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Thread: Shostakovich: Waltz No. 2, for mandolin quartet

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    Registered User Martin Jonas's Avatar
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    Default Shostakovich: Waltz No. 2, for mandolin quartet

    Dimitri Shostakovich (1906-75): Suite for Variety Orchestra - Waltz No. 2

    This is an adaptation of this famous Shostakovich waltz for mandolin quartet (two mandolins, octave mandolin, mandocello), with the melody shared around between the two mandolins and the octave mandolin. The arrangement is based on a version for saxophone quartet that I found at Musescore:

    https://musescore.com/pcarmich/secon...jazz-orchestra

    I attach the parts I used, changed to concert pitch and suitable clefs but otherwise exactly how they appear in the Musescore file. The key is D Minor, rather than the original C Minor (which makes it much easier on mandolin).

    Shostakovich adapted the tune from a waltz he wrote for the soundtrack of the 1955 Soviet movie "The First Echelon", so I've used screenshots from that movie to go with the music.

    1890s Umberto Ceccherini mandolin
    Mid-Missouri M-0W mandolin
    Mid-Missouri M-111 octave mandolin
    Suzuki MC-815 mandocello



    Martin
    Attached Thumbnails Attached Thumbnails Shostakovich Second_waltz_from_Suite_for_Variety_Orchestra-Octave mandolin.pdf   Shostakovich Second_waltz_from_Suite_for_Variety_Orchestra-Mandolin 1.pdf   Shostakovich Second_waltz_from_Suite_for_Variety_Orchestra-Mandolin 2.pdf  

    Shostakovich Second_waltz_from_Suite_for_Variety_Orchestra-Mandocello.pdf  

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  3. #2
    Registered User Martin Jonas's Avatar
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    Default Re: Shostakovich: Waltz No. 2, for mandolin quartet

    Listening back to the recording this morning, I will need to work on it a bit more, so I've taken it down for now. I like the tune and the arrangement but with the percussive waltz rhythm spread around three instruments it's hard to keep the tracks aligned when overdubbing, and I also need to balance the volume and dynamics between the instruments better.

    I'll update it later.

    Martin

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    Registered User Martin Jonas's Avatar
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    Default Re: Shostakovich: Waltz No. 2, for mandolin quartet

    I had a request for the mandola part in alto clef, to be played on the CGDA mandola rather than octave (as I had). In case other quartets with alto mandola want to try this arrangement, I'm posting the part here. I had to transpose a few notes up by an octave to bring them into range.

    Martin
    Attached Thumbnails Attached Thumbnails Shostakovich Second_waltz_from_Suite_for_Variety_Orchestra-Alto Mandola.pdf  

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    Registered User Martin Jonas's Avatar
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    Default Re: Shostakovich: Waltz No. 2, for mandolin quartet

    Took a bit longer than I was anticipating, but I have now re-recorded my arrangement of the Shostakovich waltz. Same arrangement and instrumentation as before, but slightly faster and with better timing and balance (I hope).



    Martin

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    This Kid Needs Practice Bill Clements's Avatar
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    Default Re: Shostakovich: Waltz No. 2, for mandolin quartet

    Excellent, Martin.
    Thanks for the extra effort on this piece and all you do for the Classical Forum here.
    ~Bill
    "Music is the only noise for which one is obliged to pay." ~ Alexander Dumas

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    Registered User Billy Packard's Avatar
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    Default Re: Shostakovich: Waltz No. 2, for mandolin quartet

    Martin! My partner/lover/piano extraordinaire Alexis Alrich and I do a rip-snorting version of this cute waltz. I actually transcribed it from a youtube recording. Unfortunately I don't have anyone handy to play the bass drum part!
    Billy Packard
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    Default Re: Shostakovich: Waltz No. 2, for mandolin quartet

    I'll have to try this with some friends; the individual parts, to be honest, look kind of dull, but the effect of the quartet all together is charming and very Russian. I hear the melody as it is passed around the group. I moved recently but found another classical plucker in the area and hope to get a quartet going soon. Thanks for all the great music Martin, maybe I'll do an 'ALL-MARTIN JONAS" workshop next year!

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    Registered User Martin Jonas's Avatar
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    Default Re: Shostakovich: Waltz No. 2, for mandolin quartet

    I've just come across a quite different setting of Shostakovich's waltz from the one I recorded in 2019. Intended for solo accordion but translating pretty well to solo mandolin with guitar accompaniment (or, in my case, tenor guitar):

    https://www.donquattrocchi.com/pdf/T...nd%20Waltz.pdf

    Mid-Missouri M-0W mandolin
    Vintage Viaten tenor guitar


    https://youtu.be/t70J3ufeHUY

    Martin

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    Default Re: Shostakovich: Waltz No. 2, for mandolin quartet

    while the two seemed as at odds with each other for the most non musical of reasons, to me Bartok and Shostakovich are the two 20th century giants of music that I admire most. I have toyed with the idea of the first movement (at least) of Shostakovich String Quartet No. 8 on mandolins, mandola and mandocello. Anyway I wanted my bluegrass band to to try the Waltz No.2 but couldn't get the traction. Thanks for posting this, inspiring to say the least.
    Stormy Morning Orchestra

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    "Mean Old Timer, He's got grey hair, Mean Old Timer he just don't care
    Got no compassion, thinks its a sin
    All he does is sit around an play the Mandolin"

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