Blue Shades

From Wind Repertory Project
Blue Shades (2020 edition)

Frank Ticheli


Subtitle: For Symphonic Winds and Percussion


General Info

Year: 1997 / 2020
Duration: c. 10:30
Difficulty: VI (see Ratings for explanation)
Publisher: Manhattan Beach Music
Cost: Score and Parts (print: 2020 edition) - $395.00   |   Parts Only (1997 edition) - Out of print.   |   Score Only (print: 2020 edition) - $125.00; (print: 1997 edition) - $95.00


Instrumentation

Full Score
C Piccolo
Flute I-II (both div. a2)
Oboe I-II
Bassoon I-II
E-flat Soprano Clarinet
B-flat Soprano Clarinet I-II-III (II & III div. a2)
B-flat Bass Clarinet
E-flat Contra-Alto Clarinet (substitute for B-flat Contrabass Clarinet; 2020 edition only)
B-flat Contrabass Clarinet
E-flat Alto Saxophone I-II
B-flat Tenor Saxophone
E-flat Baritone Saxophone
B-flat Trumpet I-II-III
Horn in F I-II-III-IV
Trombone I-II-III
Euphonium (div. a2)
Tuba
String Bass (2020 edition only)
Timpani
Percussion I-II-III*, including:

  • Bass Drum (large)
  • Bongos
  • Castanets (Epstein)
  • Cowbell (large)
  • Crash Cymbals
  • Marimba (4.5 octaves (optional 4.3 octaves))
  • Ride Cymbal
  • Slapstick (large)
  • Snare Drum
  • Splash Cymbal (8-inch)
  • Suspended Cymbal (2: 1 medium small, 1 of another size)
  • Tambourine
  • Tam-tam (large)
  • Temple Blocks (3)
  • Tom-toms (4)
  • Triangle
  • Vibraslap
  • Vibraphone
  • Wood Block (medium large)
  • Xylophone

*Percussion detail for 2020 edition only


Errata

This list includes errata posted on Manhattan Beach Music's website


In Score (2020 edition):

  • Flute I & II, m.116, 2nd note: F, not G
  • Oboe I & II, m.98: A flat, not A natural
  • Oboe II, m.181, beat 3: E natural, not E flat
  • B-flat Soprano Clarinet I, II, & III, m.17, 2nd note: D, not E
  • Bassoon I & II, m.394, 3rd note: F, not G
  • Horn in F - All, m.376: Open
  • Horn in F II, m.45, beat 4: B natural (natural is missing)
  • Horn in F I & III, m.221: Add a2 indication
  • Horn in F I & III, m.411-412: Should be dotted quarter notes, not quarter notes
  • Horn in F II & IV, m.64: Delete "to mute"
  • Horn in F II & IV, m.67: Add "2. to mute"
  • B-flat Trumpet I, m.214: Add forte indication
  • B-flat Trumpet III, m.127, beat 3: A, not G
  • Trombone I, II, & III, m.388, beat 3: Db, not D natural
  • Trombone II, m.12, 2nd note: Db, not D natural
  • Euphonium, m.303: Add hairpin crescendo from the mp to the ff
  • Tuba, m.46: Add forte indication
  • Percussion II, m.156: Add treble clef and key signature
  • Percussion III, m.42: Add forte indication


In Parts (2020 edition):

  • Oboe I, m.129, beat 1: The dot is missing on the quarter rest.
  • Bassoon I, m.172, beat 2: The "C" ledger line is missing
  • Bassoon I, m.191, beat 3: Reverse the 8th-note and 8th-rest
  • Bassoon I, m.379, beat 2: The flat is missing.
  • Bassoon I, m.394, 2nd note: Bb, not C
  • E-flat Alto Saxophone I, m.184 - 185: Should be all B's (see the score, which is correct) this erratum added April 18, 2003
  • B-flat Trumpet I, m.257: Remove slur


In Score and Parts (2020 edition):

  • Oboe II, m.48, 2nd note: E natural, not Eb
  • Oboe II, m.204, beat 3: E natural, not Eb
  • Trumpet I & II, m.65, last note: Add accent
  • B-flat Soprano Clarinet II, m.162 through m.163, beat 1: Transpose entire passage up a whole step
  • B-flat Soprano Clarinet III, m.300 through downbeat of m.301: Slur C# to the B
  • E-flat Alto Saxophone I, m.298, beat 4: Add triplet bracket
  • B-flat Tenor Saxophone, m.48-49: E to D# (transposed up a perfect 4th), not B to A#
  • B-flat Trumpet I, m.390, beat 2: Should be an 8th-rest, not a quarter rest

