Yeah... this was a bit of an undertaking.
You heard me right: I'm gonna be ranking and honestly reviewing every single piece I played this school year, both in my CSUN ensembles and Glendale Youth Orchestra. I recognize that this will probably be very uninteresting to most of you, and none of you will really be able to relate fully because, let's face it, I was pretty busy this year with performing groups. Either way, I hope you enjoy my insights. If you played alongside me for any of these pieces, mentored me, or even conducted me (I see you, Henry), I hope you enjoy my real, unfiltered thoughts. There's 41 of these suckers, so we best get started.
I'll be placing the pieces into tiers, from D to S. If you don't get what that means, think of report card grades. They won't be ordered within tiers because that's WAY too hard to do accurately, and honestly my thoughts change on the daily. Besides that, my specific thoughts can be found in the little blurbs. Enjoy!
D Tier (don't hate it, but...)
Symphony No. 2 for Band - Frank Erickson
Well, something had to be last. Look, this isn't the worst thing I've played in the world, far from it. In fact, some of the melodies were stuck in my head for a while when I played this in the October concert with the CSUN Wind Ensemble. It's nice! But the bassoon part was a little hellish, I'll admit, and the lack of rhythmic interest made this piece a giant bore for any new listeners, at least I'd imagine so. I do commend Erickson for how often he changes the tonal center while having it feel natural. It's fantastically written music, I can't deny that, but it just can't even compare to the other heavy-hitters on this list. Sorry!
Concert Piece for Bassoon and Strings - Burrill Phillips
Der Doppelganger - Franz Schubert
As the only of the three arias I played with the CSUN Orchestra in the March concert, I gotta say, it left very little of an impression. Wasn't really fun to play and honestly it just sounded like boring, generic German music. The singer was fantastic though! I won't be reviewing the other arias, as I didn't play on them, but they were both way better than this one. I hardly even remember it so yeah, not much more I can say.
Kol Nidrei - Max Bruch
Oof, this one hurts a bit. Usually when I sight read new music, I forgive it for being a little boring. After all, we have yet to fully unlock the musical potential! Sadly though, I never really grew to like this one. As far as the cello soloist, Ingrid, they honestly did really well, and the accompanying part was handled well by the orchestra. But the music itself didn't really bring anything new to the table, and very little sticks in my memory at this point besides how unfun the bassoon part was.
D'un soir triste - Lili Boulanger
Does anyone actually like this piece? Everyone I've talked to in the orchestra thought it was pretty miserable, and the most positive comment I received from the audience was "well, it was interesting". To its credit, though, the piece elicits the exact emotions it was meant to, being disgust, sorrow, and discomfort, though maybe not how the composer intended. This piece is largely atonal, slow, and lacking in distinct melodic moments, which is essentially the perfect recipe for music that is unequivocally BORING, as a player and listener. Not music I'll be listening back to anytime soon.
C Tier (not bad, not my favorite)
A Shadow Cast from the Silhouette of Being - Michael Ramirez
This piece is pretty cool. Composed by a fellow CSUN student, I was happy to be part of one of its premiere performances. I don't have access to the composer's foreword, but I recall it was written with the idea of media, news, and biased reporting in mind. Neat! In my opinion, this piece handled atonality way better than Boulanger's attempt. There are many interesting sounds scattered around, especially in the percussion, which makes for some nice textures. The harsh, rhythmic, triple-forte brass sections are really intense and disturbing to listen to, and it sounds great. There's even a beautiful, melodic section in the middle that serves as a nice break from the obtuse harmonies. However, I do believe that many of these effects work because they're novel, and if the piece were any longer, it would get tiresome. I respect this work a lot, even if it isn't my absolute favorite.
The Avengers - Alan Silvestri
It's the Avengers theme. What do you want me to say? My part wasn't really all that interesting since it's pretty string and brass heavy cinematic music, and it was programmed just to be a crowd pleaser since ending the concert with Scheherazade wouldn't have been a "bang" (says the guy who ends his next concert with Tchaik 6. I see the game you're playing, Henry). Either way, I've got nothing interesting to say about this tune besides the fact that the audience really loved it. SHEEPLE! C tier.
