When I'm feeling sad - Small piece for wind quintet

My first post... is a 3-minute piece for 2 saxophones, 2 trumpets and a clarinet.

The odd title ("When I'm feeling sad", in swedish "Nar jag ar ledsen") might require some explanation:

When I once felt really down, as a teenager 25 years ago, I took my trumpet and started playing. The trumpet played this song for me (i.e. the solo theme in 2nd tr). I asked my trumpet teacher if he could locate the origin but he couldn't. Ever since I've been looking for the origin but havn't found it. The first half resembles Smetana's Modau I think, and the second half is more odd.

I've been playing this theme in the closet as soon as I'm down ever since, and it always comforts me.

When orchestrating this I wanted a solo part (obviously trumpet). The quintet form was natural since our band has five "horns". The theme is sad, stiff and jumps between keys. The backing resambles "Funeral March in Memory of Rikard Nordraak" by Grieg, a piece I love. (Even though this is no march, not at all). The solo part is surounded by parts played by the rest of the ensamble, I've tried to make those parts "comforting", as old friends supporting the solo player.

This said, I obviously cannot judge this piece. I have no idea how it sounds - really. I havn't yet showed it to the ensamble. So PLEASE comment, give feedback, and feel free to propose any changes or additions.

/ BR Tomas F., Stockholm, Sweden.

mp3

sadsong2.MUS

sadsong2.pdf

Ja, det er bra vi er flere skandinaviske komponister her! ;-)

Unfortunately, your tenor sax part is unplayable, because it's written too low for the instrument. The lowest tone a sax can play is a written Bb3. Your tenor sax part can very well be played on a baritone saxophone instead! (Or alternatively on a bass clarinet.)

Or you can rewrite the tenor sax part.

And the title isn't odd at all. We like "cryptical" titles that can be interpreted by the audience - let them wonder what the composer got his/her inspiration from.

Thanks Eirik, thanks for your comment. I've changed the too low notes in the score now. / BR Tomas F.

Firstly I want to state I think this piece is fantastic. Truly, in its entirey it represents a piece of music that should always be given a listen. You effectively create the mood of the piece, it sounds melancholy to me. The homophonic nature of the relationship between the rest of the ensemble and the 2nd B-flat trumpet soloist is superb. Also what I really like is that you were able to use the same basic musical idea and cleverly develop through slight modulatory phrases. Any ensemble should be more than happy to play this piece!

My main criticism about this piece is the registers in which you have the instruments play. Generally in orchestration when writing homophonically like this, you have each instrument play in its strongest register.

The clarinet and alto sax both are flirting with the bottom of their range for the entire piece (though I did like the one phrase the clarinet had). The clarinet will play consistently in any register, but asking the alto sax or tenor sax to play quietly at the bottom of its range (low written Bb up to F) is futile and it will extremely hard to execute.

Also, both trumpet parts are written too low to be in any way lyrical. The first trumpet part is really not that bad (although it may be difficult for the trumpet to blend with the woodwinds in any case). The melody in the solo, however, goes down to a low G, which sounds like a strangled duck on a trumpet. I would really advise transposing the piece up so that the lowest note is at least a C. The transposition may also take care of the problems with the saxophones.

Happy composing.

Thanks a lot for the comments, and for valuable advice. / BR Tomas F.