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Thread: Need help finding a duet

  1. #1

    Need help finding a duet

    Hello,

    My friend and I are looking for a piece to play at our senior spring concert in May but are having trouble figuring out what to play. We are both in high school, he made All-State and I made region so hopefully that gives a decent look at playing ability. We are looking for something a bit technical but it has to be under 10 minutes long. Any ideas?

  2. #2
    Join Date
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    Although not technical, "Pearl Fishers Duet" (Deep Inside the Sacred Temple) is a great duet for euphonium. I know it's available with piano accompaniment too.

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  3. #3
    I think the Aria-Duet I arranged (Bach) might be just the thing. It is spirited, but not too difficult to play. Here is a very old recording of Danny Vinson and me playing it:

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PcrguLNGwU0

    More recently I did it with Oystein Baadsvik, but for a tuba it's pretty high:

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AOw1ELJxD-Y

    Range for euphoniums is not a problem, though. I assume you are talking about 2 euphoniums. I have also done this piece with a flugel on the first part and that works well.
    Dave Werden (ASCAP)
    Euphonium Soloist, U.S. Coast Guard Band, retired
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  4. #4
    Here are a couple more ideas. Both these were played by me with my student Tim Morris.

    Flower Duet:
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cH3PEWUX-IY

    Liebesfreud by Fritz Kreisler:
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=32sPCocG_qU

    Rick's suggestion and my 3 are all playable by good high school players.

    In YouTube, if you expand the description of my uploads, you can usually find a link to obtain the sheet music.
    Dave Werden (ASCAP)
    Euphonium Soloist, U.S. Coast Guard Band, retired
    Adams Artist (Adams E3)
    Alliance Mouthpiece (DC3)
    YouTube: dwerden
    Facebook: davewerden
    Twitter: davewerden
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  5. #5
    Quote Originally Posted by davewerden View Post
    I think the Aria-Duet I arranged (Bach) might be just the thing. It is spirited, but not too difficult to play.
    This is in the top five of my favorite all-time pieces of music. I've sung it as a duet in recital more than once over the years. Need to pick up a copy of this so I can play it too!

    Also, for anyone interested, here's a very nice version for voices and continuo: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7RLIGwmEofs
    Adrian L. Quince
    Composer, Conductor, Euphoniumist
    www.adrianquince.com

    Kanstul 976 - SM4U

  6. All of those mentioned are great ideas, and I love the Childs' recording of Pearl Fishers. Not too technical but very beautiful. A couple of my classmates played "Cousins" by Herbert Clarke last year for their senior solo and ensemble performance (trombone-euphonium duet).
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  7. #7
    Join Date
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    +1 on the Pearl Fishers, aka "Deep inside the sacred temple".

    Dennis

  8. #8
    Arthur Lehman's advice on choosing a solo is to find one that shows off your strengths. Applying the same logic here...

    Pearl Fishers is a great duet (Tim and I have played that one, too) and will really show off two players with good tone and expression. (But it will still sound good if you don't have those attributes.)

    Flower Duet fits the Pearl Fishers' description above.

    The Bach Aria-Duet will be pretty impressive if you have decent fingers, and it's not so dependent on tone and expression.

    Liebesfreud requires decent technique and the ability to high a good high Bb (concert). It also gives opportunities to show off tone.

    Not mentioned above are the Telemann Canonic Sonatas. The movements are short, so you can assemble a "suite" of about any length. If you both are very well matched in abilities, these can be impressive. Both players play the same notes, with one starting later than the other. Here is a link:

    http://www.sheetmusicplus.com/title/...3?aff_id=15680

    Here is a video of Tim and me playing one movement:

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mf3otNxGgKk
    Dave Werden (ASCAP)
    Euphonium Soloist, U.S. Coast Guard Band, retired
    Adams Artist (Adams E3)
    Alliance Mouthpiece (DC3)
    YouTube: dwerden
    Facebook: davewerden
    Twitter: davewerden
    Instagram: davewerdeneuphonium

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