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Monday 3rd June, 2013 8.30pmCottier's Theatre

Victor EwaldQuintet no. 3 in D at major, Op.7

Allegro ModeratoIntermezzo

AndanteVivo

Ryan QuigleyShorthand of Emotion

Oskar BhmeSextet in E-at minor, Op. 30

Adagio ma non tanto Allegro moltoScherzo: Allegro vivace

Andante cantabileAllegro con spirito

John Wallace: solo cornetBede and Vicky Williams: trumpets

Fergus Kerr: hornPaul Stone: trombone

Andy McKreel: tuba

Alba Brass andJohn Wallace

Victor Ewald (1860-1935) is a name well-known to brass players, but less so in the wider musical world. He was born in St Peterburg and was one of a group of musicians who were highly inuential, but had professional lives in other elds. In Ewald's case, his career as a civil engineer with a particular interest in construction materials led to great advances in the cement and brick manufacturing industry! Others in this circle included Mily Balakirev (railroad clerk), Alexander Borodin (chemist), Csar Cui (soldier and engineer), Modest Mussorgsky (Imperial Guard Ocer) and Nicolai Rimsky-Korsakov (navy ocer) who went on to become known as the Russian Five.

His four brass quintets are believed to be amongst the rst works written specically for this combination, with the form and style closely resembling the structure of string quartets of the day. As he was the regular cellist in the Belayev Quartet (Belayev, the rst violinist, was also an inuential music publisher) for many years, this is probably no coincidence! Only one of the brass quintets was published during his lifetime, with the others not appearing until his grandson gave the scores to the New York Metropolitan Opera's bass trombonist in the 1960s. Quintet No.3 was probably written around 1912, and Ewald himself was probably the tuba player in the quintet! His fourth quintet was originally thought to be a transcription of his string quartet, though later investigated showed that it was, in fact, the other way around. The advances in instrument technology - particularly with the valve - had led Ewald to write something which was, at the time, considered unplayable.

The opening Allegro moderato is dominated by the smooth and melodic opening theme, which returns continually to restore order to the more animated passages. The Intermezzo is in ABA form: it opens with a genial unison section, but the middle section with

its bright fanfares provides sharp contrast. The Andante, the briefest of the four movements, is full or expression and emotion. Ewald rounds the quintet o with a noble Vivo movement which returns to the lyrical manner of the opening movement.

Ryan Quigley is one of the most in demand lead and jazz trumpet players in the UK as well as a highly regarded composer and arranger. As a member of Brass Jaw (who are playing next Monday night) and lead trumpet with the Scottish National Jazz Orches-tra, Quigley is no stranger to Scottish audiences. His playing career has included recording and touring with George Michael, Bob Geldof, Curtis Stiegers, Eddi Reader, Terry Riley and many others, and his composi-tions and arrangements are often found on the set list of big bands and jazz groups.

Music is the shorthand of emotion. Leo Tolstoy.For me, this phrase perfectly sums up the power of music. Music elates, excites and pulls at the heart strings as no other art form can.

E.T., Psycho, Vertigo, The Omen, Star Wars, Star Trek, Trainspotting and the list is endless, none of these movies would pack the same emotional punch with no sound track. Everyone has a favourite song or piece of music. Music denes periods of peoples lives.With this commission for Alba Brass, I wanted to capture some emotions one might experience over the course of a day. From train of thought to real experiences, everyones day could have a soundtrack!

Composer and trumpeter Oskar Bhme was born in Dresden on February 24, 1870 and graduated from Leipzig Conservatory when he was just eighteen. He toured Europe as a trumpet player while still in his teens before emigrating to St. Petersburg, where he was engaged as a member of the Imperial Theatre

Orchestra in 1889. From 1901 to 1922, he was principal trumpet with the Mariinsky Theatre Orchestra, and acquired a reputation as a teacher and cornet virtuoso. From 1930 to 1934, he performed with the orchestra of the Maxim Gorky Theatre in Leningrad, and in 1936 became a teacher at the Academy of Music in Tchkalov, where he died on October 23, 1938. All of Bhmes works are for trumpet and brass instruments.

The Sextet is an imposing work in its scale, sonority and formal, textural and harmonic sophistication - a virtual symphony for brass. It opens with a sombre introduction of rich chords which serves as a preface to the main theme, a wide-ranging melody given in imitation. Bhme clearly set challenges of technique and ensemble that reected the virtuosic capacities of his own playing, and his use of a solo cornet over and above the quintet show his deep understanding of the character and possibilities that brass instruments possess.

Alba Brass

Alongside regular appearances on BBC TV's 'Songs of Praise', Alba Brass have established an enviable record for commissioning new works for brass quintet from some of Scotland's leading composers. They have toured extensively throughout Scotland and beyond, including visits to North America, Russia, Spain and the Far East.

In addition to performing the standard brass quintet repertoire, Alba Brass regularly commission new work that includes vocal, jazz and folk elements. Recent premieres include works by Ryan Quigley,Martin Green, Steve Foreman, Terry Johns and Eddie McGuire.

John Wallace

John Wallace is Principal of the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland. He is also Chair of Conservatoires UK and a member of the Association of European Conservatoires Council.

John Wallace was born in Scotland, attended Buckhaven High School in Fife and Kings College Cambridge. In professional life he became a member of the London Symphony Orchestra trumpet section and later, from 1976 to 1995, Principal Trumpet of the Philharmonia. He formed his own brass ensemble, the Wallace Collection, in 1986. Diverse composers including James Macmillan and Sir Peter Maxwell Davies wrote him concertos. He co-edited the Cambridge Companion to Brass Instruments (CUP) with Trevor Herbert. Earlier this year a new book, The Trumpet, co-written with Alexander McGrattan, was published by Yale University Press.

If you enjoyed this programme, you might enjoy the

conducted by Peter Oundjian playing

Gustav Holst - The Planets

Saturday 5th October 7.30pmGlasgow Royal Concert Hall

www.rsno.org.uk

The Cottier Chamber Project is part of the West End Festival.

If you have any comments or suggestions about the series, please contact us through the website.

WEF Director: Michael Dale

Cottier Chamber Project Artistic Director:Andy Saunders

Scottish Charity Number SC024263

www.westendfestival.co.ukwww.cottierchamberproject.com

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W.M.MannFoundation

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