MIAID AIC)'IE: S THE BENEFITS OF WIND QUINTETS FOR...
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ISC)()D\MIAID AIC)'I"E: S THE BENEFITS OF WINDQUINTETS FOR YOUR BAND STUDENTS By MICHAEL BURNS Thisadicleis intended to encourage band directors to organize their talented woodwind and brass students into chamber groups. There are several advantages to your band programto be gained from such a venture: 1. The players will develop a strongersense of ensembleas they learn to balance voices, blend, playrhythmically together without conductor, etc. 2. The players will get to play one on a oart instead of in a section of many as with flutes and clarinets or being doubled by numerous otherinstruments and perhaps not really hearing themselves as with the double reeds. Thiswill in turn develoo their sense of pitch and intonation(there is nowhere to hide!), andtheir sense of playing soloistically at times and as accompaniment at others. 3. The players can experience some new and fun reoertoire and perhaps find repertoire that better fits their levelof expertise than is always possible withafull band arrangement. There are severalootions available lor wind chamber music. Probablythe mostcommon ensemble and that which s easiest to find repertoire for is the standard wind quintet (also sometimes :alledthe woodwind quintet even though t includes the horn) of flute, oboe, :larinet,bassoon,and horn. There are, lf course, many other varied types of ruindchamber ensembles but for the curposes of this article I would like to loncentrateon the quintet. The five instruments comprising a rvindquartet are quite diverse and this eads to challenges that must be faced lnd overcomeby the players. By contrast, a string quartet is .'ssentially homogenousin nature. The :hree different instruments (twoviolinsof :ourse)all work in the sameway and are rasically smaller and larger versionsof :he same instrument. The brass quintet is also more 'romogenous in nature than the wind luintet. Even though the trumpet and :rombone are both cylindrical bore and :he hornand tuba are conical. the method MICHAEL BURNS of playing and the essentialplaying characteristics of the brass instruments are very similar. But the woodwinds, they are quite a differentkettle of fish. The two double reedsprobably have the most similarities in playing characteristics. Both are naturally loudest in the low register and get softer as you ascend. The flute, of course, behaves in the exact opposite way. lts lowest register is softest and it gets naturally louderas you ascend. The clarinet is different again. lt has different volume characteristics within the registers but behaves quite differently from the other woodwinds. That darn cylindrical borethat is stopped at one end which produces the characteristic overblown 1 2th is a big partof the reason that the clarinetacts so differently from its woodwind colleagues. Then there is the horn. which. as the lone brass ABOUTTHIS AUTHOR instrument in the group, has quite z different methodof producing the sounc than the other instruments. Players in a wind quintet have to dea with very different pitch tendencies fron note to note within the group. A note that tends to be low on one instrumen may well be high on another. When the group crescendoes some instrumen tend to rise in pitch while other simultaneously go flat.The five instrumen have very differentabilities in terms o articulation: flute is great at multipl tonguing, oboe and bassoon are great fo a brittle staccato but getting all five instruments to match an exactarticulatio and note lengthcan be quitetricky. Dynamics are another area o diversity in a wind quintet.The poor horr player feels like they can never plal above about mf lor fear of drowning ou the rest of the group. Clarinet can tape away to a whisper whereasthe double reedsmay be left high and dry, unable tc diminuendo furtherwithout losing the note altogether. This list is not intende to be a complaintor to dissuadepeople from ever trying to play a wind quinte Rather, I think that learningto deal witl and overcome these many diverse challenges can be one of the mos rewarding aspects of playing in a quinte and your players will certainly becom strongermusicians in the process. lf you have a talented playe available on each of the five necessar instruments to form a wind ouintet then stronglyrecommend doing so. Thes playerswill learn skills that can then be brought back into the band as they si within theirsections and leadby example Michael Burns, Bassoon, holdsaBM