Expressive, narrative flexible piece leaving musical construction to the performers.
[Part 1] Flute
[Part 2] Flute, Oboe, Eb Clarinet, Bb Clarinet
[Part 3] Oboe, Bb Clarinet, Bb Soprano Saxophone
[Part 4] Bb Clarinet, Eb Alto Saxophone, Bb Trumpet
[Part 5] Bb Clarinet, Eb Alto Saxophone, Bb Tenor Saxophone, Bb Trumpet, F Horn
[Part 6] Bassoon, Bb Clarinet, Bb Tenor Saxophone, Euphonium
[Part 7] Bassoon, Bb Bass Clarinet, Eb Baritone Saxophone
[Part 8 (optional)] Bassoon, Eb Baritone Saxophone, Tuba, String Bass
Program Notes
Commissioned for the 60th anniversary of the Hiroshima State Band Association. The request was for a piece for 7-8 parts in flexible style. With that in mind, I included various types of instruments.
"Novelette" means a short novel. The word was used by Robert Schumann for some piano pieces, a choice reflecting his literary background and interests. Poulenc and Sibelius also followed.
In the music, I do not have a specific character or story in mind. However, based on nuances of passages and storylines, it can be said that this is a novelette. It's up to the musician to color and construct the music. I intentionally avoided specific instructions because of it. But to help build the story, I detailed temporal instructions. Please imply agogics freely to create flexibility and tension between notes and aim for deep musical expression.
Performance Notes
Throughout the piece, I added optional notes and cues. Depending on musicians' skill and/or the balance of instrumentation, you may select parts freely. From measure 47-51, part 4 can also be substituted with part 1 solo. In part 7, when upper octave notes are indicated, it's suggested to play the higher option if utilizing Part 8.
(Shuhei Tamura)
