Ted Unseth: Composer/Arranger

 

01.  Møllargutens Brudemars
(Arranged: 1987--for Piano; 2004--for Computer)
This is a note-for-note arrangement of Møllargutens Brudemars, a famous Norwegian wedding march composed by a man known only as the Miller's Boy.  He was in love with a Norwegian girl, but she chose to marry another man.  The epitome of chivalry, he composed and performed this piece at her wedding.  It's traditionally played on the Hardanger Fiddle (Hardingfele--a unique version of Violin employing four sympathetically vibrating strings below the normal four).  The man attributed as the inventor of the first Hardingfele  (Ola Jonson Jaastad) is in my Mother's family tree! 

02. Chromatische
(Composed: 1972--2for Piano; 2002--for Computer)
In the early 1970's I found time and inclination for sitting at the Piano and creating several Original Concepts.   This is one of them.  I was never quite satisfied with the limitations of the Piano, so am pleased to have finally rendered this fully the way I always intended.

03. Dolcezza
(Composed: 1973--for Piano; 2001--for Computer)
Only 41 seconds long, but perhaps qualifying as Short & Sweet (Dolcezza is Italian for sweetness; gentleness).  Untitled when I first conceived it, I decided to dedicate the Computer version to an Italian friend (the bird singing at the end is saying:  "Bon Giorno, Carla.").

04. Fascinatin' Rhythm
(Arranged: 1994--for Jazz Band; 2002--for Computer)
This is a note-for-note Transcription of the Paul Whiteman Orchestra recording of 1924.  I believe it's the first-ever recording of this George Gershwin classic.  Gershwin was, at this time, employed by the Whiteman Orchestra.  This is his arrangement and he was also the Pianist for the session.  I arranged this not long after I'd done a very successful 20th Anniversary Concert Series for my Americana Classic Jazz Orchestra in 1993 (Bandana Square; St. Paul, MN).  I had the itch to transcribe something new for a possible follow-up concert (which never happened--not enough interest).   I had the Full Score, but no way to hear it--that is until I finally discovered Computer Composing.  I tried to find the most realistic Soundfonts possible (many, if not most, sound very synthetic and unreal).  The best Brass and Woodwind fonts were found at the Website  for Bananaquartz Studios.  The ending absolutely qualifies, in the words of a National Public Radio announcer several years ago, as Foursquare!.

05. Happy Pizzicato Birthday
(Arranged: 2001--for Computer)
Dedicated to a friend on her Birthday.  My instructions to her went: 
Just do this:  Imagine you're at a Birthday for a Duke or Duchess @ 1830. The Court Composer, Teodoro Unsetto, has composed a little birthday tribute/game for the occasion.  The orchestra has 8 violins, 8 violas and 8 basses.  Everyone is invited to the dancefloor and instructed to freeze every time theres a rest in the note-playing (e.g., the first  line of the ditty goes:  doot-doot, doot doot doot, doot, rest).  The tune will be played three times around: First, the Violins play the Melody.  Second, the Violas join in with a Harmony.  Lastly, the Basses add a bass-line.  And the finale will be a Clever Ending.  When it's all over, everyone is laughing and clapping = "Teodoro, youve done it again!  Bravo!"  

06. Purporta
(Composed: 1974--for Piano; 2002--for Computer)
Another of those early 1970's Compositions for Piano.   I'd originally considered it Untitled, but a long-time friend, Charles Greve III, reminded me that I'd been short of cash back in those days and I convinced Chuck to commission me to write a Piece for himt--this is it.  The fee?  Fifteen dollars, as I recall.

07. The Dodge
(Sketched--1973; Composed: for Piano--1988; for Computer--2002)
I'd originally done just a cursory sketch of this in the early 70's, but friend Chuck Greve always liked this piece so he (once again--who is this man, my Benefactor?  No, just a great life-long Friend) commissioned me to write a neat, clean Score for it.  The fee?  Fifty dollars, I believe.  Times change, as do my prices.  I used Calliope soundfonts for the two main lines and added Contrabass and Pizzicato Strings for extra effect.  I'd recently envisioned this as a perfect vehicle for the Wurlitzer Grand Concert Music Box at the Dentzel Carousel in Glen Echo Park, Maryland.  Only eleven of these music boxes were made--nine are in private collections and one is in a museum; therefore, this is the only one actively functioning today.   I discovered there's no longer any company that creates the paper rolls for this music box; thus, I would have to collaborate with the Curator of the Carousel and punch all the holes by hand (and by Guess and by Golly--)maybe someday when I've got a lot of spare time.

