Partitur Nr. 08 MOMENTS MUSICAUX

Thomas Rüedi Solo Series

MOMENTS MUSIC AU X FR A NZ SCH U BER T (17 9 7 –18 2 8 )

08 SOLO WORK NO

Transcribed for Euphonium by

THOMAS RÜEDI

Thomas Rüedi Solo Series

MOMENTS MUSIC AU X F R A N Z S C H U BE R T (17 9 7 –18 2 8 )

Transcribed for Euphonium by THOMAS RÜEDI

PREFACE THE WORK

«Moments Musicaux» or «Musical Moments» D780 (Op. 94) is a set of six miniatures for piano.

The tradition of the piano miniature from the romantic era is well documented. Perhaps the most famous example is Chopin with his preludes and nocturnes. It was with Chopin’s work that brought legitimacy to small, self-standing works that can also be performed in larger sets. Other visionary romantic composers saw the value of the miniature and wrote their own, Including Brahms, Rachmaninov, Mendelssohn, and Schubert.

«Musical Moment No.3» was the first of the six to be written (1823), followed by no.6 the next year. The rest were composed in 1827, completing the set (Op.94). No.3 in f minor is typical of the miniature form in that it is not overly complex in structure.

A simple A-B-C-A’-coda formation is employed. Schubert uses simple 8 bar phrases constructed with 4 bar antecedent-consequent phrases, which are then repeated. This only changes at the reprise of the altered A theme and coda.

PERFORMANCE CONSIDERATION

Attention to the tradition of the miniature can tell you almost all you need to know about how to perform it. Miniatures are essentially character studies. A willingness to discover, play to, and shade the different characters of each section is important. Relying only on dynamics and rubato comes across as superficial. A well informed interpretation will display flexibility in phrasing and energy. This short work has many facets; playful, thoughtful, suspense, and excitement, to name a few.

Ideas for thought: • Subtle use of varied articulations and vibrato • Juxtaposition of characters within a single phrase • Affecting grace notes in different way to achieve intended style and energy • Energy is always moving, forwards or backwards. It never stagnates • Let harmony, specifically the dissonance guide your phrasing.

THE ARRANGEMENT

These miniatures have been arranged for other instruments, but No.3 is by a large margin, the most often performed on other instruments. Due to the nature of the piece having a very clearly defined melodic voice and accompaniment, it has loaned itself particularly well to arrangements for solo instrument and piano. Perhaps more interesting is that this work has captured so many different musicians’ imaginations that it has been arranged for saxophone quartet, marimba quartet, and string trios, completely eliminating the piano from the equation. It speaks volumes of how this fantastic music transcends any instrument. In this arrangement, the melody line was extracted from the piano part and given to the soloist. The f minor tonality works very well on euphonium, so it remains in its original key. The euphonium part has been lowered one octave for playability

THE COMPOSER

á January 31, 1797 in Vienna, Austria † November 19, 1828 in Vienna, Austria Franz Schubert was a massively important Austrian born composer and pianist, who needs little introduction. At the young age of 31, his untimely death did not stop him from being incredibly prolific, with almost 700 pieces to his name, including 9 symphonies.

Schubert was raised in a poor family in Vienna, his father was a school teacher. Although Schubert didn’t have money, he benefited immensely from the rich musical culture that was fueled by the first «Viennese School» which consists of Mozart, Haydn, and Beethoven, though occasionally Schubert is added to the list. Financial issues continued to follow Schubert until his death.

In the time Schubert wrote the Arpeggione Sonata, his health began to decline as he started suffering from the later stages of a suspected infection of syphilis and mercury poisoning (a typical medication for syphilis of the time). His unstable health at this time, and his strained friendships lead to unmitigated bouts of depression. He continued to fight depression until his death.

Schubert requested to be buried alongside Beethoven, whom he always looked up to and respected. His request was granted, but a few year later his grave along with Beethoven’s was moved to a new cemetery in Vienna, which is shared with Johannes Brahms and Johann Strauss.

MILESTONES

1814 Set the text of a poem by Goethe to music and composed his first masterpiece, «Gretchen at the spinning wheel».

1818 Left his career of teaching in order to pursue music full time.

1828 8 months before his death, he finally earned enough money to buy himself his first piano.

Thomas Rüedi Solo Series

The Thomas Rüedi Solo Series is a collection of selected masterpieces arranged for euphonium and piano. This series strives to enrich the solo repertoire for euphonium, thus opening a window into the fascinating world of some of the leading composers of the Baroque and Romantic period. By studying these famous works, the performer develops a more profound musicianship and a more defined awareness of style and musical beauty.

Audiences in turn, may appreciate hearing these beloved masterpieces performed in a fresh voice – the wonderful lyrical expression of the euphonium!

No. 01

Granados, Enrique

Madrigal Romantic

No. 02

Schubert, Franz

Sonata for Arpeggione - First Movement Romantic

No. 03

Offenbach, Jacques

Les Larmes de Jacqueline Romantic

No. 04

Ravel, Maurice

Vocalise-étude Romantic

No. 05

Tchaikovsky, Pytor Ilyich

Andante Cantabile Romantic

No. 06

De Falla, Manuel

Ritual Firedance Romantic

No. 07

Fauré, Gabriel

Sicilienne Romantic

No. 08

Schubert, Franz

Moments Musicaux Romantic

No. 09

Toselli, Enrico

Serenata Romantic

No. 10

Bridge, Frank

Four Short Pieces Romantic

No. 11

Scarlatti, Alessandro

Sonata No. 1 in D minor Baroque

No. 12

Gabrielli, Domenico

Sonata No. 1 in G major Baroque

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THOMAS RÜEDI is a Swiss-born international euphonium artist, music educator and arranger.

His solo engagements have led him throughout Europe, Africa, Asia, South America and the USA. Thomas Rüedi’s solo CDs «Elégie» and «Madrigal», both featuring his own arrangements, received international recognition.

Thomas Rüedi is professor of euphonium and chamber music at Bern University of the Arts and Lucerne University of the Arts; as a guest professor he regularly gives master classes throughout Europe and overseas. Thomas Rüedi is also an acclaimed arranger and composer, thus supporting the further development and enrichment of the euphonium repertoire.

THOMAS RÜEDI is a BESSON performing artist.

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