VanguardTV: Holberg Suite, Op. 40: II. Sarabande by Edvard Grieg

In this week's VanguardTV video, we have a throwback to an older recording of one of our favorite pieces to perfrom. Edvard Grieg's Holberg Suite is a set of 5 movements based on 18th-century dance forms that was written in 1884 to celebrate the 200th anniversary of playwright Ludvig Holberg. The style and form of this piece resembles music that was written in the Baroque period (like Bach). Grieg originally composed this suite for piano, but he also arranged it for string orchestra. We love this piece for its great melodic lines and its dance-like qualities! Enjoy the second movement, Sarabande!

VanguardTV: Bassoon Sonata in F minor: I. Triste by Georg Philipp Telemann

Enjoy Jaquain performing the first movement from Telemann's Bassoon Sonata in F minor this week!

VanguardTV: Mack the Knife by Kurt Weill

The Threepenny Opera is a play by Bertolt Brecht with music by Kurt Weill, inspired by jazz and German dance music of the 1920s. "Mack the Knife" serves as a prologue to the play, introducing the main character Macheath. The song has become a jazz standard, recorded by artists like Bobby Darin, Louis Armstrong, Ella Fitzgerald, and Frank Sinatra.

The version we're playing here is from an arrangement of a suite from the opera by the fine folks at the Calefax Reed Quintet. The melody gets passed around the ensemble and the accompaniment in each iteration changes the character, from cutesy and cheeky to bombastic and dramatic.

We hope you enjoy and we can't wait to perform this for you in person soon!

VanguardTV: 32 Etudes for Clarinet, No. 1 by Cyrille Rose

As I was teaching this etude to one of my students recently, I couldn’t help but think how much I love the Rose 32 Etudes for Clarinet. Etude #1 from these studies is near and dear to my heart because it was one of the first pieces of music that drove me to falling in love with being an artist.

This short study not only teaches you the mechanics of the instrument: how to go from low to high, loud to soft, up and down. It teaches you expression, how to play with rhythm, and how to be an artist. I always tell my students that these studies are there for you to experiment, learn, and create art. Isn’t that what making music should be about?

I wish that there was a recording of middle school Mickayla playing this etude somewhere… I think she would love to hear today Mickayla’s rendition!

VanguardTV: Bourrées from Cello Suite No. 4, BWV 1010

My friends know that I have a particular affinity for the key of E-flat major. A number of my favorite pieces are in the key or have movements or sections in it: Beethoven 3, Beethoven 4, Beethoven Septet… lots of Beethoven I guess. In any case, I was inspired by Sean’s arrangement of the Bach Violin Partita prelude (albeit originally in E major), to dive into the E-flat major cello suite.

The fourth of Bach’s six cello suites, it is, in my opinion, the most readily playable on the bass clarinet for a couple of reasons. First, save for the sarabande and the second bourrée, it rarely makes use of double/triple-stops, which can be awkward to approximate on wind instruments. Second, the key of E-flat major—which I understand is a particularly tricky one on stringed instruments—is one that a B-flat instrument like the bass clarinet is ideally suited for, sounding brilliant and resonant while easy in the fingers.

That being said, the bourrées certainly present a challenge on the bass clarinet, an instrument that can easily sound clunky and plodding where a light energy is absolutely key. I like to play the solo works of Bach for this very reason, with the goal of overcoming the technical idiosyncrasies of the clarinet in order to better communicate musical thoughts.

VanguardTV: Troubadour by Daniel Zlatkin

In the early months of the pandemic, Daniel Zlatkin reached out to me as he was revising his work for solo oboe and offstage cello, Troubadour. Some of you may remember that Daniel and I worked together before on his piece for Vanguard, Out of Bodies! Troubadour's two movementsshow a great contrast in the capabilities of the oboe, from fast passages and multiphonics in the first movement to beautiful lyrical lines in the second movement.

Here are Daniel's notes about the piece:

The oboist takes on the role of a mysterious troubadour. While the first movement is both joking and sinister, the second is a goodbye. The musician's ancient and grinning spirit fades into oblivion. An invisible companion aids his final journey.

Big thanks to Daniel Kaler for providing the "offstage" cello in the second movement!

