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Thread: Modern writing?

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    Default Modern writing?

    Does anyone write for mandolin now ? i would like to hear some mandolin/guitar stuff , as i'm a composer and would like to see whats out there.

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    Default Re: Modern writing?

    Quote Originally Posted by malc View Post
    Does anyone write for mandolin now ? i would like to hear some mandolin/guitar stuff , as i'm a composer and would like to see whats out there.
    For the record: https://www.craton.net/music/mandolin/mandolinworks.htm
    And I'm hardly a lone voice. There are quite a few of us scribbling notes for mandolin these days.
    John Craton
    "Pick your fingers to the bone, then pick with the bone"

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    Default Re: Modern writing?

    John Goodin: https://www.mandotopia.com/mandolinorchestra.htm.

    There are many others. Check out the Classical Mandolin Society of America: https://classicalmandolinsociety.org

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    Registered User Louise NM's Avatar
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    Default Re: Modern writing?

    Victor Kioulaphides has written some great pieces. There are recordings of several movements from one, Suite for Ali, a few threads below this one. Andrew Boden has written quite a bit for solo and small groups. Alison Stephens, dedicatee of the suite mentioned above, wrote a number of compositions.

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    Pataphysician Joe Bartl's Avatar
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    Through the CMSA convention in the clouds last fall, I became acquainted with composer James Kellaris. Anything he writes is well worth a listen. Great stuff!

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    Default Re: Modern writing?

    Eoin



    "Forget that anyone is listening to you and always listen to yourself" - Fryderyk Chopin

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    Default Re: Modern writing?

    Thanks to jelhai for mentioning my site.

    To my knowledge the best source for information regarding recent compositions for mandolin in the United States is still Neil Gladd's "Contemporary American Music for Mandolin" (http://www.neilgladd.com/camm.html).

    It's a work in progress and does not yet include many composers who are currently writing for mandolin orchestras in the United States today (James Kellaris, Joel Hobbs, Sherry Ladig, Philip DeWalt, etc.), not to mention composers from around the world who are writing for the hundreds of mandolin orchestras in other countries.

    However, Neil's listing is very valuable in showing the impressive variety of music being written by both "mainstream" and mando-centric composers. It's a huge undertaking and Neil deserves applause for the many hours of work behind it.

    John G.

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    Default Re: Modern writing?

    Also as a compilation of great modern pieces for mandolin & harp Tapestry by Duo Mandala (2003) is excellent
    pieces by Bill Connor, Julian Dawes, David Sutton-Anderson and Paul Mitchell-Davidson

    [/FONT]
    Eoin



    "Forget that anyone is listening to you and always listen to yourself" - Fryderyk Chopin

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    Default Re: Modern writing?

    "Does anyone write for mandolin now ? i would like to hear some mandolin/guitar stuff , as i'm a composer and would like to see whats out there."

    I will interpret this as a request for information about contemporary works for mandolin and classical guitar.

    Here is a select (by me) list of modern works. Publisher information is shown after the title. OOP = out of print.

