Compositions by Michael Burns:
Swamp
Song
for bassoon and CD
E
Toro nga Hau: The Three Winds
for reed trio (oboe, clarinet, bassoon) TCO
1363*
Double
Reed Trio*
Riffs
for flute, bassoon and piano TCO 1356*
Eclecticism
1
for Reed Quartet (ob, cl, bn, alto saxophone)
Two
Aotearoa Sketches
for bassoon and piano TCO 1332*
Blues
for Contra
TCO 1329*
Eclecticism
II
for Wind Quintet TCO 1331*
* Available from
TrevCo Music
All others available from the composer
Swamp
Song
for bassoon and CD. 9'24" originally composed at the Electronic
Music Studios at Victoria University of Wellington, New
Zealand in 1986. This work has been reedited and the
accompaniment tape transferred to compact disc for ease of
use. It has been very popular and is regularly performed
throughout North America and beyond. This work was recorded
by Dr. William Dietz, the bassoon professor at the
University of Arizona on his CD New Works for
Bassoon MJSD
144. All of the sounds on the tape part were originally
produced on the bassoon by various means and then
electronically filtered and altered. The goal was to blur
the lines of separation between the soloist and the
accompaniment making it difficult at times to determine
which is which. There is a section that features a duet
between "normal bassoon sounds that have been
electronically altered, on the tape and live 'melodic'
multiphonics on the solo bassoon. The similarity of the two
sound sources intrigued me and, I believe, provides
interest. The piece is also supposed to be fairly
light-hearted and fun.
Review:
Bassoonist-composer Michael Burns, has written a
fascinating, ca. 10 minute work for bassoon with an
electronic music tape for accompaniment. Although decidedly
modern, with a few sections in multiphonics, (all carefully
fingered for the performer in the appendix), the style is
still quite lyrical at times and is not overly disjunct or
pointillistic. It is fairly demanding technically, however,
ascending to a high e-flat2. It is a strong level IV- in
difficulty, demanding a definitely advanced bassoonist.
Co-ordination with the tape is carefully indicated in the
score generally, but there is a long 44 second section
where the composer instructs the performer to: 'improvise -
GO WILD! Start frantic and gradually get softer and more
spasmodic." Overall, it is a very attractive composition,
ending in a lovely lyrical theme, followed by the
bassoonist tonguing on the reedless bocal in the bass
register, following the gradual fadeout of the taped
sounds-nice touch! I strongly recommend this
modern-but-acessible new work to the advanced bassoonist
for his or her next recital.
Ronald Klimko, The Double Reed, Vol 23 No 2, p. 24.
Listen
to a MP3 sample of Swamp Song
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E
Toro nga Hau: The Three Winds
for reed trio (oboe, clarinet, bassoon). 8'
this work in two short
movements was composed in 2001 and premiered by the
EastWind Trio
d'Anches (with
Burns on bassoon) on a tour to New Zealand and Australia.
This has also been performed throughout North America and
the South Pacific.
Listen to MP3 samples of E Toro nga Hau:
I. Melancholy
II. Lively
E Toro nga Hau: The Three Winds
is now published by
TrevCo Music.
TCO 1363 for: oboe, clarinet or english horn or bassoon
(1), and bassoon (2)
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Double
Reed Trio.
8' this is a
version of E toro Nga Hau
for oboe, English horn,
and bassoon with appropriate changes to suit the new
instrumentation. Premiered at IDRS 2002 in Banff, Alberta
Canada by the three co-hosts for the IDRS 2003
conference--Mary Ashley Barret, oboe, James Prodan, English
horn, and Michael Burns, bassoon.
There are two additional versions of E
Toro:
1. a
Trio for Oboe and Two Bassoons, and 2. a
Saxophone Trio
(SAB)
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Riffs
for flute, bassoon and piano. Ca. 6'
this short two-movement
work was premiered at the 1998 IDRS Conference in Tempe, AZ
with Michael Burns on bassoon and his wife Carla
Copeland-Burns on flute. It was inspired by William Dietz,
the bassoon professor at the University of Arizona who
asked Burns if he could write a sort-of primer piece for
jazz bassoon for the non jazz player.
Review:
Bassoonist/Composer Michael burns gives us two delightful,
jazzy works here-not overly difficult technically, but a
lot of fun to play. The first Riff is a Waltz in 3 and the
second a more extensive Shuffle in 4. Written in 9/8 and
12/8, the composer leaves it up to the performer to “make
it swing”, which is the primary reason for its level IV-
(possibly a III+ to a “jazzer”) rating. The bassoon part
only ascends to a high c2, and except for some complicated
rhythms and grace notes, is really quite playable. If you
are looking for a ‘different’ work for your next recital,
this one looks particulary appealing as one that could be
lots of fun to play!
Ronald
Klimko, The Double Reed, Vol 23 No 2, p. 26.
