Reviewer: Krista M.

Reeder

REPERTOIRE EVALUATION FORM

Title: Aguas Whelm

Composer / Arranger: Cory J. McBride (16 years old when he wrote this!)

Publisher: C.L. Barnhouse Company

Date of Publication: 2004

Price: $72 Band Set & Score; $8 Extra Score

Ensemble Type: Concert Band

Description/Genre: Based on an Aztec village destroyed by a crater lake
during a volcanic eruption
Contemporary band literature

Duration: 6:00-6:30

Difculty: V. Easy ! Easy ! Mod. ! Diff. ! V. Diff. !

Score: Full Score ! Reduced Score ! / Transposed ! C-Score !

Instrumentation:
Picc ! Fl1 ! Fl2 ! Fl3 ! Alto Fl ! Bass Fl !
Ob1 ! Ob2 ! EHn ! Bsn1 ! Bsn2 ! CBsn !
EbCl! Cl1 ! Cl2 ! Cl 3 ! Alto Cl ! Bass Cl !
CAltoCl ! CBCl ! SSax! ASax1 ! ASax 2 ! TSax !
BarSax ! BassSax !

Cor1 ! Cor2 ! Cor3 ! Trp1 ! Trp2 ! Trp3 !
Hn1 ! Hn2 ! Hn3 ! Hn4 ! Flg1 ! Flg2 !
Tbn1 ! Tbn2 ! Tbn3 ! BTbn ! BarTC ! BarBC !
Euph1 ! Euph2 ! Tuba1 ! Tuba2 ! StBass !

Harp ! Celeste! Glock. ! Xylo ! Mar. ! Vibes !
Piano ! Synth ! Chimes ! Crotales ! Timp ! Bass Dr. !
Snare ! Toms ! CrCym ! (2) SusCym ! (2)Tam ! Tri. !
Gong ! Claves ! WindChimes ! Bongos ! Ribbon Crasher !
Other Perc:
Bottom line are all additions
Crash & suspended cymbals are both written into Perc1 and Perc2 Parts

Vln 1 ! Vln. 2 ! Vla. ! VCello ! CBass !

Unusual Instrumentation/Usage: Heavily percussive
Other Considerations:
Highest Pitch Flute: G6 Highest Pitch Clarinet: D6
Highest Pitch Alto Sax: Db6 Highest Pitch Trumpet: A5
Highest Pitch Trombone: G4 Lowest Pitch Tuba: G2
Clarinet Crosses Break?: Yes ! No ! N/A !

Other Range Concerns: First trombone stays predominantly above the staff

Technical Concerns: Opens with tambourine solo; adds triangle
Piccolo and bari sax solos (ahem tuning)
Bass clarinet jumps over the break on an ostinato
Trombone glissandos in 3-part harmony
Demanding 2 part ostinato in low voices
(long section & chromatic for some voices)
3-part marimba roll

Articulations/Bowings: What there isnt might be a better question

Meter(s): MIXED!
4/4 >5/4 >3/4 >2/4 >3/4 >6/8 3/4 (x3) 6/8 >4/4 to the end

Rhythmic Complexities: Mutated triplet patterns over 1 and 2 beats
Sixteenth note runs in WW
Duple over triple
Hemiolas all over the place

Key(s): Parts & score are in Am (C); accidentals notated
Tonal center generally stays in Am until m82
Minor shifts in tonal center begin to occur
continually in downward in chromatic succession
From there its anybodys guess

Harmonic Concerns: Serious harmonic analyzation is necessary without
a key signature


Primary Texture(s): Polyphonic
Layered
Horizontal
Dramatic - both in the driving and furioso
sections as well as the lyrical ones

Featured Instrument(s)/Solo(s): Tambourine
Triangle
Piccolo (cued 8va in ute)
Bari Sax (cued in horn)
Tenor Sax (cued in alto)
Trumpet Soli
Horn (cued in alto)

Compositional Techniques: Layering of voices
Ascending scalar passages in one voice with
descending in others
Imagery - harmony and rhythm imitates chaos

Form: Through-composed?
A: m1-44
B: m45-82 (although theme is repeated 3x)
Transition: m82-95
C: m96-127 lyrical restatement and fantasia-esque of the opening ode
D: furioso; rhythmic; chaos ensues; chromatic decline of theme until
ultimate ending of piece

Program Notes:
In 1541 a tragedy occurred when the silent volcano Agua was disrupted from rest. A nearby earthquake
broke the walls holding the water-lled crater, decimating the Aztec village sitting in the valley below.
Iowa Native Cory J. McBride was a mere 16 years old when he wrote Aguas Whelm to portray the chaos
and destruction of this terrible day. A dramatic brass line, ourishes in the woodwinds, and accented
rhythms paint a vivid sound image of every day life suddenly interrupted by water raging down a
mountainside.

Similar Pieces (Title/Composer):
Undertow - John Mackey - $120 (not because of the subject and context but
rather because of the sound created and texture)

Additional Comments:
The opening section, while looking easy, is actually difcult to perfectly align. This is due partially to the
seating of the instruments and the delay in directing and sound created. We ended up bring the tambourine
and triangle up front so the rhythm between the piccolo, bari sax, and tamb/tri would be more natural.

What is at the heart of this piece?
For me, the sound painting is the heart of this piece. The utes & clarinets sound like rushes of water.
The saxes and trumpets sound like screams of people or trees and houses giving way to the weight of the
ood. The low voices on the ostinato keep moving us forward, tumbling and propelling a new wave
crashing agains the once pristine valley. The power we have a musicians to recreate an ancient and long-
forgotten tragedy with music alone is simply and utterly astounding!

I would play this piece with: Very advanced high school group
College band

I would recommend this piece: Yes ! No !