with Honours from the Victoria University of Wellington,New Zealand, an MM from New EnglandConservatory, Boston, and a DMA from the College-Conservatory of Music at the University of Cincinnati. Currentlyhe is an Assistant Professor of Bassoon at the University of North Carolinaat Greensboro, andthe Bassoonist in the Eastwind Ensemble. He has held teaching positions at Midland College in Texas, and Indiana State University in Terre Haute. As a performer, Burns has played Principal Bassoon in the Midland/Odessa Symphony Orchestra in Texas, the Cincinnati Chamber Orchestra, the Richmond (IN) Symphony, and numerous groups in his native New Zealand. In addition he hasperformed as a member of the Cincinnati, and New Zealand Symphony Orchestras. Currently he performs regularly with the Greensboro, Charleston, North Carolina, and Charlotte Symphony Orchestras. Burns' principal teachersinclude William Winstead, Sidney Rosenberg, Sherman Walt, Leonard Sharrow, and Colin Hemmingsen. Burns is a Yamaha Performing Artist who recently completed a concert tour of Australia and New Zealand, andhe will co-host the lnternational Double Reed Society conventionin Greensboro in June,2003. If you would like to submit an article for publicationin Woodwind Notesplease contact Michael Bums at the following address: Dr. Michael Burns, Assistant Professor of Bassoon, School of Music, University of North Carolina at Greensboro, P. O. Box 26167, Greensboro, NC 27402-6167, (336) 334- 5970; e-mail: mjburns @uncg.edu
Transcript of MIAID AIC)'IE: S THE BENEFITS OF WIND QUINTETS FOR...
ISC)()D\MIAID AIC)'I"E: S
THE BENEFITS OF WIND QUINTETSFOR YOUR BAND STUDENTS
By MICHAEL BURNS
This adicle is intended to encourageband directors to organize their talentedwoodwind and brass students intochamber groups. There are severaladvantages to your band program to begained from such a venture:
1. The players wi l l develop astronger sense of ensemble asthey learn to balance voices,blend, play rhythmically togetherwithout conductor, etc.
2. The players will get to play oneon a oart instead of in a sectionof many as wi th f lutes andclarinets or being doubled bynumerous other instruments andperhaps not real ly hear ingthemselves as with the doublereeds. This wil l in turn develootheir sense of p i tch andintonation (there is nowhere tohide!), and their sense of playingsoloist ical ly at t imes and asaccompaniment at others.
3. The players can exper iencesome new and fun reoertoireand perhaps find repertoire thatbetter fits their level of expertisethan is always possible with afullband arrangement.
There are several ootions availablelor wind chamber music. Probably themost common ensemble and that whichs easiest to find repertoire for is thestandard wind quintet (also sometimes:alled the woodwind quintet even thought includes the horn) of f lute, oboe,:larinet, bassoon, and horn. There are,lf course, many other varied types ofruind chamber ensembles but for thecurposes of this article I would l ike toloncentrate on the quintet.
The five instruments comprising arvind quartet are quite diverse and thiseads to challenges that must be facedlnd overcome by the players.
By contrast , a str ing quartet is.'ssentially homogenous in nature. The:hree different instruments (two violins of:ourse) all work in the same way and arerasically smaller and larger versions of:he same instrument.
The brass quintet is a lso more'romogenous in nature than the windluintet. Even though the trumpet and:rombone are both cylindrical bore and:he horn and tuba are conical. the method
MICHAELBURNS
of playing and the essent ia l p layingcharacteristics of the brass instrumentsare very similar.
But the woodwinds, they are quite adifferent kettle of fish. The two doublereeds probably have the most similaritiesin playing character ist ics. Both arenaturally loudest in the low register andget softer as you ascend. The flute, ofcourse, behaves in the exact oppositeway. lts lowest register is softest and itgets naturally louder as you ascend. Theclarinet is different again. lt has differentvolume character ist ics wi th in theregisters but behaves quite differentlyfrom the other woodwinds. That darncylindrical bore that is stopped at one endwhich produces the character ist icoverblown 1 2th is a big part of the reasonthat the clarinet acts so differently fromits woodwind colleagues. Then there isthe horn. which. as the lone brass
ABOUT THIS AUTHOR
instrument in the group, has qui te zdifferent method of producing the souncthan the other instruments.
