monoemono Posted October 19, 2008 Share Posted October 19, 2008 I think it would be very Star 93 if someone did this. It's a very sparse piece in places, if I remember correctly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SynthLine09 Posted October 19, 2008 Author Share Posted October 19, 2008 I understand what everyone is saying about the Star 93 reference. I wasn't meaning for someone to play the whole piece, more just parts of it. Mainly the gigantic brass fanfare after the creepy flute solo, can't remember which movement Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
contrajedi8 Posted October 19, 2008 Share Posted October 19, 2008 I understand what everyone is saying about the Star 93 reference. I wasn't meaning for someone to play the whole piece, more just parts of it. Mainly the gigantic brass fanfare after the creepy flute solo, can't remember which movement It's a piccolo/tympani duet actually. The picc is supported by a highly dissonant part in the clarinet. It's in the first movement. The trumpet fanfare is one of my favorite parts in the piece. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
silvertrombone Posted October 19, 2008 Share Posted October 19, 2008 Honestly? I just started a thread because of this one. I think Prague would fall in the category of "controversial" or "stretching the DC fans' repertoire" pretty easily. Personally, I don't like the idea. Its a little bit too "2006"-ish...meaning, its one thing when one corps plays something that is...umm...hurtful to the average eardrum. Its another thing when everyone plays such stuff. That being said, I keep asking for Strauss and Judas Priest, so what do I know? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
silvertrombone Posted October 19, 2008 Share Posted October 19, 2008 It's a piccolo/tympani duet actually. The picc is supported by a highly dissonant part in the clarinet. It's in the first movement. The trumpet fanfare is one of my favorite parts in the piece. Just quoting...not criticizing. Is there anyone else who sees beauty in order, development, stress and resolution, redevelopment, coda...all that classical and romantic stuff that was abandoned in...well, in the Classical and Romantic periods? You know what one of my favorite symphonies is? Prokofief #1...the Classical Symphony. Prokofiev takes the order of the Classical Symphony and spices it up with 20th Century instrumentation and other techniques. Why not some more of this? That idea REALLY sparks my interest. Might not work in the average movie score...but if a young composer started churning out such works I'll bet they'd become a sensation overnight. Prague offends the ear...and I have a pretty progressive ear. Maybe its just the subject matter...1968 sucked...and I wasn't even around yet. (Oh, just IMHO) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FTNK Posted October 20, 2008 Share Posted October 20, 2008 if a young composer started churning out such works I'll bet they'd become a sensation overnight. If they had the skill of Prokofiev, they would deserve it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jplattSCV Posted October 20, 2008 Share Posted October 20, 2008 Just quoting...not criticizing.Is there anyone else who sees beauty in order, development, stress and resolution, redevelopment, coda...all that classical and romantic stuff that was abandoned in...well, in the Classical and Romantic periods? You know what one of my favorite symphonies is? Prokofief #1...the Classical Symphony. Prokofiev takes the order of the Classical Symphony and spices it up with 20th Century instrumentation and other techniques. Why not some more of this? That idea REALLY sparks my interest. Might not work in the average movie score...but if a young composer started churning out such works I'll bet they'd become a sensation overnight. Prague offends the ear...and I have a pretty progressive ear. Maybe its just the subject matter...1968 sucked...and I wasn't even around yet. (Oh, just IMHO) Prague is one of those pieces that sticks with a performer forever. I was in 10th grade when my school played it. It took us weeks to be able to get all the way through it and I am sure it was terrible for the audience. Let's face it, high school band parents would rather hear Sousa than Husa. (The rhyme was unintentional but effective). But, this is a piece that is so full of emotion and so full of meat throughout the entire ensemble that it really gave us a lot of pride to play it. Not to be corny but it did bring the whole band together like nothing else we did any other year. It inspired me to actually give difficult music a chance and started me on my way to making an effort when I listen. In that respect the concept of Prague would be great if done properly. Since the piece is so sparse and so much longer than 12 minutes and written for such different instrumentation, I would think someone would almost have to do an original composition based on the Husa themes. That would be difficult at best. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
prodigal bari Posted October 20, 2008 Share Posted October 20, 2008 I agree with you on Mr. Husa's personality. I was at a luncheon once and for some reason I never understood, was seated between Karel Husa and W. Francis McBeth. They were both amazingly talkative and it didn't matter to either one that I was an unknown.For those who don't know the piece, here's a short 8-minute excerpt. It's from the last segment of the piece. I think you'll see why I commented earlier that the work would make fans angry. And it would be a disservice to one of the greatest pieces of music ever written, IMHO. And, according to Karel, that was EXACTLY what he intended to do with the work. And, under his baton in particular, he pulls it off very well. BTW; funny you should mention Husa and McBeth at the same function...Mr. McBeth was also at the same event as Mr. Husa; and there was a kinda funny story concerning those two..I was with a couple of other friends talking to both Francis and Karel when another friend of mine came up with his 4-yo son...he introduced his son to the composer...and his son PUNCHED Mr. McBeth in the stomach!!! Karel's eyes went to saucer-size...we were all between being mortified and biting off our entire faces to keep from bursting out; my friend started to pull his soon-to-be-unable-to-sit-down son and was apologizing profusely! Mr. McBeth's response....'Nice punch!' What a character! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Greg Bright Posted October 20, 2008 Share Posted October 20, 2008 How odd that I just listened to an LP of the U of Illinois Band playing Prague just last night. What a tour de force for band! I remember playing it at Ball State under the infamous Earl Dunn back in '68 or so. We never played any McBeth, and I don't know why. Maybe Dunn had some anti-Texan prejudice. Is he still writing? Some of his music might adapt to drum corps quite easily. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael Boo Posted October 22, 2008 Share Posted October 22, 2008 And, according to Karel, that was EXACTLY what he intended to do with the work. And, under his baton in particular, he pulls it off very well.... Yes, but the intent was to make people angry over the enslaving of a nation of people yearning to be free, not to make them angry that they were listening to the composition. I'm most interested in hearing what L.D. Bell did with the piece. Is it their entire show? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.