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| Eric Whitacre; Compositions by Eric Whitacre | |
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| Topic Started: Jan 2 2005, 12:48 AM (621 Views) | |
| kwan | Jan 2 2005, 12:48 AM Post #1 |
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An accomplished composer, conductor and lecturer, Eric Whitacre is one of the bright stars in contemporary concert music. Regularly commissioned and published, Whitacre has received composition awards from ASCAP, the Barlow International Composition Competition, the American Choral Directors Association, and the American Composers Forum. In 2001 he became the youngest recipient ever awarded the coveted Raymond C. Brock commission by the American Choral Directors Association; commercially he has worked with such luminaries as Barbra Streisand and Marvin Hamlisch. Born in 1970, Whitacre has already achieved substantial critical and popular acclaim. The American Record Guide named his first recording, "The Music of Eric Whitacre", one of the top ten classical albums in 1997, and the Los Angeles Times praised his music as "electric, chilling harmonies; works of unearthly beauty and imagination." His Water Night has become one of the most popular choral works of the last decade, and is one of the top selling choral publications in the last five years. Ghost Train, his first instrumental work written at the age of 23, is a genuine phenomenon; it has received thousands of performances in over 50 countries and has been featured on 40 different recordings. His music has been the subject of several recent scholarly works and doctoral dissertations, and his published works have sold well over 250,000 copies worldwide. As a conductor, Mr. Whitacre has appeared with hundreds of professional and educational ensembles throughout the world. In the last five years he has conducted concerts of his choral and symphonic music in Japan, Australia, Singapore, much of Europe, and dozens of American universities and colleges. Eric received his M.M. in composition from the Juilliard School of Music, where he studied composition with Pulitzer Prize winner John Corigliano.  so handsome!  taken from: www.ericwhitacre.com |
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| kwan | Jan 2 2005, 12:50 AM Post #2 |
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Godzilla Eats Las Vegas Wind Symphony, grade 4+ approx. time: 13:00 Publisher: Carpe Ranam Productions It took me seven years to get my bachelor's degree from UNLV, and by the time I graduated I was ready to eat Las Vegas. Tom Leslie asked me to write another piece for the group as I was leaving, and I thought it would be a blast to do something completely ridiculous. The players are called upon to scream in terror, dress like Elvises (Elvi), and play in about thirty different styles from mambo to cheesy lounge music. The audience follows a 'script' that I wrote simulating a campy, over the top Godzilla movie (is there any other kind?). I wrote the bulk of the piece while in my first year at Juilliard, and no kidding, I used to act out the script every morning devouring animal crackers, wreaking havoc all over the breakfast table. The 'script' was originally twice as long, and had an entire subplot devoted to a young scientist and his love interest. As I started to finish the piece, however, it didn't seem that funny and that story (along with an extended Elvis tribute) ended up on the cutting room floor. The idea that this piece is being played all over the world in such serious concert venues is the single funniest thing I have ever heard. It has been played on the steps of the Capitol by the United States Marine Band, by the Scottish National Wind Symphony (they play in kilts, so help me God), and I have a video of a Japanese audience visibly confused and shaken by the whole experience. Can you imagine? I'm laughing my head off even as I write this! Godzilla Eats Las Vegas! was commissioned by the University of Nevada Las Vegas, Thomas G. Leslie, conductor, and received its premiere November 28th, 1996. Taken from www.ericwhitacre.com |
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| kwan | Jan 2 2005, 12:57 AM Post #3 |
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Ghost Train Wind Symphony, grade 4+ approx. time, 1st mvt: 5:30 approx. time, All 3 mvts: 20:00 Ghost Train was a total fluke. In the fall of 1993, while an undergrad at UNLV, I happened to hear the wind symphony rehearsing through closed doors. I snuck into the band room and sat entranced for 50 minutes, transported by what was, hands down, the single loudest music I had ever heard. 6 percussionists! 8 trumpets! I was in love. After the rehearsal I approached Thomas Leslie, the conductor, and asked if I could write a piece for their group. He said (without hesitation), "sure, and if it turns out well we'll play it at the CBDNA convention in the Spring." Now, up to this point I had never written for instruments before, only singers, so I got all of my friends who were instrumentalists and took them through their paces: "What pieces do you love to play? Which register is most comfortable? Which instrument sounds best when doubled with your instrument? etc." I struggled with the work all through Christmas break (I wrote it in Las Vegas, Lake Tahoe, and Waco Texas) and presented Tom with the first movement when school resumed. He played it beautifully at the convention, and BOOM... the thing took off like a shot. Last I heard it has been performed in over 40 all-state conventions and something like 4,000 performances world-wide. Crazy... I wrote the second and third movement a year later, and Tom premiered the whole thing in the Spring of 1995. I graduated two months later and headed for Juilliard. Ghost Train is dedicated to the man who brought it to life, Mr. Thomas G. Leslie. taken from www.ericwhitacre.com |