08. Kjaerlighet
(Conceived: for Guitar/Voice--1970; composed: for Piano/Voice--
1987; for Computer--2002)
 The First Version came about in an empty room one night at the Crosby House (an old mansion converted to classrooms for the Urban Arts Program in Minneapolis, MN).   I was a Music Instructor for several UA classes; but also a Caretaker of the building.  One of those empty rooms had just-right acoustics and I recall sitting in the middle of the floor,  in the dark,  moonlight streaming through the windows,  Me and My Guitarand a bit of a Vision that a young Norwegian boy was singing this song to his Sweetheart.  Since I didn't know much Norwegian at the time, I sang Nonsense Lyrics and sang in Falsetto Range.  I liked it so much that I performed it in public quite a few times, during my Singer/Songwriter phase (1966-1973).  Years pass by, and my Parents' 50th Wedding Anniversary is coming up in 1987.  Sister Vivian thinks there should be some sort of Musical Tribute for them, so we collaborate on a Norwegian Folk Music presentation called Bryllupsfantasi  (Wedding Fantasy).  Selection #1 on this CD (Mollargutens Brudermars) was the Closer for the Program.  And I decided to do this piece (Selection #8) as well.  I had a Norwegian friend help me with lyrics (not included here) and the title (Kjaerlighet is Norwegian for Beloved) and arranged it for Piano and Voice.  I told my Dad to pretend he was singing this to Mom as a Young Man.   It went well enough, but I was disappointed that I had to sing it an octave lower (I couldn't sing that high any more).  I always wanted to render it more closely to my original intent.   Thus, this 3rd Attempt, which I'm well-
pleased with:  the Feeling is right.

09.  Quintet #2-Movement I
10.  Quintet #2Movement II
11.  Quintet #2, Movement III
(Composed: 1978--for Clarinet/String Quartet; 2002--for Harmonica/Strings)
Warren Park (Founder of the West Bank School of Music; Mpls.) encouraged me to participate in his school's 1978 Composers Workshop--for $25 (I pay)I'd get two Professional Classical Ensembles (a Quintet and an Octet).  I'd contribute two Compositions.  There'd be one Rehearsal for each piece and a Concert that'd feature both.   Sure, Composing is my Big Dream.  The Rehearsal and Performance for Quintet #1 were pretty awful--the Vibraphonist was completely unprepared in Rehearsal but assured me he'd study his part and play it perfectly in the Concert--the didn't; he constantly lost his place and faked his part.  It sucked...
Quintet #2 fared much better, but there were a few mistakes, still.  I always wanted to hear a performance that played all the notes accurately.  Twenty four years later, the Dream is finally realized here.  Yes!

13.   Es Ist Genug
(Arranged: 2002--for Computer)
Arnold Schönberg (of 12-tone composing fame) was known to advise his Composition students to consider Melody last, not first; Harmony was the key to great composing.  I'm including this J.S. Bach (my absolute all-time favorite Composer)  Harmonization of a popular Lutheran  Hymn (Chorale) Melody on this CD because:  1) it's a prime example of Bach's genius for Harmonic Invention; and 2) I think it's simply Beautiful.  I can almost see the Great Bach, alone in the Organ Loft, composing this on a Saturday afternoon:  Es ist genug.  (It is enough.)

14.  Mala Matih Odnu Dochku
Mala Matih Odnu Dochku.  A Mother's Daughter.  Ukrainian Folk Tune arranged by Mykola Leontovich.  @ 27 years ago, I asked bandmember and cohort Mark Bryn to write-out from-memory this tune because he said it was one of the more beautiful ones that his father featured as director of the Ukrainian Chorus of Minneapolis.  I was only half-kidding when I said it, but Mark picked up a scrap piece of  staff  paper and sketched all four voices.  I said,  "You can't do that; this can't be right." and I went to the piano and plunked it out = it was perfect!    Then, only a few days ago (2002), Mark and family are in town and we meet for dinner and I shove blank  music paper in front of him and say, I dare you to do that again.  He did.  This is it.  (It is more than enough.) 

15. Valdres Springar
I saw Torleiv Bolstad, a Norwegian National Champion Fiddler, at a free Concert given at the U. of MNs Architecture Court (around 1970).  From the balcony I held my little pocket cassette recorder and taped his performance of this Valdres Springar (song about a mountain stream).  Fifteen years later I transcribed it for piano (my parents 50th Anniversary).  Then, recently, I found an appropriate soundfont combination = this version is very reminiscentof the ambience of that day back in 1970--the building had a full, natural acoustic reverberation.  I tried to be note-for-note accurate, even to the point of writing-in (2nd verse) an accent and short pause which correlated with a male dancer doing a backflip.  This is championship fiddling, Norwegian-style.       

    
 
Ted Unseth
Minneapolis, MN
tedeboy@att.net
http://tedeboy.net

Copyright 2004  © Ted Unseth