~ Sagar

VanguardTV: Song for the Lonely by William Grant Still

Raindrops, soft from the mist
Disturb the stillness of my thoughts
Raindrops, soft from the mist
Beat down

A bird note breaks, the all pervading hush
A ray of moonlight cuts a darkness
No footstep comes along a rebel highway
Not the sound of a stone displaced

Soft raindrops, fresh from the mist
Dull the pain of loneliness
Soft raindrops, fresh from the mist
Beatdown

Raindrops, unceasing, they bring again the breath of a presence
Raindrops insistent they bring again the long lost dream

Raindrops raindrops unending they fall into my soul…
Into my heart and mingle with my tears

This piece is hauntingly beautiful. William Grant Still creates the perfect sonic interpretation of loneliness, something I’m sure a lot of us felt this past year. It sucks to be lonely, but if you can change your perception of what it means to be lonely you can make good use of your ME* time. There’s always time for self-reflection, solo dance parties, and naps when you’re alone, so it doesn’t always have to be a bad thing. Next time you’re feeling lonely go for a walk, treat yourself to ice cream, visit a cat/dog shelter, just do something other than staring off into space for hours on end (unless you actually enjoy that, then go ahead and do you), but make the most out of your ME time!

VanguardTV: Preludio from Violin Partita No. 3, BWV 1006 by J.S. Bach

I’ve always loved the cheerful Preludio of J.S. Bach’s third partita for solo violin. I was inspired to arrange it for Vanguard Reed Quintet after hearing a fantastic recording by the Masato Kumoi Sax Quartet. The quartet’s bold and symphonic reimagining of Bach’s solo piece struck me, and I couldn’t wait to hear what it sounded like for reed quintet. I soon discovered that this arrangement was based largely on Rachmaninoff’s arrangement for solo piano. Not only that, but Bach had re-tooled the bubbly opening theme himself as the instrumental overture to his Cantata BWV 29. This arrangement is based closely on Rachmaninoff’s version for solo piano, but I’ve borrowed ideas from a few other arrangements and added some flair of my own.

It’s been a long, difficult year without live music and without the ability to gather with friends and family. Listening to this piece always lifts my spirits, and I hope this little arrangement can bring some joy and optimism as we look forward to gathering again. Enjoy!

VanguardTV: Happy Birthday Variations

The beginning of May means it's birthday season here at Vanguard! 🥳 And to celebrate Sean’s and Mickayla's birthdays, the two of them recorded this duet of variations on "Happy Birthday." Enjoy!

VanguardTV: Splinter, II. Sugar Maple by Marc Mellits

"Sugar Maple," the second movement of Splinter by Marc Mellits, is another one of our favorite movements from this piece. This movement especially highlights the reed quintet's ability to sound homogeneous. From the beginning, the bassoon and bass clarinet play alternating patterns that create a composite texture. The saxophone and clarinet at first join in with interjections but then also fall into the texture set up by the bass instruments. When the oboe enters, it's something completely different, with a soaring melody over the other instruments' perpetual motion. "Sugar Maple" is an excellent exercise in blending, and it's a fun and energetic movement that we love playing! We hope you enjoy it!

VanguardTV: Hommage à Manuel de Falla by Béla Kovács

Béla Kovács, a famous Hungarian clarinetist, wrote a set of nine short pieces for clarinet that are an homage to some of the most influential composers to classical music today. They were originally intended to be pieces of study for his students, but now are widely played as part of clarinetists’ concert programs around the world.

Hommage à Manuel de Falla is a tribute to the great Spanish composer Manuel de Falla, who is known for his exciting Spanish dance-like rhythms and folk melodies.

Like many of us, I have found it extremely difficult to stay motivated with playing my instrument during the pandemic…. Returning to this piece from my past has given me an outlet of creativity and expression that I hope you can enjoy! 

VanguardTV: Lied by Luciano Berio

Throughout its history, the clarinet has been lucky enough to catch the ear of some pretty influential composers. Mozart was the first to fully employ its singing, operatic qualities. Late in life, Brahms experimented with its more subtle, dramatic colors, and by including it in his seminal work Pierrot Lunaire, Schoenberg cemented the clarinet as an instrument of the new music and avant-garde genres. 

Stravinsky was one such composer that gifted clarinetists with perhaps the most well-known piece for unaccompanied clarinet, Three Pieces for Solo Clarinet (1919), ensuring that composers of the 20th and 21st centuries, including Luciano Berio, would provide the instrument with a wealth of music.

