chance and try something new! Composer’s website: https://kathryn-blake.com/ ︎ Prev&nbsp; All Articles Next ︎