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JOHNSTONE – Concert Waltzes Euskal-Mex Mix – for an unusual SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA

Other Identification:
The CONCERT WALTZES ‘Euskal-Mex Mix’ by David Johnstone were written by a request from the Txistu player and Arts General Management producer Raúl Madinabeitia, for a concert piece suitable for a collaboration between the Orquesta Típica García Blanco, México, and advanced younger performers from the Navarre/Basque region of Europe. An important consideration was that the work should loosely combine a few characteristics from these parts of the globe.
Most instruments will be found in the ‘traditional’ symphony orchestra, though the roles for piano and accordion are designed to add harmonic weight to the music rather than containing important melodic contributions. The txistus and silbote (Basque flutes, which well may be played substantially doubling up numbers without a problem) may be not available in every country, hence alternate parts have been added for two oboes and one bassoon (which should not be doubled more than the three players!).

Movements or sections:
There are five parts, or movements; after the initial introduction the I – Allegro vivo (ma non vivo) would seem to take seeds from both Mexican and Viennese music. The following movements III and V are reworkings of the material of I, but always with different orchestrations and ideas. Movement II is the calmest of the set; a gentle poignant waltz song drawing inspiration on both Euskalherria (Basque Country) and the northern Celtic lands (they were frequently interlinked in history). Movement IV is the most Viennese, and Waltz ‘swing’ might be employed here. The middle trio section makes references to a number of small musical quotes which should, above all, give smiles to the clarinettists. Movement V closes with a brilliant Coda section.
Movements II and IV may be performed separately as individual short orchestral miniatures. In the case of ‘II’ the three previous upbeats of txistu/oboe could be included to put the piece into motion. In ‘IV’ the only imperative is that the horn and accordion should both finish bar number 275 with a quiet eighth-note (quaver) like all the other instruments in the orchestra!
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To sum up:
Introduction (tempo di valse cómodo)
I – Allegro vivo (ma non troppo)
II – Intimo, più lento, ma a 1 (Euskal-Celt Waltz)
III – Allegro vivo (varied reprise)
IV – the ‘Floating’ Waltz (swinging tempo)
V – Allegro vivo (varied reprise)
Coda (poco più mosso)

Instrumentation:
composed for an Unusual Symphony Orchestra of Strings, Wind, Brass, Txistus, Piano & Accordion
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4 PDFs:
1] – General Score
2] – String parts
3] – Woodwind and Txistus parts
4] – Brass, Piano and Accordion parts

Approximate difficulty:
impossible to define – but well playable!

Dedicatee of this presentation (if applicable):
dedicated to my friend and colleague Raúl Madinabeitia

Links (Audio – Visual), and known performances given by:
Premiered in the ‘Teatro Gayarre’ of Pamplona, Navarre, Spain

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