VanguardTV: Troubadour by Daniel Zlatkin

In the early months of the pandemic, Daniel Zlatkin reached out to me as he was revising his work for solo oboe and offstage cello, Troubadour. Some of you may remember that Daniel and I worked together before on his piece for Vanguard, Out of Bodies! Troubadour's two movementsshow a great contrast in the capabilities of the oboe, from fast passages and multiphonics in the first movement to beautiful lyrical lines in the second movement.

Here are Daniel's notes about the piece:

The oboist takes on the role of a mysterious troubadour. While the first movement is both joking and sinister, the second is a goodbye. The musician's ancient and grinning spirit fades into oblivion. An invisible companion aids his final journey.

Big thanks to Daniel Kaler for providing the "offstage" cello in the second movement!

~ Sagar

VanguardTV: Song for the Lonely by William Grant Still

Raindrops, soft from the mist
Disturb the stillness of my thoughts
Raindrops, soft from the mist
Beat down

A bird note breaks, the all pervading hush
A ray of moonlight cuts a darkness
No footstep comes along a rebel highway
Not the sound of a stone displaced

Soft raindrops, fresh from the mist
Dull the pain of loneliness
Soft raindrops, fresh from the mist
Beatdown

Raindrops, unceasing, they bring again the breath of a presence
Raindrops insistent they bring again the long lost dream

Raindrops raindrops unending they fall into my soul…
Into my heart and mingle with my tears

This piece is hauntingly beautiful. William Grant Still creates the perfect sonic interpretation of loneliness, something I’m sure a lot of us felt this past year. It sucks to be lonely, but if you can change your perception of what it means to be lonely you can make good use of your ME* time. There’s always time for self-reflection, solo dance parties, and naps when you’re alone, so it doesn’t always have to be a bad thing. Next time you’re feeling lonely go for a walk, treat yourself to ice cream, visit a cat/dog shelter, just do something other than staring off into space for hours on end (unless you actually enjoy that, then go ahead and do you), but make the most out of your ME time!

VanguardTV: Preludio from Violin Partita No. 3, BWV 1006 by J.S. Bach

I’ve always loved the cheerful Preludio of J.S. Bach’s third partita for solo violin. I was inspired to arrange it for Vanguard Reed Quintet after hearing a fantastic recording by the Masato Kumoi Sax Quartet. The quartet’s bold and symphonic reimagining of Bach’s solo piece struck me, and I couldn’t wait to hear what it sounded like for reed quintet. I soon discovered that this arrangement was based largely on Rachmaninoff’s arrangement for solo piano. Not only that, but Bach had re-tooled the bubbly opening theme himself as the instrumental overture to his Cantata BWV 29. This arrangement is based closely on Rachmaninoff’s version for solo piano, but I’ve borrowed ideas from a few other arrangements and added some flair of my own.

It’s been a long, difficult year without live music and without the ability to gather with friends and family. Listening to this piece always lifts my spirits, and I hope this little arrangement can bring some joy and optimism as we look forward to gathering again. Enjoy!

VanguardTV: Happy Birthday Variations

The beginning of May means it's birthday season here at Vanguard! 🥳 And to celebrate Sean’s and Mickayla's birthdays, the two of them recorded this duet of variations on "Happy Birthday." Enjoy!

VanguardTV: Splinter, II. Sugar Maple by Marc Mellits

"Sugar Maple," the second movement of Splinter by Marc Mellits, is another one of our favorite movements from this piece. This movement especially highlights the reed quintet's ability to sound homogeneous. From the beginning, the bassoon and bass clarinet play alternating patterns that create a composite texture. The saxophone and clarinet at first join in with interjections but then also fall into the texture set up by the bass instruments. When the oboe enters, it's something completely different, with a soaring melody over the other instruments' perpetual motion. "Sugar Maple" is an excellent exercise in blending, and it's a fun and energetic movement that we love playing! We hope you enjoy it!

VanguardTV: Holberg Suite, Op. 40, III. Gavotte by Edvard Grieg

Edvard Grieg's Holberg Suite is a set of 5 movements based on 18th-century dance forms that was written in 1884 to celebrate the 200th anniversary of playwright Ludvig Holberg. The style and form of this piece resembles music that was written in the Baroque period (like Bach). Grieg originally composed this suite for piano, but he also arranged it for string orchestra. We love this piece for its great melodic lines and its dance-like qualities! Enjoy!