Shostakovich

[Billy Packard]

I'm looking for a polka by Dimitri Shostakovich that is (more or less) conventional.

I like to feature composers with a couple of tunes and I recently got his Waltz No.2 charted and arranged. I also have Romance and both of them are beautiful. The polkas of his I've seen so far are a bit too quirky for what I like to do.

Any suggestions?

Billy Packard

billypackardmandolin.com

[themandocello]

Have you looked on imslp.org?

[ccravens]

For Shostakovich, the "more or less" conventional idea: probably a lot "less" than "more" in his case!

His string quartets are among my favorite of any composer in that configuration.

Let us know if you find anything.

[Billy Packard]

..themandocello, (I don't see your name!) Thanks for the referral. That is a very interesting website at first glance and look forward to delving deeper.

Chris--LOL, after an only brief search, quirk was all I saw. The two pcs I mentioned above are right down the middle, lovely, accessible and musical. I will continue the search and keep you in the loop.

Billy

ps let me know if you'd like a pdf of the waltz, I just finished my arrangement. It's engaging and simple.

[David L]

I'm assuming that you consider the polka from "The Golden Age" too quirky? It is one of my favorites.

[Martin Jonas]

Check out this thread from a couple of years ago -- not a polka, but a lovely tune:

http://www.mandolincafe.com/forum/sh...dos-and-Guitar

At the time, Mark Linkins sent me the parts for his arrangement, but I can't locate them now -- I need to try to contact him again to see if I can get another copy.

Martin

[Brian Sullivan]

I've always enjoyed 'The Bureaucrat's Dance' from 'The Bolt'. Its technically a polka, though I suppose it has more than its share of quirk. I'd be surprised if he wrote a polka without some quirk, guessing that there was sociopolitical baggage tied up with that particular dance form at the time?

[Billy Packard]

David L--Indeed I'm saying this polka is too quirky! Interesting, different, but WAY quirky. I could probably master it on the mando but arranging it, I'm not so technically proficient!

Martin Jones--This is a lovely recording and I'd love to have the scores for my collection. My problem is-- it is another slow tune! For my purposes I need a fast one to round out a three song set.

Brian Sullivan--Wow, this is interesting. I can't (as of now) hear a mandolin interpretation of this. It's still pretty Quirky. I'll listen more...

et al...Shostakovich has written some simple, beautiful slower pieces among his various prolific contributions. But whether or not "sociopolitical baggage" kept him from simpler, more accessible, (to me anyway!!) polkas I'll never know.

Please! Any other suggestions??

My 'style' for concert is to feature a composer with numerous examples. For example, Edwardo Mezzacappo, Rapheal Calache, Astor Piazzolla, Darius Milhaud, (who can get quirky), Ernesto Nazareth, etc. I was hoping for a Russian example with Shostie. I'm not giving up, I really like his music.

Please keep the ideas coming and thanks SO much y'all!!

Billy

billypackardmandolin.com

[Brian Sullivan]

Yeah Billy, I'm not sure how that one would work out on single mando, perhaps a quartet though. It was kind of just a random neural firing when I saw Shostakovich and polka. Played a wind ensemble transcription of that one back a decade ago.