Scores

With my first paycheck and some angpow money beefing up the diminishing bank account, I went score shopping today. Ordered some stuff mainly intended for arrangement for Niibori quintet, that have been proving difficult to find here.

Piazzolla stuff:
(Here is an excellent resource for published Piazzolla works.)
- Tres minutos con la realidad
- El tango
- Concierto para quinteto
All from TONOS.

And Morgenblatter Waltzes by J Strauss Jr, from Edition Silvertrust, an American site that sells chamber works and arrangements. They feature some less well-known composers (with soundclips that are really helpful!) and have some other interesting stuff as well, though I think I will check out the chamber repertoire at Esplanade library before I blow my pocket on more scores. Sigh. The shipping charges are such a pain - it usually costs more than the score itself!

Also ordered a windband arrangement of West Side Story (selection) a couple weeks back, after being unable to get hold of a reference copy of this score. This from sheetmusicplus. Checked the website today and it says they haven't shipped it yet, so I wonder when it will arrive.

Actually I wonder when it will all arrive, as I've never ordered any scores from these sources before. Looking at how much they charged for shipping at Silvertrust, I hope it comes quickly. Must remember to update when the scores finally come. Currently busy arranging Candide Overture for Expose (still in the fumbling stages after switching to Sibelius), and guess I can keep busy after that by looking at some other chamber arrangement possibilities from Esplanade library, before the scores arrive. Also batted around the idea of arranging the rest of Mussorgsky's Pictures at the supper table today - off the top of my head the first 2 movements (incl the 2nd and 3rd promenades), the 2 jews, the market, catacombae and Kiev, to make up the whole set for guitar orchestra, as apparently the other sections had already been arranged earlier. Will see how fast I manage to pick up the software. Was initially not too keen, after having the main ensemble jump the gun and play bits of it for this coming concert, having originally intended to do a longer section for Expose. Though I must admit that at this point I'm quite happy with the way the main ensemble has shown itself capable of interpreting the feel of the pieces, even if they have to be constantly reminded not to speed up in their excitement at the more challenging runs, which is why I'm wondering if I should just finish the whole thing.

Am currently still looking for a publication of Menino by Sergio Assad (as recorded in the Obrigado Live CD with Yo Yo Ma). I find this lack of scores annoying as he is such a talented composer, and obviously his works are suitable for guitar, but only a handful of his works seem to have been published. Transcription of such pieces by ear is way beyond my current abilities, even with help from a useful video clip on Youtube showing roughly where the playing positions are.

Urgh. Speaking of publication, I also need to write up last year's research into a paper but have absolutely no inspiration! It's proving sticky since essentially my thesis consisted of 2 main parts that weren't really linked and were individually small parts of other people's projects. :/