Atmosphere
In early 1914, Holst heard a performance of Schoenberg’s Five Pieces for Orchestra. This seminal experience along with a suggestion from...
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Michael Allen
Mar 14, 2019
Good writers write...always
I retired from a 30+ year professional playing career in May 2018. Retire is a funny word because I hardly feel retired. Since before...
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Michael Allen
Mar 14, 2019
One on a part follow up
I'm working on a large brass ensemble transcription (gasp) of highlights from a Puccini opera. I always immensely enjoyed playing...
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Michael Allen
Sep 23, 2018
Another possible approach
I might have tried to transcribe something as awesome as the first movement of Mahler's 5th Symphony decades ago - I might have even...
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Michael Allen
Jul 29, 2018
Color Separation
A single yellow bloom will really pop in a bush of red ones, even though they are all roses.
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Michael Allen
Mar 18, 2018
Texture 1 - Writing for the whole ensemble
A while back, I wrote an entry called 4 Dimensional Texture where I identified 4 basic ways to group instruments in a large ensemble.
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Michael Allen
Mar 9, 2018
Breaking my own rules
I usually have three or four arranging projects on the front burners and many more unfinished projects in my "work in progress" file....
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Michael Allen
Dec 5, 2017
Texture 2 - Writing for families
However, in my brass ensemble writing, I'll write passages for a grouping of trumpets when the music calls for it, and/or as a contrast
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Michael Allen
Dec 3, 2017
Texture 4 - writing chamber music
Recently, I've undertaken some large engraving projects - I'm making clean versions of the Tchaikovsky ballets. This may seem a little...
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Michael Allen
Nov 9, 2017
Bass Doubling
I wrote something yesterday that was confusing even to me when I read it again today. Mea culpa. The offending sentence was: Wright notes...
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