Diabelli Project 156 - Wind Trio

The Diabelli Project is about offering my weekly flash-composition sketches freely to all. Like Antonio Diabelli's theme, these sketches aren't great music. But perhaps (as in Diabelli's case) there's a Beethoven out there who can do great things with them.

This is not the first flash composition I've done in this series for wind trio. In fact, I have five other wind trio sketches posted. What makes this different is the instrumentation. The other sketches were for flute, Bb clarinet, and bassoon. It's a nice combination with all kinds of timbral possibilities.

This one, for oboe, Bb clarinet, and bassoon, has a different character. The two double reeds plus single reed give the ensemble a warmer tone than the flute, clarinet and bassoon combination. In the latter, the flute has a metallic quality to it. For that type of trio, I think of blending three different primary colors.

For this trio, I think more of combining two different shades of the same color (the double reeds), with a separate contrasting but near-related hue (the single reed). The resulting sketch revels in those color combinations with long unisons that gradually break apart.

This combination of instruments has a lot of possibilities, too. I suspect this won't be the last time I'll be using it in this series.

As always, you can use any or all of the posted Diabelli Project sketches as you wish for free. Just be sure to share the results. I'm always curious to see what direction someone else can take this material.

Diabelli Project 142 - Wind Trio

The Diabelli Project is about offering my weekly flash-composition sketches freely to all. Like Antonio Diabelli's theme, these sketches aren't great music. But perhaps (as in Diabelli's case) there's a Beethoven out there who can do great things with them.

 This week's flash composition turned out to be another wind trio (the sixth in the series). I wanted to start with something very simple, and just see where it went in the time available. Where it ended up going -- very quickly -- was into a different key (or rather, a set of accidentals) for each instrument. What happens next? I think I'd keep going, modulating to keys further removed from each other, until, (of course), it all comes back in focus again with a unison ending.

As always, you can use any or all of the posted Diabelli Project sketches as you wish for free. Just be sure to share the results. I'm always curious to see what direction someone else can take this material.

Diabelli Project 119 - Wind Trio

The Diabelli Project is about offering my weekly flash-composition sketches freely to all. Like Antonio Diabelli's theme, these sketches aren't great music. But perhaps (as in Diabelli's case) there's a Beethoven out there who can do great things with them.

This week's flash composition is another wind trio sketch. This is the fifth Diabelli wind trio I've done. And all of them are for the same instrumentation. Which suggests to me that they all might be interrelated somehow.  In this one, the initial idea kicks off a phrase that expands slightly every time it's brought back.

I remember as I was writing this that, had I time to continue, the phrase would encompass nine or more measures, at which point there'd be a cadence to end the section. I may still do something like that.

As always, you can use any or all of the posted Diabelli Project sketches as you wish for free. Just be sure to share the results. I'm always curious to see what direction someone else can take this material.

Diabelli Project 076 - Wind Trio

The Diabelli Project is about offering my weekly flash-composition sketches freely to all. Like Antonio Diabelli's theme these sketches aren't great music. But perhaps (as in Diabelli's case) there's a Beethoven out there who can do great things with them.

Early in my composing career I wrote a set of three wind trios, each for a different combination of instruments (you can hear the first one on Soundcloud - Wind Trio No. 1, Op. 13). It's a good genre for me to revisit. I think I'll develop this piece further at some point in the near future. (click on image to enlarge)

Although I might write more, that doesn't make this sketch off limits. As with all the Diabelli Project sketches, I offer this freely to anyone who would like to use all or part of it. Just let me know the results!