Listen
to MP3 samples of Riffs:
I. Waltz
II. Shuffle
Riffs
is now published by
TrevCo Music.
TCO 1356
There is also a version of
Riffs
for Reed Quintet (Ob, Cl, Bass Cl, Bn, Alto Sax) performed
at the Shanghai International Arts festival and on tour in
China by the
EastWind Ensemble.
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Eclecticism 1
for Reed Quartet (ob, cl, bn, alto saxophone).
3'47" this brief
work was written for, and premiered by the
Eastwind
Quatour d'Anches in 2002. It is rather typical of my
style which eclectically draws from many styles and
influences including jazz, serialism, modalism, etc., hence
the title. Yes, there will probably be future pieces named
Eclecticism 2 and so on :-).
Listen
to a MP3 sample of Eclecticism I
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Two
Aotearoa Sketches
for bassoon and piano. (2004) Ca. 10
minutes. This
two-movement work is a fairly substantial reworking and
adaptation of two earlier pieces for other solo wind
instruments and piano (A New Years'
Piece,
and Moods/Modes--see
below) written while I was majoring in both bassoon and
composition at Victoria University of Wellington for my
Bachelors' degree. It was premiered at the IDRS 2004
Conference in Melbourne, Australia with Burns on bassoon.
The first IDRS conference to be held in Australasia
inspired me to write a work that would revisit and present
some of my New Zealand music. Aotearoa is the Maori name
for New Zealand and is usually translated as “the Land of
the Long White Cloud.”
Listen
to MP3 samples of Two Aotearoa Sketches:
1, Moods_Modes
2, A New Years'
Piece
Two
Aotearoa Sketches is now published by
TrevCo Music.
TCO 1332
A
New Years' Piece
for flute and piano. Ca. 6' was composed in 1985 and features a
"rippling" piano part somewhat inspired by the first
movement of the Saint-Saens bassoon Sonata. There is also a
contrasting, jazzy waltz section in the middle. This has
been adapted and reworked to become the second movement of
Two Aotearoa Sketches, above. This work received third
prize in the Victoria University annual composition
competition in 1985.
Moods/Modes
for horn and piano. Ca. 4' was composed in 1986 and experiments
with the harmonic series of the horn, chords based on open
fifths, and extremes of register in the piano while still
remaining predominantly melodically conceived. This has
been adapted and reworked to become the first movement of
Two Aotearoa Sketches, above. A version of Moods/Modes was
submitted anonymously under a pseudonym (Lorenzo Lasagne!)
orchestrated for horn and orchestra and was runner-up in
the Wellington Youth Orchestra Composition Competition in
1987 and was performed by the orchestra and soloist at the
Wellington Arts Festival later that year.
Review:
This work, which dates from 2003, is a reworking of two
earlier compositions. The first sketch “Moods/Modes” was
originally a piece for horn and piano dating from 1986, as
“an experiment in the harmonic series of the horn.” It is
basically in an ABA form. The first section is slower and
has the bassoon outlining part of the harmonic series
before moving into the first melody, which alternates
between the bassoon and piano. The accompaniment uses many
quintal harmonies in the A portion. A few short sections
follow before the B material arrives, which is in a
moderate dotted half note pulse in a 6/8 meter. Much of the
accompaniment in this section has duple against triple
rhythms in the piano, while the melody above moves between
a duple and triple feel. The entire range of the piano is
used, which aids in providing a wide variety of harmonies.
The second sketch “A New Years’ Piece” was originally
written in 1985 as part of a work for flute and piano,
which features a “rippling piano part somewhat inspired by
the Saint-Saëns Bassoon Sonata.” As the piano plays the
arpeggiated chords, the bassoon enters with a slow, lyrical
melody, which moves between duple and triple rhythms. The
work then moves into a jazz waltz, which is primarily in
three, but has a few other meters thrown in at times. The
opening material then returns, and a few variations on this
melody occur, including a ‘blues’ section, and a more
syncopated area. The bassoon occasionally plays the
arpeggiated sixteenth note figure. The bassoon part extends
up to c#2 and I would give this work a grade of IV-. There
are many different harmonies/colors within this work, which
would make for a nice contrast for your recital program.
Daniel
Lipori, The Double Reed Vol. 31, No. 3, p. 120.
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Blues for Contra.
(2005) Ca. 4'.
This piece is a reworking and adaptation of an earlier work
Blues for Tuba, written for Dennis AsKew in 1998. That work
was premiered here at UNCG and then performed at the
International Tuba and Euphonium Conference in Sydney,
Australia later that year. It wasn’t until 2005 that I
thought of rewriting it for solo contrabassoon. Both the
Contra and the Tuba are instruments with a very small and
limited repertoire although contemporary composers are
starting to explore their tonal possibilities more and
more. Both are also relegated to their primary roles of
playing basslines and being the foundation of a group while
hardly ever getting the solo spotlight. This piece
partially explores both roles with the player acting as
both the ‘walking’ bassline and the solo voice. Some
extremes of range are called for all the way down to the
low Bb on the contra, the next to lowest note available on
most pianos, and up over three octaves to a high B natural.
