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Tuesday, March 09, 2010


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This blog is designed to stimulate discussions, debates and disseminate information about contemporary classical music.  You must be registered with New Music Forum to participate.  Registration is free!  Just click the "Register" button at the top of the page.

Brian
Most recent blog entries
Top 10 non-classical CD's every classical composer should know
F32 By micheal vickers on 7/14/2009
This is the a list of the 10 CD's that every composer should know. This is the criteria for picking the CD's and the order to which I list... 1. It has to be a CD owned by either myself, my brother, or my parents.
2. Only studio recordings or live recordings were considered...no "Best of..." albums.
3. It has to ooze "Sheer Freaking Awesomeness"... (I feel this should be self-explanatory)

So...here is the list...

10. Give- The Bad Plus
9. Attack and Release- The Black Keys
8. Time Out- Dave Brubeck Quartet
7. Rodrigo y Gabriela- Rodrigo y Gabriela (self-titled)
6. Electric Ladyland- Jimi Hendrix Experience
5. Led Zeppelin- Led Zeppelin (again, self-titled)
4. The Way Up- Pat Metheny Group
3. The Hazards of Love- The Decemberists
2. Melon Collie and the Infinite Sadness- The Smashing Pumpkins
1. Frances the Mute- The Mars Volt ...
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Performance blog: NACUSAsf Avenue Winds Concert - June 6, 2009
Brian's Blog By BrianB on 6/14/2009 3:58 PM
The Avenue Winds premiered the 3rd and 5th movements of my woodwind quintet Visions of a Landscape on Saturday, June 6, 2009 at the Portola Valley Presbyterian Church in Portola Valley.  Portola Valley is just west of Stanford University.  The members of the Avenue Winds include Melanie Keller, flute and piccolo, Jessica Boelter, oboe, Ricki Nelson, clarinet, Charles Moehnke, bassoon and Cathleen Torres, horn.  A fun fact about this group is that I am friends with Cathleen and we went to undergrad at Cal State Hayward.

The whole concert included movements of 11 different pieces from members of the San Francisco Chapter of the National Association of Composers, USA (NACUSA).  Over ...
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Listening Journal: June 1-7, 2009
Brian's Blog By BrianB on 6/13/2009 10:35 PM
UC Santa Cruz Chamber Music Concert (the part I stayed for) - June 2, 2009
Stepan Rak - Rumba (?) for guitar quartet
William Boyce - Symphony No. 4 - 1st movement (1760) arranged for flute quartet (by Martin Melicharek III)
Brian Bice - Shadows of Dreams (2009) for flute quartet

Kaija Saariaho - New Gates - CD< ...
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Performance blog: UCSC Chamber Music Concert - June 2, 2009
Brian's Blog By BrianB on 6/3/2009 10:15 PM
On June 2, 2009 the UC Santa Cruz Flute Choir presented the premiere performance of my Shadows of Dreams.  The ensemble consisted of Cheyenne Montalbin, 1st flute, Sarah Hughes and Nick Ross 2nd flutes, Lisa Ryland, alto flute and Hilary Armstrong, bass flute.  The ensemble sis a really good job with my piece.  This is a piece that demands that the performers be versatile as it requires different playing styles in the various moods.

The whole concert was a mix of the different chamber groups on campus.  The ensembles ranged from guitar quartet to a bass quartet.  Unfortunately, I was unable to stay through the whole concert.  My wife and I had to leave after my p ...
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Listening Journal: May 25-31, 2009
Brian's Blog By BrianB on 6/3/2009 10:14 PM
Edgard Varése - Intégrales (1925) for chamber ensemble
Frank La Rocca - Divertimento (1990) for 2 piano
Frnak La Rocca - Meditation (1991) for piano
Anton Webern - Four Pieces for violin and piano, op. 7 (1910)
Kaija Saariaho - Laconisme de l'aile (1982) for flute
More...
Rehearsal Blog: Shadows of Dreams - May 28, 2009
Brian's Blog By BrianB on 5/29/2009 3:10 PM
My wife and I made the 2-1/2 hour trek from Modesto to Santa Cruz for a rehearsal of my flute quartet Shadows of Dreams.  I really did not know what to expect from the ensemble.  The are a wide range of abilities and levels in the group.  I must admit that I was pleasantly surprised that by the end of the rehearsal the group was playing together as a cohesive unit.  I could tell that they are excited about performing my piece.

I was warned in advance by Greer Ellison, the ensemble director, that the tempos were going to be taken faster than indicated.  The tempos were being performed by about 20 beats.  Of course as the composer I was hesitant at such a dramatic ...
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Dream Cycle
Brian's Blog By BrianB on 5/28/2009 11:42 AM
In previous posts I mentioned that I am now working on the 3rd song for Dream Cycle for alto voice and piano.  I wanted to take the opportunity to give some background about the piece.

This piece began in 2002.  After I completed my master's thesis I needed something else to work on.  In a conversation I had with my friend Nicole Davis it was suggested that I compose some songs for her.  We decided on the following texts:

A Dream by Ed ...
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Working out the introduction
Brian's Blog By BrianB on 5/27/2009 6:41 PM
I spent some time today working on the introduction to the 3rd song of Dream Cycle.  The text I am using is Mutability by Percy Bysshe Shelley.  I have been stuck on the idea that I need to compose a song with a faster tempo.  The first song, A Dream, has a tempo of a quarter note = 56.  The next song, Echo, has a tempo of a quarter note = 68.  I tried working on some ideas with a tempo of approximately a quarter note = 108.  I could not envision how I would be able to develop these sketches.  
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Shadows of Dreams: Composing the Final Section
Brian's Blog By BrianB on 5/27/2009 12:54 PM
SD_sketch5_1a.jpg

Sketch page 5-1


SD_score_7.jpg

Final Score page 7
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Listening Journal: May 18-24, 2009
Brian's Blog By BrianB on 5/25/2009 10:21 PM
Glenn Glasow Memorial Concert - May 18, 2009
Jean McKinley - Arise My Love, and Come Away (2007) for soprano, viola and piano
John Hildago - Three Rivers (2006) for string quartet
Frank La Rocca - Veni Sancte Spiritum (2001) for soprano, clarinet, 2 violins, viola and cello
Brian Bice - Glimpses of ...
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