Suite from "The Red Pony" - Aaron Copland
Copland's gonna Copland. Honestly, it could have been worse. This piece was pretty weird but it was also kind of fun. I don't really have strong feelings about it, either, so it finds itself comfortably around the middle. To be real with you, this piece makes me think of the Antelope Valley College outreach concert we did in November, and... shudder. That was definitely one of the concerts of all time. Anyway, all the movements of the suite were unique sounding, and all had their own little character. If there's one thing this suite wasn't, it's boring. And hey, that's nothing to scoff at, is it?
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| this sucked |
Olympic Fanfare and Theme - John Williams
Everyone knows the first minute of this piece, but there's actually a decent chunk of music after it and it sounds pretty nice. This is another one of those pops-esque tunes that I struggle to think of something interesting about. Bassoon part was uninteresting for the most part. Unlike some of the other ones on this list, this was probably more fun to listen to than to play.
Stride - Kevin Day
This piece was soooooo close to being fantastic but it just missed the mark for me. The general vibe is really fun, the groove is tight and catchy, and the melodic ideas are nice as well. Sadly, it just ended up being a little too generic. The classic ABA-form band piece with a slow middle section is so cliche at this point that it's almost painful, and the composer makes no effort to subvert this expectation. When I first heard the main melody slow down to a slow and soft section, I already knew basically how the entire piece was going to go. A decade of school band will do that to ya. I recognize that my criticisms are a little nitpicky, I just think there were a lot of missed opportunities with Stride. That being said, it's enjoyable to play and listen to, so I can't knock it too hard.
La Negra - Reed
I have no memory of who composed this (update: I now do. just the last name though. yippee). It was a smaller part of a greater suite, and it may have been a traditional mariachi song, so I have no idea. Regardless, this piece was fun. It was a good chance to play something in a totally new style, one I hadn't really tacked prior to college. It was short and sweet: everything it needed to be. It left an impression for sure, even though it didn't knock my socks off. A good encore for the December Wind Ensemble concert!
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| POV: you are jorb |
Lux Aurumque - Eric Whitacre
Eric Whitacre is a silly fella. After playing Godzilla Eats Las Vegas in high school, seeing him tackle a choral-style work with thick harmonies really proved his versatility. To be honest, this piece was stressful. There were many moments where I had to play really low notes really quietly, which for the uninitiated, is HARD. I made some impressively ugly sounds during rehearsals. And the concert. But this piece is hauntingly beautiful, and it has some serious chills-down-your-spine moments. The wind parts were a huge challenge, but once we got our act together, it became something really special.
Piano Concerto No. 1, Movement 1 - Felix Mendelssohn
I enjoyed this one. Out of all the concertos I've accompanied, this one sorta fails to stand out (especially since I almost forgot to put it on here), but it was still fun. Definitely not boring, and the absurdly young piano soloist did a great job as you'd expect. I wish I had more to say about this one.
B Tier (now we're talking)
Concerto in G Minor for Bassoon No. 23 - Antonio Vivaldi
I always expect baroque music to be crappy, but you know what, this piece sold me. It's honestly kind of funny how straightforward it is. Vivaldi just drops a few melodic ideas, writes the most boring accompaniment possible, and then dips. You have to respect the confidence. But yeah this piece was fun. I used it to record an audition video for a summer program, so I actually hated it on that particular day. Man, recording videos of yourself playing suuuuuuucks. But that's neither here nor there I guess. Pretty good piece!
Blue Danube Waltz - Johann Strauss
Through the last ten years of me being a musician, I have learned a lot about a lot. Notes, rhythms, styles, technique, the list goes on. But after all of that education, one thing remains clear: whenever I see the phrase "DS al Coda" on my sheet music, my mind draws a blank. It's like I've forgotten what I'm doing and how to proceed, and the only hope is stare at the conductor and pray. This waltz, sadly, has a lot of those repeats, and it turns an otherwise straightforward piece of dance music into a memory gauntlet where one wrong move can topple the entire tower. Either way, this piece is pretty good. I'd describe it as the piece that normal people think of when someone says "classical music". As you'll learn later in this blog though, I love waltzes, and this one hardly disappoints.
