"The music, the music, the music is simply gorgeous! ...Norman Ludwin has given us a wonderful opportunity to experience the creativity and intensity of chamber music written by an early master...These trios are full of Haydn's elegant lines, subtle surprises, and emotional depth and are great gift to our repertoire." (Winter 2000)BASS WORLD Norman Ludwin 'To Each Their Own' "...It is a great thing for bassists and audiences alike when composers like Norman Ludwin write a piece like To Each Their Own, where the bassist is an active and prominent a participant in the musical conversation as his/her higher string counterparts." "...To Each Their Own is a pleasing experience to play and hear, and offers the double bassist a chance to play a truly leading role in a chamber ensemble." (Winter 2003)DOUBLE BASSIST Norman Ludwin 'Albion River Suite' "Californian bassist and publisher Norman Ludwin composed this five movement suite in 1999 after a summer sojourn on the riverbank. The first movement opens with a moderato statement of a Phrygian scale, alternating an octave apart. The piano accompaniment then introduces the prevailing feel of the set with a syncopated, jazzy undertow. Rising scales swirl and eddy with increasing rhythmic urgency, further disturbing the opening's calm facade, until a cantabile climax subsides to hush stillness." "The Adagio second movement is played freely, with jazz phrasing. A brief piano introduction sets up a bluesy bass line, arriving at a cadenza which explores the full range of the keyboard, ending with a melancholic tritone." "The third movement, Presto, sees a flash flood change of mood, with an ostinato passage fingered awkwardly across three strings in thumb position. Relief comes with a high harmonic melody before Ludwin unexpectedly plunges down to half-position on the bottom string." "The fifth movement, Presto, is back up to speed and contrasts staccato and cantabile treatment of material. The piano takes up the rhythm while the bass sings long, gliding melodies reminiscent of Misek's quick movements. How refreshing to play a new work that revels in both ends of the instrument. Throughout, accompanying textures are kept transparent and allow the bass prominence without forcing sound. Musical ideas, though light, are never allowed to overstay their welcome. Ludwin's pacing, along with his instinct for writing material which consistently flatters the player, should guarantee Albion River Suite a warm welcome." (Winter 2001)DOUBLE BASSIST Norman Ludwin 'Cape Morning' "US composer and bassist has released an impressive output, especially his arrangements and compositions for ensembles including double bass. Cape Morning starts slow and builds to a 6/8 theme where the emphasis is on the off-beat accents. There are changes in the meter, and the piece eventually relaxes into a swing-type feel at the close. As expected, the bass provides the rhythmic interest and there are a couple of solo flourishes, while the cello and oboe provide the rather simplistic theme made up of open intervals, giving it a very Coplanesque feel...the work in not technically challenging for any of the instrument and can be learned fairly readily." "It's also good to see repertoire that uses the bass in a fresh an interesting way." (Spring 2002) DOUBLE BASSIST Norman Ludwin 'Cape Morning' "Cape Morning begins with a slow, subtle Adagio and gradually develops into an energetic Allegro, full of sparkling arpeggiations among the three instruments" BASS WORLD Norman Ludwin 'Summer Blues Quartets' "California-based performer and music publisher Norman Ludwin offers bassists an impressive catalog of music old and new "with bass in mind." Dating from 2000, his Summer Blues and Cubano Fantasy are two light-hearted bass quartets to have fun with. Summer Blues lifted the winter gloom by evoking hot, lazy afternoons...The driving rhythms of the the upbeat Cubano Fantasy set hearts racing especially in the improvised section, and proved the more popular of the two." "Accessible, entertaining, and great fun, Ludwin's quartets will appeal to ensembles looking for relief from more somber fare." (Summer 2001)DOUBLE BASSIST Norman Ludwin 'Wedding Dance' "A light, fast, one movement work, it features intricate rhythms in counterpoint. The bass plays a supporting role here, but the accompanying moments are filled with shifting textural rhythms and the bass is given contrapuntal figures and melodic material from time to time. The dynamic range is wide, and there are a number of metric modulations, both of which contribute to the work's overall feeling of dramatic excitement." "Celebrating the diversity's of today's bassist, Ludwin Music is publishing a wonderful variety of music for bass. The company's slogan is "music with bass in mind" and I'd like to add "from a company with an open-mind." (Winter 2000)BASS WORLD Editors Choice! W. A. Mozart Ave Verum Corpus "One of the most expressive pieces of music ever written is now available to the young string orchestra! Because Mozart used dramatic harmonies in this, students will learn a few more accidentals to play it. But since it is all first position in the key of D, there is not much of a learning curve." "This is a superb choice!" (Pepper 2001-2002 Catalog) Serge Prokofieff 'Music for Children' "Seven piano pieces arranged by Roland Kato to become fine ensemble works. The instrumentation is viola, bassoon and bass. This work has become a stable of the Apple Hill Chamber players." BASS WORLD David Lewiston Sharpe 'Invocation' "Intended as a religious piece, this song without words features a mysterious, harmonically ambiguous theme which returns in transposition throughout. The mood is unrelentingly somber, and Sharpe favors dense textures and beguiling melodic material." (Spring 2002)BASS WORLD John Steinmetz 'The Creation of the World' "Written for the crown prince of hilarious performances on the bass, Richard Hartshorne (a.k.a. Dobbs), Creation features copious use of special effects, props, and improvised theatrical gestures. The piece is composed in two large sections. The first is a teetering out of control, hilariously chaotic section, with sardonically witty narration. The second section is a quietly intense Elegy for bass alone." "Creation has managed to find a balance between a dark theatrical message told hilariously tongue-in-cheek, and a coda of idiomatic, yet poignant solo bass gestures, that encompass the entire range of the instrument. Pacing means everything to the effectiveness of these pieces and Creation has the potential to become very successful and popular among bassists and audiences. The timing of the dramatic twist from the ridiculousness of the opening, to the beautiful yearning quality of the elegy, makes for a very powerful impact." (Winter 2000)BASS WORLD 05/31/2006 |