In contrast with his best known work for solo clarinet, Sequenza IX (1980)—a virtuosic tour de force that pushes the boundaries of what is possible on the clarinet—Berio’s Lied (1983) is a smaller, more introspective work. Like many musicians over the last year, I ended up spending a significant amount of time away from my instrument, and in finding my way back to the clarinet, I was lucky enough to discover this gem. To me, it is reminiscent of Bartok’s “night music”, long quiet melodies interspersed with the random noises of the unknown dark.   

VanguardTV: Holberg Suite, Op. 40, III. Gavotte by Edvard Grieg

Edvard Grieg's Holberg Suite is a set of 5 movements based on 18th-century dance forms that was written in 1884 to celebrate the 200th anniversary of playwright Ludvig Holberg. The style and form of this piece resembles music that was written in the Baroque period (like Bach). Grieg originally composed this suite for piano, but he also arranged it for string orchestra. We love this piece for its great melodic lines and its dance-like qualities! Enjoy!

VanguardTV: 48 Famous Studies, Nos. 37 & 38 by F.W. Ferling

Franz Wilhelm Ferling’s 48 etudes are an essential component of modern saxophone pedagogy, and are commonly used in regional and state level band auditions and contests across the country. Musically challenging and charming throughout, these etudes are great for learning and honing fundamentals of musicianship and woodwind technique commonly practiced in 19th century Western art music.

Watch all the way to the end for a suprise cameo! 🐶

VanguardTV: Collision Etude No. 4, "Rainbow" by Alyssa Morris

Alyssa Morris writes some of the most interesting, fun, and engaging new music for oboe, and her Collision Etudes are no exception. This set of six etudes are an homage-of-sorts to another well-known etude collection, the Six Etudes pour Hautbois by French composer Gilles Silvestrini, which are each inspired by a French Impressionist painting. Similarly, Morris’ Collision Etudes are inspired by six paintings by American women. In today’s video, I play the fourth of these etudes, titled Rainbow, after a work by 20th-century African-American painter Alma Thomas from her collection “Moving Heaven and Earth.”

Alma Thomas (1891–1978)
Rainbow, 1978
acrylic on canvasboard

The piece unfolds in five distinct sections, each corresponding to a block of color in the painting, with the key centers determined by chromesthesia (sound-to-color synesthesia). A key element of the etude, and one of my favorite things about it, is Morris’ use of harmonics, or alternate fingerings for certain notes on the oboe that create a different tone color. From the very beginning, you’ll hear me oscillate between two versions of the same note that have slightly different qualities. Another great feature of Rainbow is Morris’ use of some of the highest notes on the oboe towards the middle of the etude. Though playing those notes can be tough, it’s also a lot of fun!

VanguardTV: Minuet from Cello Suite No. 1 by J.S. Bach

I will confidently say Bach is king of writing a good melodic line. In his most famous cello suite he keeps the listener’s attention by giving us a simple melodic line to follow while keeping things interesting with his iconic harmonies. Minuet 1 is cheery, light, and playful. Bach opens the dance floor in G major and keeps the waltz smooth and bright without much harmonic interruption. He  begins to create tension in the B section by slipping into e minor territory, but quickly brings us back  to our airy dance ending with a curtsy on tonic.

In Minuet 2, Bach hits us with melodrama straight out the gate in g minor. Tension builds as Bach frequently switches between octaves. In the B section Bach keeps us suspended in the tenor  register, which on both cello and Bassoon is considered the most human voice like range of these  instruments. Just as the harmonies get more intricate Bach expertly brings us back to “home base” ending on a low G. The emotional ride is over. We head back to Minuet 1 for a quick revisit and end our journey just as we began.

Bach creates such amazing sound spaces with very few tricks and that is why I will always enjoy performing his music. Hope you enjoy!

VanguardTV: Splinter, VIII. Red Pine by Marc Mellits

Welcome to VanguardTV, a weekly video series where we’ll be sharing virtual performances of some of our favorite reed quintet music, plus some solo projects and other exciting content! We’ve also recently launched a Patreon and we’d greatly appreciate your support. For just $5 a month, you’ll get exclusive access to our video content on Fridays, 3 days before everyone else gets to see it!

We’re starting off this series with one of our absolute favorites in the reed quintet repertoire. Marc Mellits’s Splinter does an excellent job of showing off the reediness of this ensemble. This last movement, Red Pine, puts the spotlight on our bass section, Nico and Jaquain! The cool rhythms and the funky melody make this movement an excellent closer for the piece and are an absolute blast to play.

We hope you’ve enjoyed the first video in our new series! Let us know what you thought in the comments below.