Mars from "The Planets" - Gustav Holst
The most overplayed movement from one of the most overplayed symphonic suites? Yeah, there weren't gonna be any revelations here. However, it was cool to play the band arrangement that was done by Holst himself. Without any string players to play the "duh-duh-duh duhh duhh dut-dut dut" ostinato, you'd think it would get pretty tiring, and yeah, it did. But as a 2nd bassoon, there are rarely moments where you're allowed to play with a loud, borderline ugly sound, and Mars gave me that chance. I'm not sure if I prefer it to the orchestral version, but it was still a good time either way.
Morceau Symphonique - Alexandre Guilmant
Trombone concertos are just awesome, man. This one is pretty good, but there really isn't anything about it that sticks out to me as being particularly memorable or interesting. GYO did another trombone concerto last year, one by Eric Ewazen. That one was so fascinating to me, as there was so many unique qualities that I still remember a year later. The Morceau Symphonique is fun to listen to and certainly well-written, it just feels a little generic to me. This doesn't change the fact that Elijah did a great job, and like I said previously, trombone concertos are awesome.
Requiem for the Unarmed - Kevin Day
As my introduction to Kevin Day, this tune impressed me in a lot of ways. There were lots of melodic and rhythmic ideas that flowed together really nicely. I sometimes lose faith in modern composers to write decent parts for the bassoon, but a bassoon solo? Now we're cooking with gasoline. I do tend to be a little skeptical of pieces that serve as commentary on a larger social issue, and this piece was a liiiitle too on-the-nose for me. However, it was meaningful to many, many people, and I can't doubt that. It came from the heart, which is kinda the whole point of creating art in the first place.
Piano Concerto No. 3, Movement 1 - Sergei Rachmaninoff
It's been 5 months and I still can't get over how incredible that 12 year old pianist is. Here's a video of the performance and I highly recommend giving it a watch if you weren't there for the GYO concert. His technical ability and range of expression are almost terrifying, and I don't need to be a piano player to know it. Besides that, this movement was really beautiful in general. I loved the melodic lines, and the orchestral parts were very tasteful.
Concerto for Bassoon, Movement 3 - Carl Maria von Weber
Hey look, another basic German classical bassoon solo piece that none of you heard (except Matthew, Avery, and Cassie) because I played it at my jury! How cool!!! In all fairness though, this piece was actually really fun. I don't know if Weber played the bassoon, but if he did, I could tell! Many of the passages felt really natural and fun. The piece was super playful and jovial throughout, and playing with the piano was a blast. Honesty a good time. Shoutouts Weber.
D'un matin de printemps - Lili Boulanger
So you're telling me Lili Boulanger can COOK??? Yeah her other piece on the list was, let's just say, kinda horrible and stupid. But this one was delightful! The main melody hook is really nice, and hearing it passed throughout the woodwind section was cool. I even had a solo (which I screwed up in the concert)! There are sprinkles of crunchy and adventurous tonality, but they work the same as little red pepper flakes on your food. Just bursts of flavor and fun that elevate the experience without redefining it. And wow, that ending! So energetic and caps the piece off with a little "ta-da!". Really liked this piece.
Piano Concerto in A Minor, Movement 1 - Edvard Grieg
When I imagine in my mind what a classical solo piano piece sounds like, this is basically what I imagine. I don't want it to seem like I think it's generic or predictable, far from it in fact. Instead, I just really feel like this piece unlocks such a unique and captivating sound from the piano that I haven't really heard before. In some of the slow sections about halfway through, I am transported to a fancy hotel lobby or even the lobby of the Americana in Glendale where the self-playing piano is. As it currently stands, this is probably my absolute favorite piece of music for solo piano and orchestra, and of course, both Nathan (the soloist) and the rest of GYO played it beautifully.
