ENZO - ASSIGNMENT #6

Florence Prince Octet with Piano

This is my first brass octet for piano so I was not sure how it would sound. I definitely
like the grandeur and lush of the fuller textures. It is very homophonic and usually
treats one line or main melody at a time, usually starting with a single instrument and
then joined by the rest. I am a huge counterpoint fan and always appreciate when
works have a little more overlapping of countermelodies or variety in texture (such as
the Old Legend work where some do rhythms, others melodies, in a richer and more
engaging texture). I don't think the piano blends well with the brass instruments and
feel that a chamber orchestra accompaniment could be much more effective. I believe
one of the issues the ensemble might have is not to cover the piano’s sound. The
piano is important for keeping the rhythm and accompaniment and harmonies, and
the solo measures the piano has set well the tone for the start of whichever brass
instrument starts next, add much appreciated breaks from the brassy sound.
Especially the longer solo in the second movement. I think the brass instruments have
a very incisive and in-your-face timbre, so to have eight of these instruments was a
little overwhelming to my ears, and I missed more variety of texture. Even the slow
second movement does not sound calm or at-ease for me because of the timbre of the
trumpet more specifically. Even though all of the brass instruments sound too
overpowering for me, they still sound distinct enough between themselves that it
could provide balance issues. The advantages of programming include a
demonstration of this rare instrumentation under the hands of a good composer that
happens to be a black woman, thus bringing important diversity not only in the purely
musical aspect but also the social and historic.

Old Legend for Tuba Quartet

The textures are mostly dense and thick given the rich full sound of the Tuba. There is
also some kind of extended technique that sounds like a mongolian throat singing to
me but apparently is just the tubist singing while playing, or something along those
lines (I am not very knowledgeable on brass instruments). The repeated patterns
starting around 1:50 provide rhythmic interest that I could not find in Florence Price’s
work, and made this one sound less boring. I was also impressed by the fast and
relatively high-pitched passages, especially rhythmic cells. The solos in middle and
upper registers bring variety and the cantabile melodies are supported by rhythmic
activity that work especially well for these instruments. There is a lot of counterpoint
and multiple lines happening at the same time, which is also something that I
appreciate. The video ended in a sudden way for me since I was expecting that energy
that built up to subsidize better or, alternatively, a grand finale. It was certainly
interesting for me to see the tubas in their full capacities and showcasing these
qualities can be an awesome reason why to program this work. It also gives the
opportunity of tuba players to shine. The expressive potential of the tuba is rarely
seen. I see no disadvantages of programming this work.