- Errata from Manhattan Beach Website (Contains some duplicates of Matthew LeFebvre)


In Parts (1997 edition):

  • C Piccolo, m.66: Hairpin crescendo should start on beat 1 instead of the and of beat 1
  • C Piccolo, m.141, beat 1: Add a "f" dynamic marking
  • C Piccolo, m.161, beat 2: Add staccato and "f" dynamic marking on the B-flat5 eighth note
  • C Piccolo, m.410, beat 2: Add a convenience natural on the G which is the 2nd note of the triplet
  • Flute I, m.40, beat 4: D5 should be a D-flat5
  • Flute I, m.92: Add accents on the first two quarter notes on the measure (C-sharp5 and D5)
  • Flute I, m.167, and of beat 1: Add a marcato on the G6 (along with staccato)
  • Flute I, m.180: Hairpin crescendo should start on beat 2 instead of the and of beat 1
  • Flute I, m.191, beat 2: Add a "mf" dynamic marking
  • Flute I, m.201, and of beat 2: Remove staccato on the second sixteenth note
  • Flute I, m.378-380: There should be two separate slurs instead of one continuous slur. The first one should go from the 3rd beat of measure 378 and end on the 3rd note of the triplet on beat 1 of measure 379. The next slur should start on the 2nd beat of measure 379 and last until the downbeat of measure 380
  • Flute II, m.5, and of beat 4: Remove accent
  • Flute II, m.237: Hairpin crescendo should start on the and of beat 1 instead of beat 3
  • Flute II, m.378-380: There should be two separate slurs instead of one continuous slur. The first one should go from the 3rd beat of measure 378 and end on the 3rd note of the triplet on beat 1 of measure 379. The next slur should start on the 2nd beat of measure 379 and last until the downbeat of measure 380
  • Oboe I, m.129, beat 1: Add a dot on quarter rest to make it a dotted quarter rest
  • Oboe I, m.410, beat 2: Add a convenience natural on the G which is the 2nd note of the triplet
  • Bassoon I, m.94, beat 1: Add a staccato on the G2 eighth note
  • Bassoon I, m.172, beat 2: The eighth note should be a F4
  • Bassoon I, m.191: The D2 that is printed on the and of 3 should be printed on beat 3 (in other words switch the eighth note note and the eighth rest)
  • Bassoon I, m.378, beat 2: D3 should be a D-flat3
  • Bassoon I, m.380, beat 1: Remove staccato on B2 eighth note; Score also.
  • Bassoon I, m.387, and of beat 2: D-flat3 should be a C3
  • Bassoon I, m.394, and of beat 1: C3 should be a B-flat2
  • Bassoon II, m.49, and of beat 1: Add accent on Bb1
  • Bassoon II, m.49: Hairpin decrescendo should start on beat 2 instead of the and of beat 2
  • Bassoon II, m.152, and of beat 1: Add accent on C3
  • Bassoon II, m.388, beat 3: D3 should be a D-flat3
  • E-flat Soprano Clarinet, m.95, and of beat 2: The second sixteenth note A3 should be a A-sharp3
  • E-flat Soprano Clarinet, m.120, beat 1: Add a "mf" dynamic marking on beat 1
  • E-flat Soprano Clarinet, m.362, beat 2: F-sharp4 should be a F4
  • E-flat Soprano Clarinet, m.393, and of beat 3: G5 should be a A5
  • B-flat Soprano Clarinet I, m.16, and of beat 1: The eighth note should be a B3
  • B-flat Soprano Clarinet I, m.300: Hairpin decrescendo on beat 3 of triplet should start on beat 4 of the measure
  • B-flat Soprano Clarinet II, m.133, beat 2: Add a "f" dynamic marking
  • B-flat Soprano Clarinet II, m.162-163: From beat 1 of measure 162 to the and of beat 1 on measure 163, every note should be transposed up a whole step. (F4 D4 F4 D4 G4 D4 F4 D4 --> G4 E4 G4 E4 A4 E4 G4 E4)
  • B-flat Soprano Clarinet II, m.238, beat 3: Add accent on D5 eighth note
  • B-flat Soprano Clarinet III, m.300-301: Add a slur starting from the C#4 on beat 3 of measure 300 and ending on the B4 on beat 1 of measure 301


In Score (1997 edition):

  • B-flat Soprano Clarinet I, II & III, m.17, beat 4: E4 should read D4
  • B-flat Soprano Clarinet I, II & III, m.18, beat 1&: Add accent on G3 eighth note
  • B-flat Soprano Clarinet III, m.300, beat 3: Add a slur from beat 3 of measure 300 to beat 1 of measure 301

- Potential errata noted by Matthew LeFebvre


Program Notes

In 1992 I composed a concerto for traditional jazz band and orchestra, Playing with Fire, for the Jim Cullum Jazz Band and the San Antonio Symphony. I experienced tremendous joy during the creation of Playing with Fire, and my love for early jazz is expressed in every bar of the concerto. However, after completing it, I knew that the traditional jazz influences dominated the work, leaving little room for my own musical voice to come through. I felt a strong need to compose another work, one that would combine my love of early jazz with my own musical style.