I chose the context of the blues for several reasons: 1.
Most of my compositions have at least jazz inflections if
not outright stylistic elements, whether it be rhythms,
chords, melodic lines, or somesuch, no doubt because of my
background as a jazz drummer in my youth. The blues, as an
essential element of and precursor to Jazz fits this
tendency very well. 2. There is a bit of a back-story for
the tuba version as Dennis had an instrument stolen out of
a van and then another ‘flattened’ by an accident. So the
title of the earlier work has also appeared as Blues for a
Stolen Tuba, and Blues for a Flat Tuba. 3. In some respects
the blues were chosen as a form of musical protest and
statement on behalf of these neglected solo instruments—to
paraphrase Rodney Dangerfield, “we don’t get any respect.”
4. Both instruments actually have the potential for a lot
of expressive nuances and can inflect the music in quite an
evocative manner.
Blues
for Contra is now published by TrevCo Music.
TCO 1329
Listen
to a MP3 sample of Blues_for_Contra from the World Premiere performance,
1/31/06
Review:
With Blues for Contra, Michael Burns has given us a
wonderful new addition to the contrabassoon repertoire. It
is an adaptation of Dr. Burns' work Blues for Tuba of 1998,
premiered in January 2006 on contrabassoon. It has a catchy
melody right from the beginning, which should get the
audience's fingers snapping and into the groove presented
in this work. It is not an overly difficult work, perhaps
about a grade of III for someone familiar with the
contrabassoon. The work is about six minutes in length, and
the range is just over three octaves, going from low Bb up
to a high B natural. There is included a suggested high-hat
accompaniment, which I believe could be supplemented with a
drum set, or even a double bass. I highly recommend this
piece and look forward to performing it
soon.
Daniel Lipori, The Double Reed Vol. 29, No. 3, p. 138
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Eclecticism
II
for Wind Quintet. (2005) Ca. 6'.
My compositional style has always tended to combine
elements from several diverse compositional schools: jazz,
modality, serialism, tonality, etc. Often having more than
one of these elements occurring simultaneously. I decided
to go with this characteristic and name pieces in a
possible ‘eclecticism’ series. Eclecticism I
was a reed quartet (oboe,
clarinet, bassoon, and alto sax) written in 2001 (see
above). This one is the second in the series and in its
current form is for the traditional wind quintet (flute,
oboe, clarinet, bassoon, and horn.) It also exists in other
as yet unplayed versions for true WOODwind quintet (flute,
oboe, clarinet, bassoon, and alto sax.), and in a sextet
version for reed trio and string trio. Eclecticism II
does not share any
material with the first eclecticism but acts as a kind of
slow movement to counter the faster first. It also
certainly does share the diverse collection of techniques,
encompassing all of the previously mentioned compositional
styles along with an additional contemporary technique
involving intervallic expansion and contraction and the age
old technique of making the original melody into a bassline
which then has a new melody superimposed above it. I would
like to express my sincere gratitude to the wonderful
players in the student wind quintet Armonia Dolce
who worked so hard
preparing this piece for the World Premiere.
Eclecticism
2 is now published by TrevCo Music.
TCO 1331
Listen
to a MP3 sample of Eclecticism II from the World Premiere performance by
the Armonia Dolce
quintet, 1/31/06
Review:
This piece is meant to be
somewhat of a companion work to Eclecticism 1, for reed
quartet (oboe, clarinet, bassoon, and alto saxophone).
Though this piece does not share any material with the
first eclecticism, it “acts as a kind of slow movement to
counter the faster first.” A variety of compositional
styles/techniques are used in this work, including jazz,
modality, serialism, and intervallic expansion and
contraction. The work begins in a slow 6/8 meter with the
melody first played in the bassoon, with a chordal
accompaniment beneath. The melody is then played by the
clarinet, and then oboe, and the pulse sometimes alternates
between a duple and triple feel. The work then moves into a
5/8 sectionwhere a primarily eighth note melody is
presented, with lots of unisons/octaves between the voices.
This is followed by a return to 6/8 where the opening
melody returns, with a second melody placed over the
original tune. The 5/8 material comes back once again, and
the work closes with a more homophonic section in 4/4. As
hinted at earlier, a wide variety of harmonies/tonalities
occur throughout this work, which gives each section a very
unique color. The bassoon part extends up to b1 and I would
give this work a grade of III+. This work would a great
contrast to any quintet program.
Daniel Lipori, The Double Reed Vol.
31, No. 3, p. 120.
There
is also a version of
Eclecticism II
for Reed Quintet (Ob, Cl, Bass Cl, Bn, Alto Sax)--version
2.6 performed at the Shanghai International Arts festival
and on tour in China by the
EastWind Ensemble.
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