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| kwan | Jan 2 2005, 01:21 AM Post #4 |
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October Wind Symphony grade:3+ approx. time: 6:45 Publisher: Carpe Ranam Productions October began at a restaraunt in Chicago, when I was first introduced to Brian Anderson. Brian, a high school band director from Fremont, Nebraska, knew my work and wanted to commission me, but couldn't find the finances. If I remember correctly I didn't immediately hear back from him, and I just assumed the gig would never materialize. About a year later I get this phone call from him and he says that he has put together a commissioning consortium of 30 high school bands from Nebraska. 30 bands! I've dealt with institutional beauracracy for a while now and I can't possibly imagine how he brought all of those people together, let alone get them to agree on a commission. Writing a grade three work was an entirely different challenge. It's easy to write your way out of a difficult corner with flashy, virtuosic material, but with 'easier' music your solutions must be simple, elegant, and functional. I worked hard to create a piece that could be successfully performed by all of the high schools in the consortium, yet never compromised its musical integrity. Frankly, writing 'easy' music is one of the hardest things I've ever done. I'm quite happy with the end result, especially because I feel there just isn't enough lush, beautiful music written for winds. October was premiered on May 14th, 2000, and is dedicated to Brian Anderson, the man who brought it all together. taken from www.ericwhitacre.com |
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| dcube | Jan 9 2005, 02:14 PM Post #5 |
 
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kwan october is actually grade 5..... |
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| BatoNBoY | Jan 28 2005, 09:49 PM Post #6 |
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yeah kwan... haha... true.. ur band aso played tat wat.. py... rite?? heard tat it gots the 5 flats... |
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| BatoNBoY | Jan 28 2005, 09:50 PM Post #7 |
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and october asoo.. my bdae.. wahaha.. |
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| BatoNBoY | Feb 10 2005, 06:16 PM Post #8 |
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he's cool man... love his ghost train.. |
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| germanhorn | Feb 13 2005, 05:23 PM Post #9 |
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soon-to-be trombonist
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October. That's the standard. |
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| BatoNBoY | Feb 16 2005, 08:55 PM Post #10 |
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yeah |
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| meowch | Mar 12 2005, 01:41 PM Post #11 |
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2001- dunman sec Ghost Train, syf gold 2003- dunman sec Godzilla, syf gold 2003- acs(i) Ghost Train, syf gold i guess eric whitacre pieces do very well for syf. dunman sec didn't even sound good for the 2001 syf...but their Godzilla Eats Las Vegas was good. acs(i) did a good job for ghost train. but i like october the best! lol... |
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| JY2027 | Mar 13 2005, 11:04 AM Post #12 |
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yup.. it is good.. wan to come philharmonic family in concert?? playing october.. =) |
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| BatoNBoY | Mar 14 2005, 12:27 PM Post #13 |
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but i tell u arh.. it's rare that school bands play eric whitearce pieces.. coz his composing is like one of a kind... yeah.. i dun tink most of the bands will play that.. those good bands will only play it... |
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| dcube | Mar 16 2005, 02:21 PM Post #14 |
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his pieces are irritatin cos da musical contours have all to made by da players and its hard to shape.. bla bla his pieces are nice if ur nt playin it... haha |
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| starnite | Jun 11 2005, 08:55 PM Post #15 |
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Meowch... Dunman did NOT play Ghost Train in 2001 syf nor Godzilla in 2003... It was Dunearn.. NOT Dunman... makes me mad to know that ppl still mistake duearn for dunman.. but i agree.. October is one of my favourite too... 
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9:42 PM Nov 23
