Scored for string orchestra, harp, and piano (with optional melody parts for less advanced violins and violas)
Below are the details regarding this piece.
If you are considering performing this work: Please contact me for purchase information, to obtain a perusal score, or to receive a free Demo CD of the piece. Before considering the piece, however, please read the sections below on Instrumentation and Levels of Difficulty to make sure it's suitable for your particular circumstances.
Information about "Remembrances"
Duration
Première
Dedication
Melodies Featured in the Arrangement
Sound Clips
Get the CD
Quotes & Reviews
Instrumentation
Levels of Difficulty
Commissioned for the gala concert honoring Doris and Bill Preucil on their retirement from the Preucil School of Music (Jan. 18, 1998, at Hancher Auditorium in Iowa City, Iowa).
This work is dedicated to Doris Preucil, with great admiration and gratitude for all she has done to instill a lasting love of music in so many people.
This photo from 1976 shows my brother, David, with Doris Preucil (his violin instructor), at a Suzuki Institute that was held at the University of Wisconsin at Stevens Point. My life — as well as David's and countless other musicians' — has been deeply enriched from an early age by Doris's involvement in our musical upbringing. My music career owes a great deal to Doris, and I was therefore thrilled to be able to write "Remembrances" as a way to honor her at her retirement celebration in 1998.
Melodies Featured in "Remembrances"Two melodies that are meaningful to those who are familiar with the Suzuki repertoire:
"Songs My Mother Taught Me"
(Melody by Dvořák)
"Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star"
(Traditional folk song)
(Note: The melodies on which this piece is based are in the public domain. This work, however, is copyright by Peter Bloesch, and all rights are reserved, including the right to perform, record, or broadcast the piece.)
To hear the entire piece (ca. 8 mins.), click here.
Or, select from the following excerpts:
- Beginning of "Songs My Mother Taught Me" (melody by Dvořák, arranged by Peter Bloesch)
- The musical climax of "Songs My Mother Taught Me"
- Transition from "Songs My Mother Taught Me" into "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star" (folk tune, arranged by Peter Bloesch)
- Ending of "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star"
FOR THOSE CONSIDERING PERFORMING THE PIECE:
I'd be glad to send you a complimentary Demo CD of the piece (i.e., my arrangement only, without the rest of the gala concert). Simply contact me and describe your interest in "Remembrances."
FOR THE GENERAL PUBLIC:
To order the CD entitled "Remembrances" (which contains the entire gala concert, including my piece, "Remembrances"), please order it directly from the Preucil School of Music.
Doris Preucil, Founder of The Preucil School of Music and former President of the Sukuzi Association of the Americas:
" 'Remembrances' is a piece for String Orchestra, Harp, and Piano, with optional melody parts for less advanced violins and violas. It is based on two melodies that evoke feelings of love and nostalgia - 'Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star' and Dvořák's 'Songs My Mother Taught Me.'
"The arrangement is creative and the scoring is rich. Mr. Bloesch knows how to write for strings most effectively and knows how to bring out maximum resonance. Performers and audiences alike are very moved by this piece, and I listen to it again and again.
" 'Remembrances' was written for a concert featuring alumni and honoring my retirement as Director of the Preucil School of Music, a Suzuki-based institution with over 800 students. It is especially meaningful for those who have grown up in the Suzuki environment, since they began their musical journey with 'Twinkle' and parental help, but it is equally desirable and effective as a concert piece. I am most happy to recommend it."
— Doris Preucil
Founder and Director Emeritus of the Preucil School of Music and former President of the Suzuki Association of the Americas
Clarisse Atcherson, Suzuki instructor and violinist with the Oregon Symphony:
"'Remembrances' by Peter Bloesch is a favorite piece for my husband and me. We sit on the porch on summer evenings and listen to it over and over. There's something about the lush, full-string orchestration, enhanced by piano and harp, that makes it evoke deep feelings in the listener.
"Peter's use of introduction, transition, and coda is masterful. The piece flows from Dvořák's 'Songs my Mother Taught Me' into a magical, stately arrangement of 'Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star,' and ends with a grand flourish. I loved performing this piece and hope I will play it many more times. I highly recommend it to string ensembles."
— Clarisse Atcherson
Suzuki instructor, Past President of the Oregon Chapter of the American String Teachers Association, and violinist with the Oregon Symphony since 1985
Violin 1 (divides into solo violin and divisi parts for gli altri A & B, so a minimum of 12 players is desirable)
Violin 2 (divides into A & B, so a minimum of 12 players is desirable)
Viola (divides into solo viola and divisi parts for gli altri A & B, so a minimum of 8 players is desirable)
Cello (divides into solo cello and divisi parts for gli altri A & B, so a minimum of 8 players is desirable)
Double Bass (a minimum of 4 players is desirable)
Harp (obbligato)
Piano (obbligato)
THE RIPIENO GROUP IS ENTIRELY OPTIONAL, AND CONSISTS OF:
Ripieno Violin 1 (any quantity)
Ripieno Violin 2 (any quantity)
Ripieno Viola (any quantity)
Note: The ripieno parts offer less advanced players the opportunity to play the basic melodies (in a reasonable octave range) with the core group during several of the louder sections.
Harp: Difficult - recommended for a professional musician
Piano: Moderately difficult - recommended for a professional musician or an advanced high school musician
Ripieno Violin 1 & Viola: Average - these parts are optional and are suitable for above-average high school musicians or advanced younger musicians
Ripieno Violin 2: Even somewhat simpler than the Ripieno Violin 1 part, since the parts are usually an octave lower - this part is optional and is suitable for average high school musicians or above-average younger musicians