Symphony No. 4 (First Version) - Serge Prokoviev
I am so, so incredibly torn on this piece. At the beginning of the concert cycle, I honestly hated it. I couldn't see the forest for the trees in the inner movements especially, and it just seemed to ramble on and on with no melodic direction. Turns out that, yeah, that part hasn't really changed. But once concert week rolled around, this piece really came together and I was finally able to recognize all of the moments of brilliance sprinkled throughout. The first and last movements are undoubtedly the most exciting, but the third movement is just so charming and lovely. Flirting with atonality, there's a lot to unpack when really analyzing the music for what it is, which makes for a very rewarding performing experience but a potentially very boring audience experience. Yes, I do fear that if I were in the audience for this symphony, I would have tuned out very quickly. However, I consider it the price paid. Sometimes we perform for ourselves and that's OK!
Let Me Be Frank With You - John Mackey
This one was just awesome. If you don't believe me, give it a listen. When we started, I was honestly let down because it kinda sounded like Disney Channel pops music, but I definitely came around. Once you dig a little deeper, there's a lot of really fun musical content to be discovered. I don't have much to say about this one, it was just really fun. And with that, we cap off the B tier!
A Tier (seriously great music)
Marche Heroique - Camille Saint-Saens
This was the very first piece I ever performed as a college student, so maybe there's a sentimental aspect here, but in general I really enjoyed this piece. I find it funny how many pieces by Saint-Saens I have played over the years and none of them have been Carnival of the Animals. Either way, March Heroique is just a delightful piece of music. Unlike Sousa marches, this one actually has a great bassoon part and offered many chances to play fast notes with the other low winds. And with a trombone solo and lots of woodwind moments, this piece really gave everyone a chance to shine. I couldn't think of a better way to kick off my CSUN performing career than with this banger!
Radiant Joy - Stephen Bryant
Personally, I don't partake in any mind or judgement-altering substances that happen to be legal in the state of California, but if I did, I imagine this piece would send me to a different dimension entirely upon listening. Someone needs to try this for me. To be honest, I was pretty judgmental of this piece when I was first learning it. I thought it was kinda gimmicky and tacky, and a little too eclectic for my tastes. But as the season went on, I slowly began to realize just how awesome this humble little piece is. Basically the entire piece is sweeping 16th note lines being passed around the band, starting in the piano and vibraphone and moving to low reeds and high woodwinds, led by the soprano sax. Once the band captures the vibe and settles into the groove, this piece changes from a fast-fingers subdividing gauntlet to a lush and beautiful piece of artwork that elicits a vibe I get from few other pieces of music. This is a prime example of why I always wait until the concert to judge a piece, because sometimes it just takes a while for everyone to figure out how to not suck. Y'know? I know you know.
Symphony No. 8 in G Major - Antonin Dvorak
This has got to be one of the most accessible and listenable symphonies I have ever heard, which is a good thing! If there's one word that perfectly describes it, it would be fun. My character arc with this piece is pretty neat, too. The first movement was introduced to me through my high school symphony, Crescenta Valley HS, and we played it through festival season and even in Carnegie Hall in March 2023. That surely was unforgettable. But then, once I'm in college, we play the entire thing in GYO. Not only was I excited to bring back this piece and play it fully through, but I was also excited as this would be the first entire orchestral symphony I ever play in its entirety. That number has and is set to climb, but yep, Dvorak 8 was my first. Each movement of this one has something fun to offer, and I highly recommend a listen. It's just that good!
Trio for Flute, Bassoon, and Piano - Ludwig van Beethoven
Chamber music is cool. This piece had the potential to be mind-numbingly boring due to the nature of Beethoven, but I think we did a good job realizing it. As my first real attempt at chamber music outside of the CV Ensemble Concerts, I think it went quite well, especially with a more receptive audience. Apparently Beethoven wrote this when we he was only fifteen, which is a certified bruh moment. Also, I had a really good reed for the performance so that was absolutely baller. Overall, I had a good time with this one. Also, we wore light purple for the concert and we absolutely ate so that doesn't hurt.
