# Possible Short 12-Tone Fanfare to Open Trumpet Concerto?



## Rodney Money (Apr 4, 2016)

I have not sent this to the client yet, because I wanted y'alls feedback if it works. I wrote this short fanfare for a possible opening of my trumpet concerto that I have been working on (just like me, I was working on the finale and decided to start an opening, lol.) Feel free to comment on the rendering which gave me another chance to practice rendering multiple tonguing passages, and feel free to comment on the short fanfare itself which uses 12-tone technique. Thanks guys and gals. (If you think it works, then I am going to add some kind of ambience in the background that crescendos to an explosion at the end... maybe, still debating.)


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## tonaliszt (Apr 4, 2016)

Though I am not familiar with the technical aspects of this I found it quite good. I only found the 3rd measure a little jarring (but maybe that's what you are going for). I would have liked the F# to have been accented, maybe with the previous measure being 5/4. That's just me though. 

And of course, you gotta do the classic fp crescendo at the end, right?


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## trumpoz (Apr 4, 2016)

Just a thought - does it actually have to be in strict time? As I was listening I did think to myself that it might work really well ala _Rustiques_ by Eugene Bozza - particularly the Wynton Marsalis recording.


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## Rodney Money (Apr 4, 2016)

trumpoz said:


> Just a thought - does it actually have to be in strict time? As I was listening I did think to myself that it might work really well ala _Rustiques_ by Eugene Bozza - particularly the Wynton Marsalis recording.


I know that recording well, and the funny thing is, my client performed the exact same piece on his last recital! Nothing about this short fanfare is written in stone yet, so anything is possible. The only thing that he asks is that the accompaniment be a track and not live a live instrument. I have been kicking around ideas and doing some experiments today concerning the track and the real funny thing that worked too well was Hans Zimmer's tension 2 note Joker Theme (if the trumpet comes in around :46ish, the tension and the trumpet end at the same time,) but I know I can not use that, lol. Does anyone have an alternative that I could consider using? With a track I could expand this short fanfare also maybe even breaking it up at the beginning or so?


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## markleake (Apr 5, 2016)

Hi Rodney, I don't know much about fanfares, so feel free to ignore. But, I'm sorry to say I'm not a fan of this one. Please don't take me the wrong way, and take this as constructive, as this is just how I personally am hearing it. To me the fanfare doesn't sound very cohesive - the note pitches sound a little too random to my liking, almost like you are wasting many of the notes. I've listened to it a few times, and I can't really put my finger on it. A fanfare to me has a brief amount of time to make a statement, and so after you listen to it something should stand out in your memory. But on this one, there's not much that stands out to me except for the upward double tongue runs which I think work. Perhaps there is not enough variation in note length or making use of dynamics in longer notes, and that's why I find myself not overly enthused?


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## Rodney Money (Apr 5, 2016)

markleake said:


> Hi Rodney, I don't know much about fanfares, so feel free to ignore. But, I'm sorry to say I'm not a fan of this one. Please don't take me the wrong way, and take this as constructive, as this is just how I personally am hearing it. To me the fanfare doesn't sound very cohesive - the note pitches sound a little too random to my liking, almost like you are wasting many of the notes. I've listened to it a few times, and I can't really put my finger on it. A fanfare to me has a brief amount of time to make a statement, and so after you listen to it something should stand out in your memory. But on this one, there's not much that stands out to me except for the upward double tongue runs which I think work. Perhaps there is not enough variation in note length or making use of dynamics in longer notes, and that's why I find myself not overly enthused?


It is all good, brother. I am the easiest person to get along with, and I love talking about all aspects of music. When most people think of fanfares they think of Copland or Williams, but this fanfare is more in the vein of Schoenberg or Stravinsky (Stravinsky's 12 tone fanfare, "Fanfare for a New Theatre" would make you run away, lol.) This fanfare is based on the 12 tone-technique developed by Schoenberg. Basically the rules are meant to make the piece pantonal to create the illusion that all pitches are equal and without a tonal center in contrast to say a major or minor scale that gives emphasis on scale degree 1. The composer first develops a tone row using all of the 12 notes and organizing them in a fashion of their choosing. After a row is set, the composer cannot use a note, say C, until the other 11 have been played. To create variation, the composer may transpose the row, use inversions, create retrogrades, or a mixture of all the examples.

In my fanfare my 12 tone row was: C, Eb, G, Bb, D, F, Ab, B, Db, E, F#, A. I simply added a pick-up measure for rebellious reasons secretly foreshadowing the importance of C. Measures 1 and 2 perform the row, then measures 3 and 4 are an exact transposition up a 3rd with added rhythmic variation. The C# in measure 4 leads us back to C starting our row all over again. After the high A in measure 6, the row repeats one last time. My rebellious spirit against rules begins to reveal itself at measure 8 resolving to the high C at measure 9.

