Chamber Music

Beautiful Destruction (2022) - for 2 Euphoniums or Trombones and Piano

$20.00

Beautiful Destruction (originally written in 2018 and revised in 2022) is a programmatic work for two euphoniums or trombones and piano that attempts to show both the beautiful and destructive powers of our planet. The work consists of two movements. The first movement “Mother Nature” makes up most of the piece (about 4 minutes) and represents the overwhelming beauty of Earth with soaring melodies and calming motives, and the second, “Fury” is meant to be a brief flurry of non-stop forward momentum that conveys the chaos and devastation that can result from natural disasters through driving tempos and rhythms and frequently changing meter. Throughout the work, the two soloists and the pianist all have equally parts, trading off the soaring melodies of the first movement and the rapid-fire passages in the second movement.

Duration: Approx. 6 minutes 30 seconds

Format: PDF Score and Parts (2 Euphoniums or Trombones, Piano), MP3 file of MIDI Reference Recording

Copyright © 2022 Ian Lester

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LIMINAL SPACES (2022) - for Tuba/Euphonium Octet (EEEETTTT)

$30.00

LIMINAL SPACES is an extended work for tuba/euphonium octet written in early 2022 for Thomas Stein and the UMKC Tuba/Euphonium Ensemble. Liminal spaces are often described as unsettling, yet nostalgic locations frozen in time that are transitions between two other places, realms, or states of being. This work consists of five distinct movements, each inspired by a specific picture (included in score) that conjures up the feeling of liminality.

Duration: Approx. 10 minutes

Format: PDF Score and parts - Tuba/Euphonium Octet (EEEETTTT)

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Mental Pendulum (2022) - for Brass Trio (Trumpet in B-flat, French Horn, Trombone)

$30.00

**Winner of the 2022 UMKC Composition Competition**

Mental Pendulum was written in early 2022 for the Factory Seconds Brass Trio. Drawing inspiration from the composer's personal experience with bipolar disorder, this piece depicts the emotional instability and mood swings associated with the ailment and the struggle to manage these symptoms. The work is a cycle of five contrasting sections, each representing certain moods:

I. Hyper, Relentless

II. Calm, Reflective

III. Furious, Impulsive

IV. Distraught, Inconsolable

V. Joyous, Content

Duration: Approx. 12 minutes

Format: PDF Score and Parts (Trumpet in B-flat, Horn in F, Trombone)

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LAKEWAVES (2021) - for C Trumpet, Drum Set, and Piano

$20.00

LAKEWAVES was written in 2021 for the SPLICE Ensemble and was premiered in November of 2021 for the UMKC Composer's Guild Concert. Drawing inspiration from the composer's time spent at his family cottage on Lake Huron in Lexington, Michigan. The work consists of two contrasting movements, the first representing the still, clear water early in the morning via various tuplets, feathered beaming, trills, and various rising and falling musical elements. The second section portrays the rough waters and waves during a thunderstorm over the lake through driving rhythms, thunderous dynamics, and changing meters. The piece ends with a recap of the lightly flowing calm waters.

Duration: Approx. 6 minutes

Format: PDF Score and Parts (Trumpet in C, Piano, Drum Set)

Copyright © 2021 Ian Lester

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Summer Night, Winter Storm (2021) - for Flute, Violin, Guitar, and Euphonium

$20.00

Summer Night, Winter Storm was written for and premiered at the 2021 UMKC Composers Guild Concert by a small contemporary ensemble consisting of the following members: Giuseppe Junior Gallo-Balma Etes (flute), Michael MacLaughlin (violin), Ian Lester (euphonium), and Pat Owen-Leary (guitar).

The piece consists of two main ideas. The first is a slow plaintive section representing the charm of a breezy summer night with lush textures and interlocking rhythms creating a warm and inviting atmosphere. The second idea conveys a chaotic winter snowstorm, beginning with a flurry of fugue-like passages that are interrupted by the "Summer Night" material, which refers to the "false spring" the Midwest United States often experiences. The storm then returns, growing in intensity by way of a semi-improvised guitar solo. The work ends with the blizzard reaching its maximum power. To match the dynamics of the other instruments, it is recommended that the acoustic guitar be amplified for performances of this work.