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| 💅 |
Vesuvius - Frank Ticheli
Another fantastic piece of music. I feel like the market for concert band pieces that sound rhythmic and cacophonous, usually names after some sort of natural disaster, is pretty saturated. I've played soooo gosh darn many of them over the years, from The Purple Twilight to Tsunami. But when you look at the copyright date on the bottom of the page, you realize that this is one of the pioneers of the trope, and for that, it deserves a lot of credit! The textures Ticheli is able to create using the instruments of the band are really cool if you just sit back and listen. The novelty effects, like the low brass physically saying "ch-chh-ch-chh", are a slippery slope and can get really insufferable but I think they were tasteful. Again, it's a situation where you wanna fault it for being cliche but it's also the originator of the cliche so you don't really know what to think. In any case, this was a fun piece and the audience, I presume, had a great time with it.
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| artsy fartsy |
Zinfandel - Reena Esmail
Yet another piece I judged harshly and came to really appreciate! For the uninitiated, this is a solo unaccompanied bassoon piece with no time signature or key signature. Totally freeform. It's such a unique piece and an experience I've never had before, which is a good thing since I'm trying to get an education and spread my wings here. Playing something like this correctly requires a lot of musical instinct since you can't rely on a predetermined tempo to keep the piece flowing. Side note, is also has a lot of open F to Ab slurs which I always crack and it makes me wanna die. Now, since I'm only 18 I can't give an opinion on the actual wine Zinfandel, but based on my memories of my parents taking us on wine-tasting adventures on the central coast, this piece sounds exactly how real wine smells!
Overture to Candide - Leonard Bernstein
This piece almost made the S tier, but it'll sit comfortably here. There was a vote that took place in class that determined if we'd play this or Chorale and Shaker Dance at our concert, and for those who don't know, I played Chorale and Shaker Dance in 8th grade band and it became pretty legendary since we all loved it. However, I'm not too sad that Candide won, since it really is fantastic. The melodies are just perfect, especially the second section, and the way it all comes together in the end is just perfect. The bassoon part is meh, but it doesn't matter. It's just that fun!
S Tier (made this bizarre year tolerable)
Steampunk Suite - Erika Svanoe
From the moment I first heard we were playing this, I knew it was gonna be awesome. And I was right. The Steampunk Suite, in all of its four movements, was one of the most creative, engaging, and inspired pieces I have even played. I have always thought composers should make more use of the percussion section and really treat it more like a section than just an accessory to the band, and Svanoe accomplished this with flying colors! Go listen to a recording of this piece if you don't know it. The melodies are sublime and were stuck in my head for basically all of November and December 2023. And man, that last movement is just awesome. In general, this piece represents basically everything I love about band music and I hope more people are exposed to it, since it's a very new piece being published in 2016. Ahh, 2016. Simpler time.
Pictures at an Exhibition - Modest Mussorgsky (orch. Golka)
Once I learned we'd be playing Pictures at an Exhibition for the May orchestra concert, I was amused. It's a piece I have heard of but not played, though I am definitely aware of its infamy in classical circles and the instant laugh-generator that is playing the Promenade theme during breaks in rehearsal. I knew there was a movement in G# minor with a bassoon solo, and I knew it was pretty long. So while it's certainly interesting that my first exposure to this piece was Tomasz Golka's orchestration, I feel good knowing I finally got to play and immerse myself in this absolute classic. Compared to the Ravel orchestration, this one has way more percussion and novelty effects which I think work wonders to bring the piece to life. And even though the G# minor bassoon solo is now a tuba solo, I think it sounded fantastic and fit the mood of the piece as salty as I may be. I was absolutely shocked, but we actually managed to pull this piece together for the concert and give a great performance that was meaningful to us as our last CSUN concert of the year (and forever for some people) but also meaningful to Tomasz, our conductor. He poured a lot personally into this orchestration and I could tell it meant the world to him to play it with us. I never expected this piece to get put in the S tier, but hey, after that concert, I can't think of any other spot!