If I could "guide" your ear I would say focus on the arpeggios of the opening 12 note row or theme. Then try to hear the theme again in measures 3 and 4 but simply transposed up a 3rd. Next in measures, 5, 6, 7, and 9 ignore the intense, flashy multiple tongued notes and focus on the longer ones starting with the C on the downbeat of measure 5, then High notes: B, A, Bb, Ab, Bb, lastly resolving on C.

I noticed that you did say, "A fanfare to me has a brief amount of time to make a statement, and so after you listen to it something should stand out in your memory." I guess, to me, the statement is more of an idea than possibly something aural, kind of like an Ives thing. The purpose of 12 tone is to create atonality or pantonality, but I purposely tried to rebel against the rules and my educational upbringing by choosing the notes in a more tonal style (the opening 4 notes C, Eb, G, D, not counting the pick-ups, are even a c minor 9th and this piece ends on a forbidding tonal center landing on C in the end.) I haven't recorded the backing track yet, so maybe it will work better once all is said and done. Thank you for trying to find meaning in this compositional "exercise" by listening to it several times. It means a lot.


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## Rodney Money (Apr 5, 2016)

n.h said:


> Though I am not familiar with the technical aspects of this I found it quite good. I only found the 3rd measure a little jarring (but maybe that's what you are going for). I would have liked the F# to have been accented, maybe with the previous measure being 5/4. That's just me though.
> 
> And of course, you gotta do the classic fp crescendo at the end, right?


Ah, thank you my friend for listening, commenting, and your suggestions! I love hearing your thoughts on this weird little fanfare... thing. 

"Though I am not familiar with the technical aspects of this I found it quite good." That's how I respond to Filipino food!

If you can sometime, take a listen again seeing if you can hear that the 3rd and 4th measures are simply a transposition of the 1st and 2nd measure with a little more rhythmic spice. It might take the jarring of the unexpected away.


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## zacnelson (Apr 5, 2016)

I also thought the 3rd measure was a little challenging. Apart from that, is this intended to be performed by a trumpeter, and therefore we needn't bother with analyzing the midi realisation?


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## Rodney Money (Apr 5, 2016)

zacnelson said:


> I also thought the 3rd measure was a little challenging. Apart from that, is this intended to be performed by a trumpeter, and therefore we needn't bother with analyzing the midi realisation?


This is VI. We always need to bother with analyzing the midi realization, lol.


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## tonaliszt (Apr 5, 2016)

n.h said:


> Though I am not familiar with the technical aspects of this I found it quite good. I only found the 3rd measure a little jarring (but maybe that's what you are going for). I would have liked the F# to have been accented, maybe with the previous measure being 5/4. That's just me though.
> 
> And of course, you gotta do the classic fp crescendo at the end, right?


Sorry, it might not have been clear, but by the third measure, I really meant the second full measure. My comments would really make sense in the 3 full measure.


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## Rodney Money (Apr 5, 2016)

n.h said:


> Sorry, it might not have been clear, but by the third measure, I really meant the second full measure. My comments would really make sense in the 3 full measure.


Ah yes, it sounds weird to you there, because that's when it breaks from tonality.


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## markleake (Apr 6, 2016)

Thanks for explaining the technique used. It really was insightful, and the structure makes sense to me now. I think it also explains to me why I liked certain parts and not others. I know that people use these kind of techniques, but I guess I'm not used to hearing them... you may be right about my ear being very tuned to someone like Williams!


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## Rodney Money (Apr 7, 2016)

markleake said:


> Thanks for explaining the technique used. It really was insightful, and the structure makes sense to me now. I think it also explains to me why I liked certain parts and not others. I know that people use these kind of techniques, but I guess I'm not used to hearing them... you may be right about my ear being very tuned to someone like Williams!


My pleasure, I love to talk about that junk! John Williams uses 12 tone also sometimes, but most people don't tend to remember his more darker, tense movements, nor his concert works. I do have fanfares that are more tonal though and almost Copland/ Williams-likeish. Maybe after I am finished with this darn trumpet concerto I can render one of them for you. I have had them performed live, but alas no recording of the performances.


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## ag75 (Apr 9, 2016)

I really like this and totally agree with trumpoz in that is feels to me like it doesn't want to be in strict time so to speak. I think the programming sounds really good. Well done. 




trumpoz said:


> Just a thought - does it actually have to be in strict time? As I was listening I did think to myself that it might work really well ala _Rustiques_ by Eugene Bozza - particularly the Wynton Marsalis recording.


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## Rodney Money (Apr 9, 2016)

ag75 said:


> I really like this and totally agree with trumpoz in that is feels to me like it doesn't want to be in strict time so to speak. I think the programming sounds really good. Well done.


Thank you for listening and replying. If you have any specific ideas I would love to hear it since I will be working heavily on it next week. Thank you about the compliment concerning the rendering also. Even though it will be performed live, I still care about how it sounds because I had to send it to the trumpet player. He said, "Sounds awesome!"


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