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American Scenes

And Other Works For Concert Band

Samuel A. Livingston composer
Winds of Filharmonie Brno | Stanislav Vavřínek conductor

Release Date: August 12, 2022
Catalog #: NV6446
Format: Digital
21st Century
Orchestral
Wind Ensemble

AMERICAN SCENES, from composer Samuel A. Livingston is, as its title suggests, a painterly tribute to America. The album’s title piece, Three American Scenes, is a three-movement suite that expresses the grandeur of the American west, the serenity of a mountain lake at dawn, and the bustle of a busy day in a large city. The album opens with Celebrating the Fourth, which depicts an American Fourth of July celebration. The final two selections feature works for concert band with a solo instrument – the flute, in Silvertube Variations, and the clarinet, in Balkan Dance. In that last selection, Livingston turns his attention beyond our shores, to the harmonies and rhythms of the folk music of the Balkan countries, especially Bulgaria and North Macedonia. Altogether, AMERICAN SCENES is thoughtfully-crafted and unabashedly jubilant, expressing appreciation for America and the world beyond with refreshing sincerity.

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Track Listing & Credits

# Title Composer Performer
01 Celebrating the Fourth Samuel A. Livingston Winds of Filharmonie Brno | Stanislav Vavřínek, conductor 3:53
02 Three American Scenes: Big Sky Samuel A. Livingston Winds of Filharmonie Brno | Stanislav Vavřínek, conductor 4:14
03 Three American Scenes: Mountain Lake at Dawn Samuel A. Livingston Winds of Filharmonie Brno | Stanislav Vavřínek, conductor 5:11
04 Three American Scenes: Cityscape Samuel A. Livingston Winds of Filharmonie Brno | Stanislav Vavřínek, conductor 4:28
05 Silvertube Variations Samuel A. Livingston Winds of Filharmonie Brno | Stanislav Vavřínek, conductor; Martina Venc Matušínská, flute 5:57
06 Balkan Dance Samuel A. Livingston Winds of Filharmonie Brno | Stanislav Vavřínek, conductor; Emil Drápela, clarinet 4:05

Recorded January 4-6, 2022 at Besední dům in Brno, Czech Republic
Producer Jaroslav Zouhar, Jan Košulič
Engineer Jaroslav Zouhar
Editing, Mixing, Mastering Lucas Paquette

Executive Producer Bob Lord

A&R Director Brandon MacNeil
A&R Chris Robinson

VP of Production Jan Košulič
Audio Director Lucas Paquette
Production Director Levi Brown
Production Manager Jean Noël Attard
Production Assistant Martina Watzková

VP, Design & Marketing Brett Picknell
Art Director Ryan Harrison
Design Edward A. Fleming, Morgan Hauber
Publicity Patrick Niland, Aidan Curran

Artist Information

Samuel A. Livingston

Composer

Samuel A. Livingston was born in 1942, and served from 1966-1967 with the U.S. 4th Armored Division Band. Livingston currently resides in New Jersey and plays the clarinet in a community band, traditional jazz groups, and chamber music groups. As a composer, he is entirely self-taught. His recent (21st century) compositions include works for concert band and several chamber pieces, mostly for wind instruments.

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Filharmonie Brno

Orchestra

Since its earliest days, Filharmonie Brno has established a profile as a Janáčkian orchestra, thus making a substantial contribution to the cultural life of Brno — where Leoš Janáček composed nearly his entire oeuvre — and becoming an enthusiastic champion of his music. Since its foundation in 1956, the orchestra has regularly performed Janáček’s works in concerts at home and abroad; it has also recorded, multiple times, his complete symphonic works and cantatas.

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Stanislav Vavřínek

Conductor

Stanislav Vavřínek is one of the most prominent Czech conductors and has been Chief Conductor of the Czech Chamber Philharmonic Orchestra Pardubice since 2018. Having graduated from the Conservatory in Brno where he studied flute and conducting, he continued his education at the Academy of Performing Arts in Prague. Subsequently, he also took master classes with Roberto Benzi in Switzerland, culminating with a concert in which he conducted the Biel Philharmonic Orchestra.

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Notes

American-Scenes_Notes-1

Martina Venc Matušínská, flute

American-Scenes_Notes-2

Emil Drápela, clarinet

American-Scenes_Notes-3

Recording session with the Winds of Filharmonie Brno at Besední dům in Brno, Czech Republic

The title Celebrating the Fourth has a double meaning. It suggests a Fourth-of-July celebration, with fireworks, games, and patriotic music. It also refers to the musical interval of a fourth. All of the themes in the piece are built, in some way, around the interval of a fourth.

Sheet music is available from Imagine Music Publishing.

— Samuel A. Livingston

Three American Scenes is a set of three pieces that can be played individually or as a three-movement suite. “Big Sky” is an attempt to convey in music the feeling of the vast open spaces of the American West. “Mountain Lake at Dawn” is an attempt to portray the peaceful stillness of the scene described in the title. “Cityscape” is an attempt to capture in music the energy of a large American city on a busy day.

Sheet music is available from TUX People’s Music.

— Samuel A. Livingston

Silvertube Variations is a set of variations for concert band with flute solo. The title refers to the solo flute, which opens the piece by playing the theme entirely alone. The variations that follow feature different sections of the band and various combinations of instruments. The piece concludes with a restatement of the theme by the solo flute.

Sheet music is available from Imagine Music Publishing.

— Samuel A. Livingston

Balkan Dance is a piece for band with clarinet solo. It draws its inspiration – and its harmonies and rhythms – from the folk music of the Balkan countries, especially Bulgaria and Macedonia. The time signature is 7/8 (grouped 3,2,2). The piece is structured as a dialogue between the band and the solo clarinet.

Sheet music is available from TUX People’s Music.

— Samuel A. Livingston