The musical compositions of Richard Burdick
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Opus 152

"Happy Music;
An Exhausting Spree at the Carnival"

Written from August 2007 through January 2008

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Dedicated to Victor Sawa who conducted the premiere.
Written for the Regina Symphony Orchestra Chamber Players
(strings with 1111 1100)

This premiere on a new music concert in 2008 with the Regina Symphony Chamber players and Victor Sawa Conducting.

The subtle says so much about this work: "An Exhausting Spree at the Carnival" it is really like spending the day bouncing around on all different rides at a carnival.

It's a moderately difficult work 20 minutes long

Buy the score and parts from MusicaNeo ($150)

Buy a PDF download via paypal dilivered by e-mail ($120)

Happy Music, opus 152 by Richard Burdick

This work was written from August 2007 through January 2008

“I was asked to write a large piece for the Regina Symphony new music concert of February 2008, and told I could write up to 20 minutes. I nailed 20 minutes! 20:00, if the tempos can be played fast enough.

The work is like a visit to a carnival or fair, where there are rides and games. The central motif is of a carnival wheel spinning and then taking us magically to a new ride, a spinning wheel that is sort of a portal to a new music section.

There are six sections to the work, each based on one of my I Ching scales ( 4th revision)

In no particular order they are:

11) Prospering peace
Gb, Ab, Bb, C, Db, D, Eb, E

58) Joy
G, A, B, C, D, E, F#

16) Harmony
C#, D, D#, E, G#, A#, B, C

42) Benefit
B, C#, D, Eb, E, F, G, A

48) The well or source
F, Gb, Ab, Bb, C, Db, Eb, E

55) Zenith
A, B, C, D, E, F#, G, G#

This work emphasizes the bouncy type of happiness, where one can’t sit still but needs to run around all over the place. Finally near the end we have slow section.

The work begins with the “love and happiness” and in this opening section (and repeats of the same) we hear the only dissonances of the piece. I have avoided anything except unions, major thirds, fifths and major triads or inversions of the same. NO dissonances, except that one may be fooled into thinking they hear such with reverberations of unusual chord progressions.

The seating formation is extremely important! The seating makes the exchange of melodies through the instruments clearer to the audience. And if the musicians are not sitting in the correct places, no one will see the butterfly at the end.”

Seating:



    Flute        Cello          Bass          Oboe

 

Horn                         Violin 1 inside       Violin 2                      Trumpet

Violin 1 CM                                     Bassoon

Viola                                                                    Clarinet

 

Conductor

 

 

Audience

 

This work may not be preformed if the group does not follow this seating formation, unless there is just the omission of the conductor with no other changes.

Richard Burdick
                              January 10, 2008

 

 

 

 

Opus 130 Page 1

Opus 130 Page 130

 This work is registered with ASCAP
  the ASCAP work ID is: 382199059

Program from the premiere: