J.

S Bach: Cello Suites Baroque Period

Bach was born on March 21st, 1685 in Eisenach Germany. Bach was
an outstanding organ, violinist and singer.
In 1717 was when his composing ‘career’ began. He moved to
Kapellmeister at the court of Prince Leopold in Cöthen. During these
years Bach was in the service of the courts, he was obliged to
compose a great deal of instrumental music for example:
- Hundreds of pieces for solo keyboard
- orchestral dance suites
- trio sonatas for various instruments
- concertos for various instruments and orchestra.

Some other works by Bach:

- Sonatas and Partitas for solo violin
- Suites for violoncello
- Passacaglia and Fugue in C minor.
- Toccata And Fugue In D Minor
- Jesu, Joy Of Man's Desiring Air On A G String
-
In 1749, a traveling English surgeon operated on Bach’s failing
eyesight, this operation was unsuccessful and caused Bach
complete blindness. Despite this, Bach continued to compose. He
finally died from a stroke on July 28, 1750. He was buried in an
unmarked grave at St. Thomas' Church.

So Bach didn’t actually write for trombone, or in my case

euphonium. Which is why the cello suites for violoncello alone
have been transcribed to suit the trombone or baritone and
bassoon. Robert L Marsteller transcribed the Suites for trombone
(baritone or bassoon).
Bach wrote the cello suites approximately in 1717–1723.

Violoncello Suites: A suite is a collection of dances for one or more

instruments.

The suites are in six movements each, and have the following
structure and order of movements.
– Prelude: A piece or movement that serves as an introduction
to another section or composition and establishes the key, such
as one that precedes a fugue, opens a suite, or precedes a
church service.
– Allemande: The origins of the allemande can be traced back to
the Renaissance of the 16th century. The name of the
allemande is actually based on the French word for "German,"
and points to the fact that the dance is based partly on
elements of popular Germany dances. Featuring a moderated
tempo along with a double meter, the allemande was a lively
representation and quickly caught the attention of dancers as
well as composers.
Courante: A 17th-century French dance characterized by running and
gliding steps to an accompaniment in triple time and is the second
movement of the baroque suite, typically following the allemande.
– Sarabande: Slow Spanish dance
– Galanteries- (Minuets for suites 1 and 2, Bourees for 3 and 4,
gavottes for 5 and 6)
– Gigue: a dance movement often forming the conclusion of
the Baroque suite.
– Minuet: A social dance meant for two people usually in ¾ time.
– Bouree: Stately French dance in double time
– Gavotte: French dance in 4/4 or 2/2 time
Musical Terms:
Allegro Moderato Con Moto: Slower than allegro with movement.
Cresc poco a poco: crescendo little by little, gradually get louder little
by little.
Sostenuto: To play a passage in a sustained prolonged manner.
Pochissimo: very little, at the bare minimum.
Rallentando: gradully slowing down
Poco rit: little slow down.
Tutta Forza: very loud, as loud as possible, with a lot of force.
Senza dim: without getting softer.
Senza rall: without slowing down.
Meno mosso: slower, less rapid, less movement.
Poco rubato: rubato Literally means "Robbed"- a lingering on some
notes and hurrying of others; free from strict tempo, but preserving
the value of the rhythmic notation. Poco rubato means with a little
rubato.
Piu(more) mosso: with more movement
Lento: slowly
Subito: suddenly
Assez vite: rather quickly.
Allegro: fast and lively
Tenuto: held for its full value, hold, sustain.

Characteristics of Baroque music: (1600-1750)

A baroque piece is famous for its doctrine of mood. What is happy
will be happy throughout and what is sad continues to the end.
Composers moulded the musical language to fit moods and
affections. Some definite rhythms and melodic patterns are used to
define certain moods and expressions.
Unity of mood in baroque is first conveyed by the continuity of
rhythm. Rhythmic patterns heard at the beginning of the piece are
reiterated many times throughout the piece. This relentless drive
compelled the music to push forward. This forward motion is hardly
ever interrupted. The beat is also far more distinct in baroque music
– normally first beat of each bar is emphasized.
Paralleling the continuity of mood, the dynamics of the piece also
stay constant for some period of time before it shifts to another level.
When the dynamics shift, it is sudden like physically stepping of a
step. Therefore, terraced dynamics are a distinctive quality of
baroque music.

