Location (grandparent | parent | this page): RodMer Arts Home Page | Rod's Music | Dorian Memories Program Notes

If you've already read the program notes immediately below, or want to skip them for now, you can click --> to be taken immediately to the MP3 and MIDI files.

Table of Contents (TOC) of these Program Notes

• The Basics
  • Instrumentation
  • Duration
  • Composition date
  • Computer performers (when human ones are absent)
  
  
• Structure notes
  • The Dorian mode
  • Detailed structure notes
  
  
• MP3 and MIDI files
  
• Score package
  

The Basics

Instrumentation

Duration

Composition date

This piece was composed in February and March 1997 -- and I hope the Pine Ridge Brass , who perform in and around Cobourg, ON (not to mention Coburg, Germany) may perhaps be able to work it some day into their crowded schedule.

Computer performers (when human ones are absent)

Like all the MIDI files here, it is in General MIDI form. The General MIDI patches (on the 0-127 numbering system) are:

	Part	General MIDI patch
		name	#
	1st Trumpet	Trumpet	56
	2nd Trumpet	Trumpet	56
	Muted Trumpet	Muted Trumpet	59
	French Horn	French Horn	60
	Trombone	Trombone	57
	Tuba	Tuba	58

How they sound will depend on your own playback software.

On my own synth I used the following patches:

	Part	Sound Module	Patch
			name	#
	1st Trumpet	Roland XV5080	XV Trumpet from bank 5	105
	2nd Trumpet	Roland XV5080	XV Trumpet from bank 5	105
	Muted Trumpet	Roland XV5080	C:Harmon Mute from bank 3	8
	French Horn	Roland XV5080	Solo Fr.Hrn1 from bank 9	81
	Trombone	Roland XV5080	XV Trombone from bank 5	104
	Tuba	Roland XV5080	Tuba from bank 8	58

These are what you hear on the mp3 files.

Structure notes

The Dorian Mode

This piece is playing with the old Dorian Mode (flatted third and seventh but major sixth) and keeps very strictly to it. The first and third sections are in Dorian C (key signature the same as Bb major) while the middle section is in Dorian G (key signature the same as F major). The only accidental is the occasional E-natural -- which appears (legitimately) as part of the subdominant triad of Dorian G).

Keeping to the Dorian presents a slightly mannered sound to modern ears (at times perhaps even slightly calming). While the tonic is clearly minor, we miss the major triad of the dominant (now strangely minor too) removing any possibility of the 'perfect' cadences telling our diatonic ears when an ending is reached. At the same time the strangely major subdominant counter-balances the usual minor feeling of a minor mode.

Detailed structure notes

The basic structure is a stately intro with the skipping theme in the first and third sections sandwiching the trumpets' fanfarish march in the second. But in all three sections a short, quiet song (perhaps reminiscent of some sort of folk song or national hymn) is interposed as well, which helps, I hope, to place the piece in the realm of reveries (modes of being we have forgotten). Whether the song is in Dorian C or Bb major in the first section (or in Dorian G of F major in the second) is slightly ambiguous but its ending brings it back to the Dorian.

MP3 and MIDI files
(Click on icons below to play MIDI and/or download MP3 files)

Year	Title ... Instrumentation ...... Excerpts	Min: Sec	Complete MP3 files (better sound)** file size	MP3 file extracts (better sound)** file size	Complete MIDI file (not as good sound but quick)**
	The complete piece:
1997-1998	Dorian Memories ... brass quintet (2 trumpets, French horn, trombone, tuba)	4:34	3.1 MB
	How the MIDI file sounds depends, of course, on your playback mechanism. On my computer, MIDI files are played by the QuickTime PlugIn and the brass instruments (particularly the French Horn) don't sound very realistic and are badly balanced. In comparison, the mp3 file (recorded from my sound-module patches) sounds much better. Of course, if you have a synthesizer, you can download the MIDI file and set the instruments to your own preferred patches -- but that's more work than downloading the complete mp3 file.
	Short excerpts:
	...... Intro & Skip 1	0:59		0.6 MB
	Here, in this beginning section, you can hear a better balance and timbre of the brass instruments -- not perfect, but better (especially if played through external speakers).
	...... excerpt from the Song	0:20		0.2 MB
	In this "Song" section the balance of the instruments and the singing quality of the French horn is very much mellower in this mp3 excerpt (particularly if played through external speakers) than on the usual embedded MIDI playback.
	...... March I	0:29		0.3 MB
	Again you can hear a better balance and brighter timbre of the brass instruments -- not perfect, but better (especially if played through external speakers).
	...... coda	0:47		0.5 MB
	Here again, in this coda, the balance of the instruments and the mellowness of the French horn come out much better on this mp3 excerpt.

** If you have a high-speed connection, forget about the MIDI files and just use the MP3 files (better). If you have a dial-up connection, consider the faster (but not as good) MIDI file only if the MP3 files seem to be taking too long to play or download.

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Score Package
(Click on icons below to download pdf and rtf files)

Year	Title ... Instrumentation	Description	No. of score pages	Score (pdf file) file size	No. of text pages	Text (rtf file) file size
1997-1998	Dorian Memories ... brass quintet (2 trumpets, French horn, trombone, tuba)	Complete score	13	0.3 MB	3	4 KB
		French Horn part	4	0.1 MB	3	4 KB
		Trumpet parts	4	0.2 MB	3	4 KB
		Trombone part	3	0.1 MB	3	4 KB
		Tuba part	3	0.1 MB	3	4 KB

(you will need the free Stuffit Expander for decompressing the rtf.sitx files)
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http://www.rodmer.com/RodMusic/ProgramNotes/DorianMemNotes.html -- Revised Aug 4, 2005
Copyright © 1997 - 2005 Rod Anderson
rod@rodmer.com

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