Kaleidoscopic Dances (flex)

Josh Trentadue

General Info

Year: 2020 / 2021
Duration: c. 3:30
Difficulty: III (see Ratings for explanation)
Publisher: M.O.T.I.F.
Cost: Score and Parts (digital) - $75.00

Instrumentation (Flexible)

Suggested instrumentation

Full Score
Part I

Piccolo
Flute
Oboe
E-flat Soprano Clarinet
B-flat Soprano Clarinet
B-flat Soprano Saxophone
Violin I

Part II

Flute
Oboe
B-flat Soprano Clarinet
E-flat Alto Saxophone
Trumpet
Violin II

Part III

B-flat Soprano Clarinet
E-flat Alto Saxophone
Trumpet
Horn in F
Violin III

Part IV

Bassoon
B-flat Soprano Clarinet
B-flat Tenor Saxophone
Trumpet
Horn in F
Trombone
Euphonium
Viola

Part V

Bassoon
B-flat Bass Clarinet
B-flat Tenor Saxophone
Trombone
Euphonium
Cello

Part VI

Bassoon
B-flat Bass Clarinet
E-flat Baritone Saxophone
Trombone
Bass Trombone
Euphonium
Tuba
Double Bass

Bass Guitar (optional)
Piano/Keyboard Synthesizer (optional)
Percussion (optional), including:

Bass Drum
Cabasa
Drum Set
Egg Shaker
Glockenspiel
Marimba
Snare Drum
Xylophone
Vibraphone

Errata

None discovered thus far.

Program Notes

As I was flying back home from a trip one bright afternoon, I was enamored by a particular phenomenon that made an appearance in the skyline for only a few minutes. As the plane was high above the clouds, the sunlight glared at such an angle and the passenger window reflected the sunlight at such a point that a perfect circle with all of the colors of the rainbow was formed in the clouds. This particular type of cloud iridescence was fascinating to witness, and it led me to imagine a fiery celebration of colors and sounds contained within this phenomenon.

Kaleidoscopic Dances is a light and joyous work in this regard, a fun and youthful celebration of life complemented with a constant sensation of motion. A kaleidoscope of shimmering melodic figures are infused with grooves inspired by heavy metal and progressive rock, creating a sound world both modern in nature and celebratory of some of this planet's most beautiful natural wonders.

Kaleidoscopic Dances was originally commissioned by Jason Taurins and the St. David USD #21 Symphonic Band in early 2020, before the COVID-19 pandemic devastated the world. At the time, the ensemble consisted of eight performers (seven wind players and one percussionist), and so my compositional approach for the work proceeded with this in mind. While the final version was published with additional instrumental parts, I realized that my writing process for this piece was very similar to the approach I would later take for composing and arranging the flex/adaptable music I've worked on since 2020. It naturally made sense to me that Kaleidoscopic Dances could be fully reworked into a true flex/adaptable piece.

My sincerest gratitude goes to Jason Taurins and the St. David USD #21 Symphonic Band for the opportunity to write this music for them. I am delighted to present this new version of Kaleidoscopic Dances.

- Program Note by composer

Performance Notes

The adaptable ensemble version of Kaleidoscopic Dances has been rearranged for six parts. The suggested list is provided to serve as a guide for your part assignments. Any combination of these instruments can be used at your discretion, as long as all required parts are fulfilled (as few as six players, one per part, can perform this work). As with my previous adaptable ensemble compositions and arrangements, all percussion is entirely optional. Additional, optional parts for bass guitar, piano, and keyboard synthesizer are included in this version. Backing tracks are also included, to be used if needed as a substitute for any, or all, of these additional parts.

State Ratings

None discovered thus far.

Media

Audio: Reference recording, MIDI realization.

Performances

To submit a performance please join The Wind Repertory Project

Blue2 Winds, Mukwonago (Wisc.) Bands (Emma Angoli, conductor) - 5 March 2022
University of Illinois at Chicago Symphonic Band (Christopher Vongvithayamathakul, conductor) - 15 October 2021 *Premiere Performance

Works for Winds by This Composer

Adaptable Music

Comets Ablaze! (adaptable ensemble) (2020/2022)
Dancing Fire (Flex instrumentation) (as arranger) (2016/2020)
Ember Skies (Flex instrumentation) (as arranger) (2020/2022)
The Floodgates of the Sky (adaptable ensemble) (2016/2021)
The Golden Pier (adaptable ensemble) (2019/2020)
The Great River Rapid Chase (adaptable ensemble) (2018/2020)
Havana (Flex instrumentation) (as arranger) (2018/2020)
Kaleidoscopic Dances (adaptable ensemble) (2020/2021)
Lightning Round (Flex instrumentation) (as arranger) (2022)
Meditation and Hymn to Nature (Flex instrumentation) (2021)
O rose of May (Flex instrumentation) (as arranger) (2018/2020)
Raindrops in an endless sea of stars (adaptable ensemble) (2020)
Seven Islands (adaptable ensemble) (2020/2022)
Splendid Ridges (adaptable ensemble) (2020/2022)
The Straits of Mackinac (adaptable ensemble) (2017/2020)
To Right Our Wrongs (Flex instrumentation) (as arranger) (2021)

All Wind Works

Anthem for Doomed Youth (2018)
Celestial Voyage (2015)
Comets Ablaze! See: The Grand Ledge Triptych
Concerto for Double Bass and Chamber Ensemble (2018)
Crystal Oscillation (2022)
Dancing Fire (Flex instrumentation) (as arranger) (2016/2020)
Ecstatic Samba (as arranger) (2017/2022)
Electric City (as arranger) (2019/2022)
Ember Skies (Flex instrumentation) (as arranger) (2020/2022)
enter data sequence (as arranger) (2022)
The Floodgates of the Sky (tr. Collins) (2016/2020)
The Floodgates of the Sky (adaptable ensemble) (2016/2021)
The Golden Pier. See: The Michigan Triptych
The Great River Rapid Chase. See: The Michigan Triptych
Havana (Flex instrumentation) (as arranger) (2018/2020)
Hilltop Run (2022)
Kaleidoscopic Dances (2020)
Kaleidoscopic Dances (adaptable ensemble) (2020/2021)
Lightning Round (Flex instrumentation) (as arranger) (2022)
The Grand Ledge Triptych
- Splendid Ridges (2020)
- Splendid Ridges (adaptable ensemble) (2020/2022)
- Seven Islands (2020)
- Seven Islands (adaptable ensemble) (2020/2022)
- Comets Ablaze! (2020)
- Comets Ablaze! (adaptable ensemble) (2020/2022)
The Michigan Triptych
- The Great River Rapid Chase (2018)
- The Great River Rapid Chase (adaptable ensemble) (2018/2020)
- The Golden Pier (2019)
- The Golden Pier (adaptable ensemble) (2019/2020)
- The Straits of Mackinac (2017)
- The Straits of Mackinac (adaptable ensemble) (2017/2020)
Midnight Skyline (2019). See also: Of Day and Night
O rose of May (Flex instrumentation) (as arranger) (2018/2020)
Nature's Light (2019)
Raindrops in an endless sea of stars (adaptable ensemble) (2020)
Seven Islands. See: The Grand Ledge Triptych
Splendid Ridges. See: The Grand Ledge Triptych
The Straits of Mackinac. See: The Michigan Triptych
Summertime Echoes (2019)
Tango Oscuro (as arranger) (2020/2022)
The Undiscovered Country (2018)
A Wild Christmas Nightcap (2020)

Resources