    Ambrosius, Hermann, “Suite Galante,” Joachim-Trekel-Musikverlag
    Angulo, Eduardo, “De Aires antiguos,” Vogt & Fritz
    Ayton, Will, “Three Movements for Mandolin and Guitar,” NL Publications (OOP).
    Behrend, Siegfried, “Zu-ma-gi-ton,” Musikverlag Zimmerman
    Baumann, Herbert, “Sonata Capriccioso,” Vogt & Fritz
    Braun, Yehezkel, “Sonata for Mandolin and Guitar,” manuscript
    Condin, Wolfgang, “Himmel über Kyoto für Mandoline und Gitarre,” Centraton-Musikverlag
    Domeniconi, Carlo, “Durandante,” manuscript
    Fujii, Kelgo, “Sonata, for Mandolin and Guitar,” Joachim-Trekel-Musikverlag
    Funk Pearson, Stephen, “Mountain Moor,” Theodore Presser (OOP)
    Gilardino, Angelo, “Sonatina – Lied n. 4,” Bèrben
    Hesse, Lutz-Werner, “Partita,” Vogt & Fritz
    Israel, Brian, “Sonatinetta, for Mandolin and Guitar,” Plucked Strings Edition (OOP)
    Kälberer, Oliver, “Ganesh – On the Road,” Vogt & Fritz
    Kobayashi, Yoshinao, “Rhyme, für Mandoline und Gitarre,” Joachim-Trekel-Musikverlag
    Krenek, Ernst, “Suite for Mandolin and Guitarre, Op. 242” (1989), Bärenreiter
    Kubik, Michael, “Minimal Dowland,” Joachim-Trekel-Musikverlag
    Kuwahara, Yasuo, “Ecologue,” Vogt & Fritz
    Miguel, Alfonso Carlos, “Back to Sirius,” Vogt & Fritz
    Mitchell-Davidson, Paul, “Rondo, for Mandolin & Guitar,” Astute Music
    Pilsl, Fritz, “Sonatine für Mandoline und Gitarre,” Vogt & Fritz
    Pinkham, Daniel, “Introduction, Nocturne und Rondo, für Mandoline und Gitarre,” Musikverlag Zimmerman
    Santorsola, Guido, “Sonata A Duo N. 6, per mandolin e chitarra,” Bèrben
    Sprongl, Norbert, “Duo für Mandoline und Gitarre, Op. 85/11,” Edition Hladky Heinrichshofen’s Verlag Wilhelmshaven
    Streichardt, Antonious, “Duo in D,” Joachim-Trekel Musikverlag
    Wallace, Frank, “The Coming of Arthur,” Joachim-Trekel-Musikverlag, Hamburg

    Although prepared independently, my list overlaps considerably with the list prepared by Chris Acquavella ("Romantic/Contemporary Repertoire List") which can be found on the web. That's because, in effect, there is a "canon" of modern works that many duos have in their repertoire (for example, the Sprongl piece; several of the works listed were commissioned/premiered by the Mair-Davis Duo, others by Duo Capriccioso). Chris's list is annotated and includes very useful commentary on difficulty/level and interpretation.

    A more complete list that is regularly updated can be found by going to the search page of the "Sheer Pluck Database of Contemporary Guitar Music" and searching for mandolin and guitar works (https://www.sheerpluck.de/chamber_music_search.php and clicking the appropriate boxes (one acoustic guitar and one mandolin); as of this morning, the search will return a list of 312 works, with publisher information, etc.

    For anyone unfamiliar with this music, here are a few suggested recordings. I (very favorably) reviewed the two (very recent) recordings by the Mare Duo in the current issue of the Classical Mandolin Society of America's Mandolin Journal.

    Ahlert & Schwab Duo, “American Music for Mandolin and Guitar,” Naxos
    Duetto Giocondo, “American Music for Mandolin and Guitar, Vol. 3”
    Duo Capriccioso, "Dedications"
    Duo Trekel-Tröster, ”Dedications: New Music for Mandolin and Guitar,” Trekel Records
    Mare Duo, “Crossing the Americas,” Naxos
    Mare Duo, “Carlo Domeniconi: Works for Mandolin and Guitar,” Naxos
    Robert A. Margo

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    Default Re: Modern writing?

    I don't have much to add beyond what's been discussed above. Essentially, there's lots abrew in contemporary mandolin composition.

    In the mandolin–guitar domain, "Chili con Tango" and "Nowhere Left to Go" are additional releases by the Ahlert–Schwab Duo to feature contemporary music for mandolin and guitar, but may be more difficult to track down than their Naxos albums. The Mare Duo's (and friends) album "Gargoyles" is full of contemporary music by Frank Wallace (1952–2020), including "The Coming of Arthur" mentioned above.

    For what it's worth, I'm a big fan of Neil Gladd's unaccompanied mandolin solos, especially his second sonata. However, I don't believe that particular work has ever been recorded, and it is beastly difficult. This sonata develops a short atonal theme across three movements, culminating in a formal fugue.

    Several of the composers mentioned above have also written for mandolin in contexts other than mandolin–guitar duos. Several of the specific recordings mentioned above feature works by additional composers. Just a couple names that are not connected to anything I see mentioned above yet, in these cases not necessarily involving guitar:

    Seek Ennio Morricone's "Serenata Passacaglia" just because it's modern, accessible, and fun to hear (and funner to play).

    David Bruce (b.1970) is a currently active composer, recently very popular (by virtue of his very accessible YouTube channel), who has given some recent attention to mandolin. He's the kind of composer who draws high-profile mandolinists (namely, Avi Avital) to record his works for commercial release.

