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Composer Fun Facts
Calico's answer to traditional program notes...
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JOHANN
SEBASTIAN
BACH
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FRANK
ZAPPA
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Career: Church Musician
During Life: Virtuoso Organist
After Death: Became greatest composer who
ever lived.
Canonization: Wagner said he was "the most
stupendous miracle in all music."
Musical Values: Ingenious counterpoint, adventerous harmonies
Family Values: Prolific Father
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Roots: (Antelope) Valley
Boy
Founding Father: "Mothers of Invention" Band
Notable Quote: "Composers are supposed
to provide some reflection of the environment in
which they write."
Most Straight-Laced Moment: Testifing before
the United States Congress against government censorship.
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Highlights of Our Repertoire
 “
Little” Fugue in G Minor J.S. Bach/arr. Roger
Stevens
This brilliant arrangement is the cornerstone of Calico Winds,
reflecting our aesthetic goals: interesting and beautiful material,
artfully performed to reveal a full array of blended tone colors.
Recorded on All In One.
Aires
Tropicales Paquito D’Rivera
D'Rivera highlights several Cuban dances, reinventing the classical
medium to incorporate Latin rhythms.
Three Songs from “Das Knaben Wunderhorn”
Gustav
Mahler/arr. T. Cramer
Romanticism at its finest! These charming arrangements preserve
the ingenuity of Mahler's orchestration.
Fireside
Tales, Op. 61 Edward MacDowell/arr. Ronald Hess
Calico’s commission of the arrangement of this American
piano masterpiece results in remarkably
innovative wind writing, both tenderly expressive and dazzlingly
virtuosic. Recorded on Vintage America.
Adagio
and Allegro, K. 594 W. A. Mozart/arr. Michael Hasel
Written in the last year of his life, Mozart offers touching
and dramatic music in the Adagio with all the technical fireworks
expected in a mature Mozart Allegro.
Divertimento Daniel
Gregory Mason
A New World composer whose composition echoes the great Old
World Romantics. Recorded on Vintage America.
Serious
Variations Ronaldo
Miranda
This contemporary Brazilian composer wields both captivating
dance and deep expression from a famous haunting melody.
Miniatures
and Folk Suite William Grant Still/arr. Adam
Lesnick
Melodious vignettes highlighting the music of the many
peoples of the Americas. Recorded on Vintage
America.
Braintree Quintet Gwyneth Walker
Rhapsody, Jazz, Rock ‘n Roll, a March and a
bit of audience participation
make these unique hymn settings a fun experience for the
audience.
Opus Number Zoo Luciano
Berio
Combines spoken poetry and music in an imaginative and
compelling way,
using animal characters to bring to life various aspects
of the human condition.
Sea
Sketches David Chadwick
Yeo ho ho! Three kinds of chanteys display a magical variety
of sound textures. Recorded on Vintage America.
Very Fast Wind Quintet Frank Zappa
A short, rhythmically exciting piece.
Scherzo Eugene Bozza
An original "Flight of the Bumble Bee" for wind quintet.
Woodwind Quintet Elliott Carter
A wonderful introduction into the world of atonality, its light
and snappy style shows Carter's jazzy side. Recorded
on All In One.
Petite Piece Claude Debussy arr. Eugene Bozza
A delightful companion piece to other pieces using the jazz idiom.
Quintet Jean Francaix
In a quintessential French style, Francaix challenges each member
of the quintet with virtuosic writing. This four-movement work
is a whirlwind tour of the full ranges of the instruments.
Quintet Robert Muczynski
An animated work by a great American composer, this piece is pleasing
to both the performers and the listeners.
Quintet, op.43 Carl Nielsen
Masterpiece! Nielsen skillfully uses the colors of the different
instruments in this major three movement work. Recorded
on All In One.
Sextuor Francis Poulenc
The piano joins the wind quintet in this three-movement triumph
of French playfulness and lyricism.
Quintet, op.88, No. 2 Anton Reicha
Highly virtuosic both for the individual player and the ensemble
this quintet illustrates why Reicha is so well-loved for his wind
writing.
La Nouvelle Orleans Lalo Schifrin
This work cleverly juxtaposes classical and jazz styles, while
employing spectacular ensemble gestures. It's a wild ride! Recorded
on All In One.
Solo Suite for Wind Quintet Alec Wilder
Written for the famous New York Woodwind Quintet, this little-known
work shows Wilder at his best.
Three Quickies Ross Wright
This award winning composition widens the colors and range of
the ensemble by using auxiliary instruments from piccolo to contrabassoon.
The movements are humorously entitled: "Before Work",
"Lunch Break" and "During the Commercials".
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