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Ascent
Contents |
General Info
Year: 1996
Duration: c. 10:00
Difficulty: VI (see Ratings for explanation)
Publisher: Maecenas/Masters Music
Cost: Parts - $120.00 | Score (Purchase) - $42.00
Instrumentation
Full Score
Piccolo
Flute I-II (doubling piccolo)
Oboe I-II (II doubles English Horn)
Bassoon I-II
Eb Soprano Clarinet
Bb Soprano Clarinet I-II
Bb Bass Clarinet
Horn in F I-II-III-IV
Trumpet (in C) I-II-III
Trombone I-II
Bass Trombone
Tuba
String Bass
Percussion I-II-III, including:
- Bass Drum
- Bongo (small)
- Cymbals (suspended)
- Glockenspiel
- Gong (Tam-Tam) (high, medium and low)
- Timpani
- Tubular Bells
- Xylophone
Errata
None discovered thus far.
Program Notes
Ascent was commissioned by the Ulster Festival, Switzerland, for the Ulster Festival Wind Orchestra, who gave the first performance, conducted by Franz Schaffner, at the Starthofsaal, Usterm, 28th September 1996.
For a Briton responding to a Swiss commission to draw on images of mountains for inspiration may seem a little obvious, but it has been in my mind for a long time to make a musical response to Cezanne's series of paintings of the Mont St. Victoire - actually in Southern France, near Aix. I feel that the cool detachment of Cezannes's vision, the quiet grandeur, could be expressed well through the sounds of a wind ensemble.
Ascent lasting about ten minutes, is mainly calm and impersonal. It begins with off-stage trumpets, and gradually various groups of instruments enter with their own musical ideas. Melodies repeat and overlap in layers without development. After the desolate middle section, with its passages for solo instruments, a soft brass chorale marks the final part, where the whole ensemble is heard together for the first time. The ending attempts a musical impression of reaching out, from a great height, towards order, clarity - tonality.
Ascent is written to be playeed one player to each part.
Program Note by Adam Gorb
Commercial Discography
None discovered thus far.
State Ratings
None discovered thus far.
Recent Performances
To submit a performance please join The Wind Repertory Project
Additional Works for Winds by this Composer
- Adrenaline City (2006)
- African Samba
- Ascent (1996 / 2004)
- Awayday (1996)
- Bermuda Triangle (1994)
- Bridgewater Breeze (1996)
- Candlelight Procession
- Concerto for Euphonium (1997)
- Dances from Crete (2003)
- Downtown Diversions (2001)
- Eine Kleine Yiddishe Ragmusik
- Elements (1998)
- Farewell
- French Dances Revisited (2004)
- Little Salsa Music, A
- Little Tango Music, A
- Metropolis (1992)
- Midnight in Buenos Aires (2007)
- Parade of the Wooden Warriors
- Repercussions (2011)
- Scenes from an English Landscape
- Scenes from Bruegel (1994)
- Symphony No. 1 in C (2000)
- Three Way Suite
- Towards Nirvana (2002)
- Yiddish Dances (1997)
Additional Resources
None discovered thus far.
