Title: Concerto for Euphonium: “Creative States”
Commission/Dedication: Commissioned led by Dr. Travis Scott.
Premiere: Dr. Travis Scott premiered the piano version (date unknown). Dr. Gail Robertson premiered the orchestral version on February 1, 2019 with the “Pershing’s Own” Army Orchestra.
Composer: Barbara York
Publisher: Cimarron Music Press
Year: 2018Purchasing: https://www.cimarronmusic.com/concertoforeuphoniumyorkpiano
Program notes from the composer:
I tend to think that the subtitle and movement titles of this piece should be fairly self- explanatory. However, after thinking about it a bit I realized that perhaps there is room for at least a little elaboration. This piece is about states that I (and you?) can put myself in when I have little or no inspiration for a piece. In that sense, it was a bit of a joke on myself as I was writing this concerto. I have always claimed that there is plenty of human and personal subject matter about which to write, so this is about what one can do when not feeling particularly inspired.
Three of the movements are states of childlike awareness – Wonder, Playfulness and Joy. The second movement is more of a meditative state, Emptiness, and is musically reflective of the piano “Gymnopedies” of Erik Satie. To me, it is a zen like emptying of oneself, creating a mental and emotional vacuum into which inspiration can enter. What is not mentioned here is that deadlines can also be a powerful impetus towards creativity for composers and other artists. Deadlines are the most terrifying, but often the most effective.
Author assessment and pedagogical considerations:
In my examination of this piece, the first thing that sticks out in difficulty is the length. With a play time of c. 20’, the soloist will need to have a good amount of endurance. It is nice that it is broken into four movements with pause in between.
The first movement is in Db major and contains a fair amount of chromaticism. Work with a metronome will be imperative, as well as sitting down at a piano and learning how to sing/hear all of the material. There are a number of leaps that are chromatic, and some with expansive tessitura distance.
The second movement is pretty straight-forward with some chromaticism throughout. Metronome practice will help learn this quickly, as well as sitting down at a piano and learning to sing/hear the part.
Movement three is in the style of Allegro Scherzando, or playful, and is littered with awkward chromatic turns and phrases. Slow practice with a metronome will be vital to the success of this movement.
The final movement, Joy, changes meter frequently and is one of the identifying characteristics of the movement. Some sections change meter every measure. It bounces between 6/8, 5/8, 3/4, and 2/4 in various patterns. This will require special attention when collaborating with accompaniment.
Recordings:
No recordings exist, as of yet. The premier with the “Pershing’s Own” had technical difficulties.