- Many different forms are used

- Many types of music, e.g. The Chorale, Opera, the Dance Suite.
Gordon Jacob Fantasia for Euphonium Modern

Gordon Jacob: Jacob was born in London on 5 July 1895 and died
there on 8 June 1984. He became a student at the Royal College of
Music in London after completing his schooling at Dulwich College.
Gordon Jacob was a composer and arranger of music both light
hearted and serious pieces. –
Some of his works for symphonic band include:
- An Original Suite (1928),
- Music for a Festival (1951),
- Flag of Stars (1956),
- The Concerto for Band (1970),
- Double Concerto (1976)
- Celebration Overture (1984).
He wrote for many different kinds of instruments, ensembles,
orchestras and different ensemble sizes. Eg.
- String Quartet (1928)
- Double Concerto for Clarinet and Trumpet (1929)
- Clarinet Quintet (1940)
- Scherzo for Two Trumpets, Horn, and Trombone (1952)
- Concerto for Violin and Strings (1954)
- Concerto for Cello and Strings (1955)
- Fantasia for Euphonium and Wind Band (1974)
- Concerto for Timpani and Wind Band (1984)
- An Original Suite for Military Band (1928)
As you can tell from the examples above Gordon had a large range of
instruments, and ensemble sizes that he composed for. They range
from solo instruments with piano, quartets, duets, trios, orchestras,
wind bands and Military bands etc.
Characteristics of modern music:
- Use of more than one varied time signature through out the
piece. For example, 4/4 , ¾ , 6/8, 2/4 etc.
- Use of syncopation
- Off beat accented notes
- Asymetrical Grouping - This is a grouping of notes within a
measure to yield new rhythmic effects.
- Addition of cadenzas, allow the performer to ‘show off’
- Melodies and harmonies based on scales
- Huge dynamic ranges
- Music composed to represent moods, feelings, stories,
memories etc.
- In modern music, change of tempos, time signatures, and
changes in style through out a piece isn’t out of the ordinary.
These changes often represent different moods and feelings
etc.
- Use of expressive markings for example: crescendos,
diminuendos, staccato, tenuto, rits, ralls and accents.

Eric Gross Euphonism I

Eric gross: Eric Gross was born in Vienna in 1926. From the age of
fourteen, Gross worked as a pianist in bands and orchestras, and as a
studio accompanist for the BBC. He moved to Sydney in 1958. He
taught at the Sydney Conservatorium.
Later he joined the staff of the Department of Music at the University
of Sydney in 1960 and remained there until retiring in 1991 as
Associate Professor of Music.
Apart from teaching, Gross was active as composer, arranger and
conductor.
Gross's worldwide travels and cultural experiences gave his music a
cosmopolitan flavour, with traces of Austrian, Scottish, Asian and
South American influences emerging from time to time.
Other works:
- Cadenza XI, op. 272 for solo trombone
- Cathedral of the soul, op. 304 for solo piano
- Brian David Hess. Op. 131 for solo guitar
- Brassophony, op. 146 for brass band
- Concertino for wind quintets
- Dusekiana I for cello with piano
- Fantasia, op 213 for trumpet and piano
- Austral months op. 50 baritone horn and piano
-
-

Eric composed for a vast range of bands, instruments and voices.

Development of the Euphonium!

The euphonium traces its ancestry to the ophicleide and ultimately
back to the serpent.
While the serpent was used for over two centuries dating back to the
late Renaissance, it was known to be difficult to control its pitch and
tone quality due to its disproportionately small open finger holes.
The ophicleide-, which was used in bands and orchestras for a few
decades in the early- to mid-nineteenth century-, used a system of
keys and was an improvement over the serpent but was still
unreliable, especially in the high register.

With the invention of the piston valve system c. 1818, the

construction of brass instruments with an even sound and facility of
playing in all registers became possible. Ferdinand Sommer of
Weimar invented the euphonium in 1843, though Carl Moritz in 1838
and Adolphe Sax in 1843 have also been credited. While Sax's family
of saxhorns were invented at almost the same time and the bass
saxhorn looks very similar to a euphonium, they are constructed
differently. Saxhorns have a nearly cylindrical bore and do not allow
the fundamental to be produced; thus, the bass saxhorn is more
closely related to the baritone than the euphonium.
The "British-style" compensating euphonium was developed by
David Blaikley in 1874, and has been in use in Britain ever since;
since this time, the basic construction of the euphonium in Britain
has changed little.

The ophicleide was invented in 1817 and started being manufactured

in 1821 by French instrument maker Jean Hilaire Asté

Canon Edmé Guillaume invented the serpent in 1590