Duration: Approx. 8 minutes 15 seconds

Format: PDF Score and Parts (Flute, Euphonium or Trombone, Violin, Acoustic Guitar)

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Two Vignettes for String Quartet (2021)

$25.00

Two Vignettes consists of two distinct, programmatic movements. The first movement "Memories Lost" dives into the mind of an individual suffering from dementia, gradually losing the memories they cherish the most. It begins with a still, barren landscape, as if a memory has already begun to fade. The first violin then provides the main thematic material while the remaining three voices ominously haunt from below. After an emotional climax, the movement ends where it began, with faded memories. The second movement "Demon Dance" is an aggressive, angular, rapid-fire dance drawing inspiration from the second movement of Shostakovich’s String Quartet No. 8. Constantly spinning between unison and syncopated rhythms, and jagged, virtuosic passages passed between the four voices, "Demon Dance" is a continuous burst of deranged energy.

Duration: Approx. 8 minutes 30 seconds

Format: PDF Score and Parts (Violin 1, Violin 2, Viola, Cello)

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Bullet Train (2021) - for Euphonium Trio

$20.00

The bullet train system, or Shinkansen, is a network of high-speed railway lines in Japan first opening in 1964. With a maximum operating speed of 200 mph, and even faster speeds achieved in test runs, bullet trains are certainly an impressive example of technological advancements and innovation of transportation. Bullet Train for euphonium trio begins with a sparsely orchestrated introduction, representing the train sitting idle at the station. The momentum quickly picks up in pace with polyrhythms and interlocking melodic lines. The fast tempo and driving nature of the piece continue non-stop all the way until the final chord.

Duration: Approx. 4 minutes

Format: PDF Score and parts (Euphoniums 1, 2, 3)

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INFERNO (2020) - for Brass Quintet

$15.00

INFERNO is a brief, fast-paced work for brass quintet inspired by the terrifying speed in which fire can spread and become an uncontrollable blaze. The piece begins by introducing the main motive of three quarter notes and two eighth notes in the tuba, with the other parts gradually adding in syncopated rhythms and melodic material. The blazing main thematic material is interrupted two times by two different chorale sections, which represent the natural beauty of fire. After a last statement of the A material, the piece ends triumphantly. The fire has finally been extinguished.

Duration: 3 minutes 30 seconds

Instrumentation: Trumpet in B-flat 1, Trumpet in B-flat 2, French Horn in F, Trombone, Tuba

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Fanfare for the Isolated Human (2020) - for 6 Trumpets in B-flat and 1 Bass Trumpet in B-flat

$20.00

Fanfare for the Isolated Human is a work for trumpet septet that was commissioned in early December of 2020 by Jennifer Oliverio for the Oakland University trumpet studio. At the time of composing this work, the COVID-19 Pandemic was still raging throughout the world with tragic outcomes such as death, prolonged illness, financial hardship, and much more. For musicians and other artists, live performances were limited, and at times, even non-existent. This work is in a basic ABCA form, each section defined by a certain pandemic-related scenario or thought (i.e. the grocery store frenzy of part I or the persistent question of when will things go back to normal in part III). This composition was originally meant to be played virtually, with each performer preparing their individual part with the aid of a click-track, however, this version can be performed in a live setting. With melodies and rhythmic motives constantly trading off within the ensemble, and solo passages in the bass trumpet and the top three trumpets, each of the seven performers have vital roles in bringing this work to life.

Duration: 6 minutes

Format: PDF Score and Parts (6 trumpets in B-flat, 1 bass trumpet in B-flat)

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It Waits Beyond the Window (2020) - for Guitar Trio

$20.00

It Waits Beyond the Window was commissioned by my good friend Shea Socrates in April of 2020 and is loosely inspired by a recurring childhood nightmare that I experienced as child. This nightmare included waking up within the dream and seeing a woman's bloody, grotesque face pressed up against the bed-side window and hearing her scream with rage at the top of her lungs until the nightmare finally ended. I musically convey common tropes of nightmares, such as trying to run away but not getting anywhere, false "wake-ups" within the dream, and a sense of calm only to be interrupted by sudden terror through a balance of consonant and dissonant harmonies, varying melodic material, a wide range of dynamics, tempos, meters, and articulations, and the use of extended techniques.

Duration: Approx. 4 minutes 30 seconds

Format: PDF Score and parts (Guitar 1, 2, 3)

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