    A recording featuring Avner Dorman's (b.1975) mandolin concerto was a recent Grammy nominee. Avital has recorded that concerto on two different releases: Grammy-nominated on Naxos and even more modern nuggets on Avital's album "Concerti per Mandolino."

    Of course, Chris Thile, among the highest profile of recent mandolinists, has made small incursions into formal art music. I don't believe his concerto has been commercially recorded and released, but there are several performances posted to YouTube. I've deliberately enjoyed a few, especially the one with the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra.

    Vincent Beer-Demander (b.1982) is not only graced with an intriguing surname, but is a pretty prolific contemporary composer with works appearing on several recent releases. Florentino Calvo's albums are usually good for some contemporary solos, including by Mr. Beer-Demander.

    The Orchestra dell'Accademia Internazionale di Mandolino's (Carlo Aonzo, dir.) album "Mandolin Images" features heaps of contemporary music for mandolin orchestra.

    Alison Stephens gave some effort to contemporary music. Duo Mandala's "Tapestry" is an album dedicated to new compositions for mandolin and harp. Stephens–Ogden's "Souvenirs for Mandolin and Guitar" is exactly as titled.

    Perhaps too easily accessible for my personal tastes, but Jeff Midkiff and the Carpe Diem String Quartet's "Music for Mandolin and String Quartet" might amuse.

    Alvina Voznesenskaya's "Mandolin Solo: Classical–Modern International" and Gertrud Weyhofen's "Piccola Musica" feature several modern unaccompanied works.

    Of course, as alluded, there's also much more out there.
    Last edited by Eugene; May-27-2021 at 3:18pm.

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    Default Re: Modern writing?

    "In the mandolin–guitar domain, "Chili con Tango" and "Nowhere Left to Go" are additional releases by the Ahlert–Schwab Duo to feature contemporary music for mandolin and guitar, but may be more difficult to track down than their Naxos albums."

    Both are available, at highly discounted prices, from the Berkshire Record Outlet: https://www.broinc.com/media?s=ahlert

    which, incidentally, has many other mandolin recordings of note available, also at a discount.

    "The Mare Duo's (and friends) album "Gargoyles" is full of contemporary music by Frank Wallace, including "The Coming of Arthur" mentioned above."

    Gargoyles is available from Gyre Music: https://gyremusic.com/products/gargoyles-cd/
    Robert A. Margo

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    Default Re: Modern writing?

    I'm a big fan and frequent customer of Berkshire Record Outlet, but it's been a while since I've scanned their titles for mandolin recordings.

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    Additional information about the various pieces for mandolin and guitar commissioned/premiered by the Ahlert-Schwab Duo, including publication details if available, can be found here: http://www.ahlert-schwab.de/urauffuehrungen.php
    Robert A. Margo

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    Default Re: Modern writing?

    To add an antipodean contribution, a lot of works for mandolin by Australian composers were commissioned by Adrian Hooper and the Sydney Mandolins. Scores and recordings of some are available at the Australian Music Centre.


    https://www.australianmusiccentre.co.../hooper-adrian
    https://www.australianmusiccentre.co...dney-mandolins

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    Default Re: Modern writing?

    Quote Originally Posted by tom.gibson View Post
    To add an antipodean contribution, a lot of works for mandolin by Australian composers were commissioned by Adrian Hooper and the Sydney Mandolins. Scores and recordings of some are available at the Australian Music Centre.
    Several of those Australian albums are also available at deeply discounted prices via the Berkshire Record Outlet discussed above. I'm never certain how to approach those. Those recordings tend to be a hodgepodge of diverse ensembles and solos, diverse instrumentation, etc. I'm don't know which to pursue because the titles aren't necessarily familiar and the albums aren't necessarily (perhaps aren't likely) dedicated to a focus on mandolin repertoire.

    I'm always eager for related recommendations.

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    Default Re: Modern writing?

    'Adrian Hooper Conducts the Sydney Mandolins' is the only one I know of that is all mandolin content.

    https://www.australianmusiccentre.co...dney-mandolins

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    A young talented Italian composer and player is Davide Pancetti, here you can find his music played by himself and by Kozo Onishi:
    https://pancettidavide.wixsite.com/p...-registrazioni
    From the website it's also possible to download some scores
    Bowlback head...

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