# Short brass quintet piece - audio - live



## Vasks (Dec 9, 2013)

This is my last piece posting for 2022. I do have several more video performances and audio as well of various works. And will be having more premier performances in the next 12 months which should provide me more video or audio recordings. Some of those will be TC postings for 2023.

This work was written back in the mid-1980's. I sent it to a professional quintet that had played and recorded my first piece for that medium about ten years earlier. Eventually they did play this scherzo (at least once), but I never heard it. I didn't even see a printed program. In the meantime, two other ensembles did play it in my presence, but not to my satisfaction (too slow, too sloppy, poor intonation, etc). After that I decided to never deal with it ever again. Then just a few months ago, one of the members of the professional group sent me this audio. And they nailed it. Unlike the other two I mentioned.

The audio is a bit muffled, so don't expect great sonics. The work is wild, crazy, almost manic. You've been warned!









Brass Quintet Scherzo - live.mp3


Shared with Dropbox




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## mikeh375 (Sep 7, 2017)

Very quirky indeed Vasks. It is rather fun. I enjoyed it more as it went on, especially after the halfway point where you relaxed a little in places. They played it really well as you say and I could easily imagine some disappointment from lesser players performances. Is it a standalone or does it have other movements?


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## pkoi (Jun 10, 2017)

Very enjoyable interplay between the instruments. I especially like when you extend the sustained notes-idea around 1:40 and the development of motives that follows it towards the end of the piece. I was listening to Percichetti's divertimento op.82 the other day, this piece gives me a bit of similar vibes. Good job!


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## Vasks (Dec 9, 2013)

mikeh375 said:


> Is it a standalone or does it have other movements?


A standalone conceived and will always be.



pkoi said:


> I was listening to Percichetti's divertimento op.82 the other day, this piece gives me a bit of similar vibes. Good job!


Yeah, Persichetti's approach to harmony and motivic exploration was not far from mine 40 years ago. *Fun fact:* When I was a freshman in college, Persichetti was the guest composer at the university's New Music Festival. So not only did I play under his direction in band and orchestra, but in addition we had a student composer recital he attended. I had a short piece for violin and piano on it and he commented to the audience on what were its weakest points. I received his comments in a positive, constructive way (IOW, I wasn't upset that he didn't praise it) and afterwards went to the next door restaurant hangout with friends. While sitting there, my comp. professor walks in, takes me aside and quietly tells me that after hearing all the student works, Persichetti told him that my piece was the only one that demonstrated real talent.


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