Four years, and several compositions later, I finally took the opportunity to realize that need by composing Blue Shades. As its title suggests, the work alludes to the blues, and a jazz feeling is prevalent -- however, it is not literally a blues piece. There is not a single 12-bar blues progression to be found, and except for a few isolated sections, the eighth-note is not swung.

The work, however, is heavily influenced by the blues: "Blue notes" (flatted 3rds, 5ths, and 7ths) are used constantly; blues harmonies, rhythms, and melodic idioms pervade the work; and many "shades of blue" are depicted, from bright blue, to dark, to dirty, to hot blue.

At times, Blue Shades burlesques some of the clichés from the Big Band era, not as a mockery of those conventions, but as a tribute. A slow and quiet middle section recalls the atmosphere of a dark, smoky blues haunt. An extended clarinet solo played near the end recalls Benny Goodman's hot playing style, and ushers in a series of "wailing" brass chords recalling the train whistle effects commonly used during that era.

Blue Shades was commissioned by a consortium of thirty university, community, and high school concert bands under the auspices of the Worldwide Concurrent Premieres and Commissioning Fund.

- Program Note by composer


Media


State Ratings

  • Florida: VI
  • New York: VI
  • North Carolina: VI


Performances

To submit a performance please join The Wind Repertory Project

  • Illinois State University (Normal) Wind Symphony (Anthony C. Marinello, conductor) – 26 April 2024
  • Cleveland State University (Ohio) Symphonic Wind Ensemble (Birch Browning, conductor) - 28 January 2024 (Severance Music Center)
  • Royal Northern College of Music (Manchester, Eng.) Wind Orchestra (Mark Heron, conductor) - 24 November 2023
  • Quincy (Ill.) Concert Band (Trent A. Hollinger, conductor) - 5 November 2023
  • Johns Hopkins University (Baltimore, Md.) Peabody Wind Ensemble (Harland D. Parker, conductor) - 11 October 2023
  • Central Iowa Wind Ensemble (Des Moines) (Christian Carichner, conductor) - 7 May 2023
  • The All-America Concert Band (Sioux City, Iowa) (Martin I. Gaines, conductor) - 29 April 2023
  • University of Arkansas (Fayetteville) Wind Ensemble (Christopher Knighten, conductor) — 27 April 2023
  • Rochester (N.Y.) Institute of Technology (Wind Symphony (Luke Camarillo, conductor) - 24 April 2023
  • Kailua (Hi.) High School Symphonic Band (Casey Kitano, conductor) - 7 April 2023
  • University of Southern California (Los Angeles) Thornton Wind Ensemble (Frank Ticheli, conductor) - 11 February 2023
  • Lone Star Wind Orchestra (Dallas, Tx.) (Eugene Migliaro Corporon, conductor) - 29 January 2023
  • University of Southern Mississippi (Natchez) Wind Symphony (Travis Higa, conductor) - 8 December 2022 (2022 Mississippi Band Directors Association)
  • University of California, Los Angeles, (UCLA) Wind Ensemble (Travis J. Cross, conductor) – 25 May 2022
  • University of Delaware (Newark) Wind Ensemble (Lauren Reynolds, conductor) – 14 October 2022
  • University of British Columbia (Vancouver) Symphonic Wind Ensemble (Robert Taylor, conductor) - 13 October 2022
  • Youngstown (Ohio) State University Wind Ensemble (Michael S. Butler, conductor) - 25 April 2022
  • Messiah University (Mechanicsburg, Penn.) Wind Ensemble (James Colonna, conductor) - 24 April 2022
  • University of Puget Sound (Tacoma, Wash.) Wind Ensemble (Gerard Morris, conductor) – 16 March 2022 (CBDNA 2022 Western/Northwestern Conference, Tacoma, Wash.)
  • Strasbourg Conservatory of Music (Strasbourg, France), Orchestre à vents (Miguel Etchegoncelay, conductor) - 16 December 2007


Works for Winds by This Composer

Adaptable Music


All Wind Works


Resources