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| me when i make a button that takes you to every movement |
Carousel: Waltz - Robert Bennett
This is literally one of the most beautiful pieces I have heard in my entire life. If there's one thing I've learned about myself over the last year or so it's that I love a good waltz. And man, this one nestles itself into my little brain crevices just right. Broken into three or four distinct parts with their own unique melodies and hooks, this piece never gets boring and is always throwing something new at you. As is the nature of an overture, I guess! There's a discussion to be had about "Christmas music" and what makes certain songs sound like Christmas. Is it sleigh bells? A special Christmas Chord that only Nat King Cole knows about? Or is it lyrics about family and fireplaces and presents and Santa? I have no idea, but I do know that this Carousel Waltz sounds like Christmas. I especially mean one of the last waltzes towards the middle-end. I don't know, it sounds exactly like Christmas. Give it a listen and see if you agree. Either way, I love it!
Shepherd's Hey - Percy Grainger
BANGER ALERT. Look, this thing is only like 2 minutes long but the punch that it packs is beyond description. It's so good. The man creates a stupidly simple melody, iterates it, gives it to every section in the band, and gradually corrupts it until it descends into chaos and it ends in such a baffling and silly way that I can only picture Grainger giggling to himself as he sat at the piano writing it. Some of you might be wondering why Shepherd's Hey is so high up on the list. And to you I say, shut up. It's my list and you know I'm right about this.
Elsa's Procession to the Cathedral - Richard Wagner
This is one of the only pieces of music in existence that I personally consider to be absolutely flawless. It's perfect. There's nothing wrong with it. As an exemplary example of German romantic music, this piece shows truly how emotional and passionate music can be. Just like Overture to Candide, this is another band transcription that, at least in my opinion, trumps the orchestral ones every day of the week. There's just something about the punch factor of a full low-brass section. I played this piece my junior year of HS, but being the immature group that we were, there was no possible way for us to play it with the extremely demanding emotional commitment it requires. Also, sorry Mr. Schick, but you just conducted it way too fast. Elsa isn't running late, she is proceeding to the Cathedral just fine.
Scheherazade - Nicolai Rimsky-Korsakov
This might be controversial, but I believe that Scheherazade is probably the definitive piece of music written for orchestra and, should someone want to get into the world of classical music, it should be the first thing they listen to. You could probably write a whole paper about this honestly. There's just something about this piece that I think can speak to a lot of different people. For me, it's the melodies that stand out and make Scheherazade an instant classic. As an audience member, it's easy to see how the melodies are reintroduced and intertwined like characters in an overarching story (because that's exactly what it is!). Each of the four movements are brilliant and offer their own unique vibe. There are quiet and brooding parts, there are loud and boisterous parts, there are tender and heartfelt parts, and there are moments that transport you to another world. On a more personal note, the bassoon solo at the beginning of movement 2 was awesome and also terrifying. Playing this with GYO was a lot of fun. Every section in the orchestra has their own moment to shine, which keeps the piece exciting for both the performers and listeners. There are over forty pieces represented on this god forsaken list, but out of all of them, I think you should listen to this if you're interested in getting into classical. You won't regret it.
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| iPad kid good ending |
Symphony No. 2 in C Minor - Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky
This isn't the last we'll see of Tchaikovsky today! His symphonies are well-regarded as masterpieces, but nobody really talks about this one as much. I, for one, think it's quite a shame! Compared to his later works, you can hear the youthful experimentation in each of the movements on display here, and NONE of the movements are boring. As is expected with Tchaikovsky, the melodies are on-point, but the finale of this symphony really stands out. I believe I have heard it described as his most "tonally adventurous" work throughout his life, and I totally see why. There are a lot of really interesting moments harmonically in the fourth movement that don't sound Tchaikvosky-esque at all. The third movement is a classic scherzo, I love it and it's super fun to listen to as well. As you'll soon see, there is at least one other symphony by this man that I like better, but as it stands right now, the 2nd Symphony is a sleeper hit that everyone should go experience. Oh, and this is another one that was constantly stuck in my head. Curses!
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| look at meeeeee |
The Podium (top three!)
