Title

Quipperies - Volume 2, Nos.5-8

Original Title

Composer

Shaw, Lowell E.

Year

1994

Editor

Arranger

Year Arranged

Original Instrumentation

Type of Arrangement

Availability

1

Publisher

Hornists Nest

Year Published

1994

Catalogue Number

HN 72

Sheet Music Format

A4, Score (12) & parts (5x4 = 20, plus alternate horn 5 in C, 4, total = 24)

Horns

5

Additional Equipment

Others

Other Instruments

Difficulty

1

Duration

9

Structure / Movements

4 pieces: I Slow and sassy II Kep it calm III Shuffle IV Fast and light

Clefs

Treble, bass

Meters

C, ¢

Key signatures

None, 1#

Range

Horn 1: g - g2 Horn 2: a - e2 Horn 3: g# - e2 Horn 4: f# - e2 Horn 5: F - c2

Creator's Comments

The intent here, as on the other “…ipperies”, is to give horn players a chance to cut loose and swing a bit. The Quipperies, with five parts, should be mellow and smooth, yet have a clear, clean sound. They seem to work best when they are done more in a woodwind mode than in a brass ensemble style. The rhythmic drive is built into the music, and in general, longer notes are not as important as the moving voices. Make it a cooperative venture, not a contest. Ideal balance would probably have the fifth part a little stronger than the others, and while this works well with baritone sax or bass trombone anchoring ensembles of those instruments, it goes against reality in a horn group. The lead is passed around among the first four horns, with the bass line in the fifth part throughout. The upper parts definitely have the advantage, dynamically speaking, on the horn, and it will be advantageous if all players are aware that the fifth player is being asked to be quite gymnastic in a nasty part of the range. When notes are piled as closely as they are in some of these chords, it becomes important that the bass line is easily discernible, and it would be best if this could be accomplished without the low part fighting to be heard. We have included and alternate fifth part in C, for use on tuba or other bass clef instrument. All four of these use uneven “swing” eight notes, and articulations should have a bit of a “ping”, particularly in the faster tunes. The “v” marking indicates a short accent, often on a note that should be felt as an anticipation of the following beat, and the “-“ is used to show a slightly emphasized note. Obviously, not all such nuances can be shown in the music. No.5, after the “production number” intro, should be played in the style of some of the very “laid back” Ellington or Basie tunes, quite slowly, but a bit on the impudent side. There are frequent chord changes, and the tempo should be set to allow time for said changes to register. No.6 should be in a good, solid medium swing tempo, under control all the way. The absence of dynamics is intentional, as such details should take care of themselves if the approach is a sensitive one. The staccato accents in the fifth part are meant to be played in the style of pizzicato string bass. No.7. The shuffle rhythm is an insistent one, somewhat akin to the typical train effect, but with a triplet feeling rather than even eights. The notes that happen off the beat, in other words the shorter ones, should be as forceful as the on-beat notes, and even in the slurred passages, there should be a breath push on each note. The separate eight notes should be short, the tonguing marcato, and there should be a feeling of drive throughout. Push right up to the fine, and let it end abruptly. No.8. As the tempo marking says, fast and light. Stress the fourth beat in the third bar of D, to bring out the feeling of the three mini-phrases in that measure and the next one. In the “Till” episode three measures before G, only the fist horn should go to even eights, and then back into swing after the diminuendo. At H, each of the three crescendo should be two measures in length, then start again from piano. But above all, and in spite of all these suggestions – Enjoy!

Performance Notes

All said above.

Credits

Access to review score: Nancy Joy (NMSU)

External Link

http://www.hornistsnest.net/

Sound

Score