Tristan: Which Transfigurations do you love and loathe

I was just wondering what Transfiguration from Tristan Encounters you absolutely adore and which ones you positively detest. This can be from a playing or listening perspective.

I personally love to listen to transfiguration 7, and I absolutely hate playing Transfiguration 3, there's something about syncopation and 5/8 that I despise.
 

johnflugel

Active Member
Transfiguration XIII is my favourite: it kind of signals the end of all the big solos and you can breathe a little easier! Really exciting writing and love the end of it with the xylophone and 'zip' from the cornets.

John
 

Accidental

Supporting Member
No 2 and 7 (the sexy bits!) are my favourites - the tune is beautiful, and does much more for me than the fast twiddly stuff.
I love playing no 11 - "wild and exaggerated" is the only way I can hit all those high notes :lol:
I think the build up to the ending is great, but the last bar is a bit of an anticlimax - I get to the end and think, is that it?! (is it just me?)
 
Haven't played it enough times yet to have either a least or most favourite...

Bits of it sound to me a bit like Chivalry has been chopped up and pasted back together in a different order. If Chivalry was written after Tristran, Chivalry sounds like bits of Tristran chopped up and pasted back together in a different order..... :wink:
 

Ginge

Member
hmmm... I think my favourite bit is Transfiguration XI. All the heavier bits really. They'd be even better if i could play them!
I don't like the beginning bit of Transfiguration XII; my part anyway.
 

Delboy

New Member
Tristan

Well Ginge,

If you can't play your part why don't you try some P-R-A-C-T-I-C-E!!!!!

It's not a new concept!!!

Derek
JAG Mount Charles [/quote]
 

cornetgirl

Active Member
Not a fan of III - by the time I've got used to one time sig it goes and changes! But I love II (well, I am a flugel player, cmon guys!) and I do like the one with the little solos in - whether many bands make it work or sound like a large amount of random practise sessions will remain to be seen though!

Rach x
 

drummergurl

Active Member
havent played it much yet, so havent really got to know the piece and pick favorites yet but ill get bak to u wen i have!
 
Ginge,

Are you deaf; they're trying to tell you to P-R-A-C-T-I-C-E.

Practice makes master :roll: :roll: :roll:

DJ

If you need help give Iggy a ring! I'm sure he'll take you through the part.
 

John Brooks

Well-Known Member
I notice Ginge hasn't responded to all the leg-pulling. Could it be because he's been too busy PRACTICING :p
 
For what its worth i personally think that it is an awful piece.i can't think how the judges are going to judge it seems to me that its just going to be who plays the loudest and the rest will be pot luck.after playing it a couple of times i always get to the end and nothing ever sticks out in my mind.like i say though just my personal opinion.

NICK HARRIS
 

Griffis

Member
I've only played it once, and I cant really remember which transfiguration is which, but I think the piece is superb. The chords and melodies are lush and although technically challenging in some parts, it doesn't sound like a modern piece of music, but there are hints Atonality within the piece of music which should (i hope) help with any non-Brass Banders that may venture into any one of the area comps as they might actually enjoy the music.
Refering to the last note
I think the build up to the ending is great, but the last bar is a bit of an anticlimax - I get to the end and think, is that it?!
, I personally think it's a nice way to end the piece, and it's nice to get away from either a loud and obvious finish or the alternative quiet, slow and sometimes painful (especially if intonation is suffering)
Just my opinion.
Dewi
 
I'm sorry but I agree with Nick.

Not the best of pieces at all.

The ending will be interesting - how many bands will actually play it how it is intended? i.e. ff, accent and staccato on a quaver (thats for my part anyway, apologies if it is different for any other part!) I'm only a cornet player.

By the way, change of topic a bit, but congrats to Alex for article in the Huddersfield Examiner. If you haven't seen it Alex I'll send you a copy!
 

PeterBale

Moderator
Staff member
baritone impresario said:
For what its worth i personally think that it is an awful piece.i can't think how the judges are going to judge it seems to me that its just going to be who plays the loudest and the rest will be pot luck.after playing it a couple of times i always get to the end and nothing ever sticks out in my mind.like i say though just my personal opinion.
In the three performances I have on disc, it's the quieter passages that are the most telling, with the build-up and release of tension making all the difference. Volume alone could be self-defeating :!:
 

Ginge

Member
Re: Tristan

Delboy said:
Well Ginge,

If you can't play your part why don't you try some P-R-A-C-T-I-C-E!!!!!

It's not a new concept!!!

Derek
JAG Mount Charles

Why's everyone ganging up on me??? :cry:

I didn't mean i can't play it at all!!! I just can't play it perfectly. I'm sure that most can't play all of their part perfectly yet either!

Although i'll do some practice on it and try and get it perfect by next practice! :lol:
 
Pete you may be right but how many contests have you been to knowing that a band may have played a piece very musically and note perfect come nowhere and a band that has hammered the loud parts gain a higher place.i know of bands that play slow movements very well because they have talented soloists but because they don't have the"big brass band sound"they don't come anywhere.yes maybe that is the judges fault but it happens and i can't help but feel that this will be the case with tristian.like i say this is my own personal opion.

nick harris
solo bari CARLTON MAIN FRICKLEY
 
I didn't like it at first but the more i've listened to it, the more I like it, epecially transfigurations 2, 5, 7 n all the other slow ones!! :wink: :)
 
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