Avenue X

From Wind Repertory Project

Jonathan Newman

1 General Info
2 Instrumentation
3 Errata
4 Program Notes
5 Commercial Discography
6 Audio Links
7 State Ratings
8 Recent Performances
9 Additional Works for Winds by this Composer
10 Additional Resources

General Info

Year: 2005
Duration: c. 7:00
Difficulty: V (see Ratings for explanation)
Publisher: OK Feel Good Music
Cost: Parts (Rental) - $275.00 | Score Only (Purchase) - $34.00

Instrumentation

Full Score
Piccolo
Flute I-II-III
Oboe
Bassoon
Bb Soprano Clarinet I-II-III
Bb Bass Clarinet
Bb Contrabass Clarinet (opt.)
Alto Saxophone I-II
Tenor Saxophone
Baritone Saxophone
Trumpet (in Bb) I-II-III
Horn in F I-II
Trombone I-II
Trombone III (bass)
Euphonium
Tuba
Timpani
Percussion I-II-III-IV-V-VI, including:

Bass Drum
Bongos
Claves
Cymbals (crash, ride, splash, and suspended)
Flexatone
Glockenspiel
Hi-Hat
Marimba
Ratchet
Siren
Tom-Toms (3)
Triangle
Vibraphone
Woodblocks (low and high)
Xylophone

Errata

None discovered thus far.

Program Notes

Avenue X derives its title from my neighborhood subway line, and its labeled final destination: "Ave X". As I reside on Avenue C (and the highest letter in Manhattan itself is D), this always seemed a fantastic and otherworldly location to me. Turns out it's in a pretty trippy place anyway: Brooklyn's Coney Island -- home of an ancient and creaking wooden roller coaster (frightening only because of the fear of the entire structure collapsing at any moment), the country's last existing "side show", and of course (my favorite), the Nathan's Famous annual hot-dog eating contest. The piece is a journey there of sorts ... via a pentatonic blues progression and driving bass power chords more appropriate to a metal "hair" rock band chart-topper, Avenue X takes a convoluted path of dreams, subways, roller coasters, freak shows, and edge-of-the-world fantasies.

Program Notes by Jonathan Newman