Lincolnshire Posy - Percy Grainger
What a brilliant piece of music this is! I will admit, as an audience member hearing this for the first time, it can become difficult to follow, and without any traditionally fast or high-energy movements, you can lose attention pretty fast. Heck, when I listened to it for the first time, I got pretty bored. However, the things that make this piece so good are far from surface-level, and as I studied it, my appreciation for it increased tenfold. Each of the six movements stand on their own extremely well, making their own musical statements. I'll give a shoutout to movements 2, 3, and 4 for being my absolute favorite. Of that list though, I would say the third movement, Rufford Park Poachers, is unquestionably the best. The melody is catchy and the underlying harmonies used in the ensemble sections are, for lack of a better word, enchanting. It's musical complexity done right. The second movement is utterly beautiful, and the fake-out ending transposition is just perfect. Same can be said about movement four, just so much fun to play. Lincolnshire Posy is the kind of piece that can be difficult to crack and truly understand, but if you put in the time, will pay dividends in reward.
Rocky Point Holiday - Ron Nelson
Look, I get Beethoven. Mozart. Brahms. I see the vision. I understand the forms, the way they develop their melodies and such. It's oftentimes formulaic, as all that old music tends to be. They're geniuses, but we've cracked the code. But Rocky Point Holiday? I'm sorry, I just don't get it. I have no idea how a human being composed this. It makes no sense to me. The scoring is dense and thick, there's always a million things happening at once, and yet he manages to make it feel fluid while having a few key motifs that make the piece feel cohesive. And once you get to the samba-like section towards the end, with the energetic bassline, soaring melody, and brass interjections, you'll be on cloud nine. Rocky Point Holiday is not only one of the most fun pieces of music I have ever played, it is also one of the most brilliant and creative pieces of music I have ever heard in my life. Every time I listen, I am awestruck once again. I'm pretty sure Ron Nelson tapped into some sort of cosmic power source when he composed this. In my opinion, it is the absolute best thing I've ever played in a concert band and is the epitome of what makes band music so great. I can't praise this piece enough. Please go listen to it.
Symphony No. 6 in B Minor - Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky
Where do I even begin? I said during the foreword that each tier wouldn't be ordered, and the ones mentioned later aren't necessarily better. But friends, that does not apply to Tchaikovsky's 6th. This piece is not only the my favorite piece of this academic year, but the most memorable and exciting experience I have ever had playing a symphonic work. As I type this, the concert was last night, and man, what an electric performance! This is truly a symphony where none of the movements are a dud. They're all fantastic in their own way. The first and third movements are utterly mind-blowing, and the second is beautiful and charming in its own unique way. But the fourth movement and its unexpected darkness is what really gives the symphony its identity. If the last two movements were switched, so much musical value would be lost without having to erase a single note. It's this subversion of expectation that recontextualizes the entire work in retrospect and makes subsequent listens that much better.
This is rare for me, but there was a point in April where I got really sick and had to lie down. I took it as an opportunity to listen through the entire symphony all the way through, eyes closed, no motion or extraneous activity, just the music. That experience, along with having the pleasure to rehearse and perform the symphony, proved to me that truly nobody has ever done it better than Tchaikovsky. I've heard his music be criticized as too simple, too approachable, and lacking melodic development. I don't want to challenge those statements directly, so I'll just say this: real life isn't a harmony class. Real life isn't Musicianship 101. Music is meant to be shared, and when it speaks to people, it's already working its magic. Now, people who really know me in real life know that I'm not the most outwardly emotional person in the world. That's pretty obvious. But the only other time I've been brought to more otherworldly feelings of emotion in music was performing Ascension for the last time at Huntington Beach High School in 2022. Let's just say... this symphony is something else entirely. And having the chance to play Tchaikovsky's 2nd Symphony earlier this semester really showed me how varied this composer is and how much growing he had done throughout his career.
In all my future efforts as a performer, composer, writer, and creator, my hope is to someday reach the level of emotional vulnerability and honesty that Tchaikovsky put on display in his sixth and final symphony. Especially in today's world, it can be hard to find your creative voice and make yourself stand out from the crowd. There's so much dishonesty in art, especially deep in the industry where sequels, remakes, and cash grabs dominate fields that are supposedly "innovative". But experiences like these show me that, even in an upside-down world, the creation, interpretation, and performance of true art is still possible.
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| the goat |
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