Players in a wind quintet have to deawith very different pitch tendencies fronnote to note within the group. A notethat tends to be low on one instrumenmay well be high on another. When thegroup crescendoes some instrumentstend to r ise in pi tch whi le otherssimultaneously go flat. The five instrumentshave very different abilities in terms oarticulation: f lute is great at multipletonguing, oboe and bassoon are great fora britt le staccato but getting all f iveinstruments to match an exact articulatiorand note length can be quite tricky.
Dynamics are another area odiversity in a wind quintet. The poor horrplayer feels l ike they can never plalabove about mf lor fear of drowning outhe rest of the group. Clarinet can tapelaway to a whisper whereas the doublereeds may be left high and dry, unable tcdiminuendo further wi thout losing thenote altogether. This list is not intendecto be a complaint or to dissuade peoplefrom ever trying to play a wind quintetRather, I think that learning to deal witland overcome these many diversechal lenges can be one of the mosrewarding aspects of playing in a quintetand your players wil l certainly becom€stronger musicians in the process.
l f you have a ta lented playeravailable on each of the five necessar)instruments to form a wind ouintet thenstrongly recommend doing so. Theseplayers will learn skills that can then bebrought back into the band as they silwithin their sections and lead by example
Michael Burns, Bassoon, holds aBMwith Honours from the Victoria Universityof Wellington, New Zealand, an MM fromNew England Conservatory, Boston, and aDMA from the College-Conservatory ofMusic at the University of Cincinnati.
Currently he is an Assistant Professorof Bassoon at the University of NorthCarolina at Greensboro, and the Bassoonistin the Eastwind Ensemble. He has heldteaching positions at Midland College inTexas, and Indiana State University in TerreHaute.
As a performer, Burns has playedPrincipal Bassoon in the Midland/OdessaSymphony Orchestra in Texas, theCincinnati Chamber Orchestra, theRichmond (IN) Symphony, and numerousgroups in his native New Zealand. Inaddition he has performed as a member ofthe Cincinnati , and New Zealand
Symphony Orchestras. Currently heperforms regularly with the Greensboro,Charleston, North Carolina, and CharlotteSymphony Orchestras.
Burns' principal teachers includeWilliam Winstead, Sidney Rosenberg,Sherman Walt, Leonard Sharrow, and ColinHemmingsen. Burns is a YamahaPerforming Artist who recently completeda concert tour of Australia and New Zealand,and he will co-host the lnternational DoubleReed Society convention in Greensboro inJune, 2003.
If you would like to submit an article forpublication in Woodwind Notes please contactMichael Bums at the following address: Dr.Michael Burns, Assistant Professor ofBassoon, School of Music, University of NorthCarolina at Greensboro, P. O. Box 26167,Greensboro, NC 27402-6167, (336) 334-5970; e-mail: mjburns @uncg.edu
It is no accident that many professionalsymphony orchestras have a wind quintetformed from within their ranks ioftencomprised of their principal playeis) aspart of the job description also. Theplayers learn to work as a team,independent of but supplementing theorchestra (or band). Don't forget iboutthe possibi l i ty of subst i tut i ig otherInstruments for the double reedi if voudon't have those players available also.
SOME SUGGESTED QUINTETREPERTOIRE
The fol lowing pieces are al l of adiff iculty level that should be at t imeschallenging but achievable for a groupof somewhat ta lented high sJhoolstudents. Of course the more proficientthe players, the more artistic demandscan be placed on them.
Sude by Robert Washburn8 Dances by Liadov
Six Cuban Dances by Cervantesarr. Lesnicx
:ive rypy Dances by Denes AgayThree Short pieces by Jacques-lb'ert
Suite from Winterpieceby Thomas Schudel
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