Ode to Lord Buckley

From Wind Repertory Project

David Amram

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

General Info

Year: 1980
Duration: c. 18:00
Difficulty: V (see Ratings for explanation)
Publisher: CF Peters
Cost: Score and Parts - Rental

Instrumentation

Full Score
Solo Alto Saxophone
Piccolo
Flute I-II
Oboe I-II
English Horn
Eb Clarinet
Bb Clarinet I-II-III
Alto Clarinet
Bass Clarinet
Contrabass Clarinet
Alto Saxophone
Tenor Saxophone
Baritone Saxophone
Bassoon I-II
Horn I-II-III-IV
Trumpet I-II-III-IV
Trombone I-II-III-IV
Euphonium
Tuba
Percussion (6)

Errata

None discovered thus far.

Program Notes

Ode to Lord Buckley had its orchestral premiere on March 17, 1981 by soloist Kenneth Radnofsky with the Portland Symphony. The Lord Buckley of the title was a legendary "comedian, philosopher, and poet" who performed from the 1920s through the 1950s. Some of the music for this piece came from Amram’s Harold and Maude, a Broadway musical. It is cast in three movements: Overture, Ballad, and Taxim. The Overture starts with a sixteenth note melody in the ensemble and is performed by the alto saxophone when it enters in m. 88. This is followed by a slower section with some fragments from the sixteenth note melody in the accompaniment. A swing section starts in m. 199 and leads into a cadenza in m. 223. The sixteenth note melody comes back at m. 278 which closes out the movement. Ballad is simple and chorale-like for the first two thirds of the movement and then opens into a more energetic swing section. The movement closes with material from the beginning of the movement. Taxim is a Turkish word for improvised music which comes before the recitation of an epic ballad. In this movement the saxophone is based around the concert pitch G by using ornaments such as grace notes and sixteenth note triplets. Near the end of the movement a Sephardic hymn is used , "Ayn Adir", which is associated with the birth of a child. The work is dedicated to Amram's daughter Adira, born the day before the premiere of the work.

Program Note by Jason S. Ladd

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

• Cajun, from American Dance Suite (1986)
  
• En Memorio de Chano Pazo (1977)
  
• Giants of the Night - Concerto for Flute (2002)
  
• Horn Concerto (1967)
  
• King Lear Variations (1965)
  
• Ode to Lord Buckley (1980)
  
• Rondo alla Turca from Triple Concerto (1971)
  

Additional Resources

• Howey. B. (1994). David Amram and his alto saxophone concerto, Ode to Lord Buckley. The Saxophone Symposium, 19 (1), p. 5-10.
• CF Peters Website