Mendez & Brass

trumpetmike · Posted: Tue Dec 21, 2004 12:43 pm Post subject: Mendez & Brass

As we have the person with the greatest Mendez knowledge on the planet here on TH (OJ or Dave, depending on who reads this first

), I thought I would pick the combined brains.
As well as that we have one of the highest authorities on brass ensembles (well, Summit Brass are reasonably good, so I have heard

).

So, has anyone combined the two?

In other words - are there any of the Mendez solos available for trumpet solo and brass ensemble?
Or, have any been transcribed to show off the mass forces of the brass ensemble?

The reason for asking is a concert that Surrey Brass are playing next year, based upon Spanish and Mexican music and we are looking for a suitably Mendez-style (or indeed straight Mendez) solo for someone in the trumpet section (quite possibly yours truly, gulp!) to perform.

We already have an excellent version of Tico Tico that the trumpets are currently fighting over (as to who won't play it

), but we are always on the look out for something new.
So, anybody got any ideas?

All ideas welcome

Scooter01 · Posted: Tue Dec 21, 2004 3:04 pm Post subject:

The Canadian Brass recorded a transcription of "La Virgin de la Macarena" I believe around 1980. I'm not sure if it was ever published.
_________________
Those who say it cannot be done should stay out of the way of the people doing it.

trumpetmike · Posted: Tue Dec 21, 2004 3:13 pm Post subject:

Ah yes - that reminds me, we also have the Eighth Note version of this for 10 piece

(Sorry Mr Marlatt)

I am basically thinking of symphonic ensemble, rather than quintet, but all options are available.

trpt.hick · Posted: Tue Dec 21, 2004 8:56 pm Post subject:

Mendez made arrangements of a few solos and trios with brass band. Summit Brass has performed some of these numerous times. We had to edit them for our own instrumentation.

SB had played Czardas by Monti/Mendez (with me, and sometimes Vizzutti as soloist), La Virgen de la Macarena (with Viz as soloist), plus several trumpet trios such as The Tre-Mendez Polka, Cielo Andaluz, Chiapanecas, and The Brave Bulls.

Right now, I am working on a Mendez 100th year birthday celebration concert to be at Arizona State University during the Spring of 2006. We are planning to have the entire Mendez family here, our university orchestra, and a few celebrity trumpet soloists to perform. We are planning for the concert to be videotaped for a PBS documentary which will also include interviews with the soloists, Mendez sons (Robert and Ralph), etc. It will have a guided tour of the Rafael Mendez Library as well. It seems terrible that there are no full length television documentaries on Mendez. Hopefully, ours will be the first!

DH

trumpetmike · Posted: Wed Dec 22, 2004 1:30 am Post subject:

trpt.hick · Posted: Wed Dec 22, 2004 5:12 am Post subject:

Well, the Mendez Library no longer rents music. Sorry! (It's a long story.)

It shouldn't be hard for someone to transcribe brass parts from the published piano scores as needed for specific instrumentation.

trumpetmike · Posted: Wed Dec 22, 2004 5:24 am Post subject:

__________ (insert rude word of your choice here

)

How does the copyright situation lie with doing our own transcriptions?

trpt.hick · Posted: Wed Dec 22, 2004 5:54 am Post subject:

No real problems. If the piano parts are published by Carl Fischer or Koff, you will need to get permission to publish them and will surely have to pay a mechanical royalty on each sale. Same would be true if you commercially record one.

cdaigle · Posted: Fri Dec 24, 2004 9:20 pm Post subject:

nieuwguyski · Posted: Sat Dec 25, 2004 10:55 am Post subject:

Hidalgo Music has "La Virgin De La Macarena" arranged for brass quintet, brass ensemble, brass band, and concert band:

http://www.hidalgomusic.com/cat6.html

The website suggests the trumpet solo part is as Mendez played it.
_________________
J. Notso Nieuwguyski

trumpetmike · Posted: Sat Dec 25, 2004 1:15 pm Post subject:

John - many thanks - that looks exactly what I was looking for.

I see yet another international order being made