# Seeking music for woodwinds on the theme of trees



## speach (Jan 14, 2015)

I'm organizing a concert to be performed at a botanical garden. The concert is will feature woodwind players in various small ensembles (woodwind quintet, clarinet choir, duets, woodwinds of any sort playing with piano, saxophones, etc.). It would be marvelous to play a few pieces connected to trees in some way. Any recommendations for pieces we could play?

Backup options: pieces related to spring, nature, gardens, etc.


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## Guest (Jan 14, 2015)

I doubt you have time to figure it out, but it would be perfect to figure out a sort of transcription of some Bax tone poems. He clearly liked trees. (The Happy Forest, November Woods, The Tale The Pine Trees Knew, The Garden Of Fand, etc...)

Sadly, I can't think of anything right now that fits perfectly with just a wind ensemble without some sort of transcription.


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## QuietGuy (Mar 1, 2014)

Barber's _Summer Music_, for Woodwind Quintet. It's a beautiful piece.


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## Huilunsoittaja (Apr 6, 2010)

Also Nielsen's Quintet. The first movement (which is also the best movement) makes me think of walking in a forest, and the birds chirping and stuff. It seems he may have been thinking that too, since its pace is very much like walking, and the woodwinds imitate birds with grace notes and stuff.


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## arpeggio (Oct 4, 2012)

I know of two woodwind quintets that might work.

Vincent Persichetti: _Pastoral_

Darius Milhaud: _La cheminée du roi René_

Barber's _Summer Music_ is good but if very difficult to play.

I have performed all of these works.


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## arpeggio (Oct 4, 2012)

Huilunsoittaja said:


> Also Nielsen's Quintet. The first movement (which is also the best movement) makes me think of walking in a forest, and the birds chirping and stuff. It seems he may have been thinking that too, since its pace is very much like walking, and the woodwinds imitate birds with grace notes and stuff.


Although I have never performed the _Nielsen Quintet_, I am familiar with the piece. It is very challenging. One problem is with the bassoon part. In the last movement the bassoon player has to perform a low A. The lowest note on the bassoon is Bb. In order to play it the bassoon player has to have an extension that he has to insert into the bell of the instrument. Not many bassoon players have such an extension.


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## musicrom (Dec 29, 2013)

A quick search found me Percy Grainger's _Themes from "Green Bushes"_. Also found Takemitsu's _Eucalypts II_, but it's for flute, oboe, and harp. Well, that's all I can find... don't know of any examples myself unfortunately.


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## Huilunsoittaja (Apr 6, 2010)

arpeggio said:


> Although I have never performed the _Nielsen Quintet_, I am familiar with the piece. It is very challenging. One problem is with the bassoon part. In the last movement the bassoon player has to perform a low A. The lowest note on the bassoon is Bb. In order to play it the bassoon player has to have an extension that he has to insert into the bell of the instrument. Not many bassoon players have such an extension.


Right, so doing only the 1st mvmt would be appropriate anyhow. I don't find the last mvmt being very forest-themed, it's just a theme and variations.


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## EdwardBast (Nov 25, 2013)

John Williams, _Five Sacred Trees_. This is a concerto for bassoon and orchestra (the link below has it performed by the bassoonist for whom it was written). The individual movements have been arranged for bassoon and piano. Haven't looked into it, but it seems that each of the five movements is about a different tree. You could pick one or two of the movements?


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## EdwardBast (Nov 25, 2013)

arpeggio said:


> Although I have never performed the _Nielsen Quintet_, I am familiar with the piece. It is very challenging. One problem is with the bassoon part. In the last movement the bassoon player has to perform a low A. The lowest note on the bassoon is Bb. In order to play it the bassoon player has to have an extension that he has to insert into the bell of the instrument. Not many bassoon players have such an extension.


I think a toilet paper tube, properly inserted, does the trick.


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## arpeggio (Oct 4, 2012)

EdwardBast said:


> I think a toilet paper tube, properly inserted, does the trick.


Come of man. First of all a toilet paper tube is not long enough. And it will really look campy for bassoonist at a performance to stick a brown ugly toilet paper tube into the bell of his instrument. I realize the bassoon is the butt of many joke but give me a break. It turns out I found an extension that is available for only $8.50.

I do not know what resources that 'speach' has but many of you are suggesting very challenging works. For the Barber and the Nielsen one needs really first tier professionals or advance students to pull them off.

I have performed the _Summer Music_ with an amateur group. It took us several weeks of practice to pull it off.


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## speach (Jan 14, 2015)

Thanks for all of the suggestions so far. The players are amateur members of a community band, so any suggestions of easy music are most welcome.


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## arpeggio (Oct 4, 2012)

speach said:


> Thanks for all of the suggestions so far. The players are amateur members of a community band, so any suggestions of easy music are most welcome.


As an amateur bassoonist myself stick with the Persichetti and the Milhaud. They should be able to handle those works with just a few rehearsals.


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## Fagotterdammerung (Jan 15, 2015)

Francaix's _L'horloge de Flore_ ( "Flower Clock" ) fits the place perfectly and is available as a reduction for oboe and piano. I'm not sure on the ease of playing ( his Wind Quintet is... intense, to say the least ), but the mood is lighthearted and accessible.


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