Piano Trio,String Ensemble - Level 5 - Digital Download
SKU: A0.861899
Composed by Mark O'Connor. 20th Century,Contemporary,Folk. Score and parts. 23 pages. Mark O'Connor Musik International #6206159. Published by Mark O'Connor Musik International (A0.861899).
Piano Trio No. 1 Poets and Prophets (violin part – piano, vln, cel) MO160B
Violin Part (score and parts available)
Music by Mark O’Connor
20 pages - 29:00 minutes in length
I. Man In Black
II. The Tennessee Two
III. My June
IV. Hello, I’m Johnny Cash
Piano Trio No. 1 (Poets and Prophets) was composed by Mark O’Connor during the Fall of 2003. The piece was commissioned for the Eroica Trio by a noted patron for music, Kathryn Gould of Palo Alto, California. The world premiere took place at the Montalvo Chamber Music Series in California, March 5th, 2004. In a letter to the members of the trio dated 9/20/03, Mr. O’Connor lays out his plan for the new music.
My initial ideas have sort of exploded in to the entire concept of the music with a real impact actually. Now I am piecing together the parts of it and then will eventually work on detail as I get the overall form under wrap. Here is what my inspiration for the music is; Johnny Cash.
Johnny was a boyhood hero of mine, I used to sing his songs when I was 8, 9 and 10 years old, and played the guitar like him (sometimes up the fretboard strumming away). My mom used to help me transcribe all the lyrics off the albums, she also thought he hung the moon.
As you can imagine, the passing of Cash for me this last week has been emotional. I am at my very best when I compose with my emotions at my sleeve, and guess what, it is time to do the Eroica piece. And I believe I will be able to craft a very unique tribute in to the form of a Piano Trio. There is something that is very fitting in all of this though. Cash was one of the few country music and rockabilly musicians to appeal to all ages, all types of people all the way into the MTV generation which is something that is hard to fathom. That one person can move musical mountains with his charisma and his voice. He sung about the prisons, riding the trains, about killing, and living, about lost love, about the gospel, about the downtrodden and the Native American, and about being stoned. His musical sound was the thing that got everybody though. He developed along with his guitar player Luther Perkins, a new and vibrant way to bring the music out.
I also knew Johnny and worked with him, visited him privately at his home. Johnny also appeared on my album called Heroes, where he brought back the great story of the Devil coming down to Georgia to challenge young Johnny for the golden fiddle. My job now is to bridge what I am feeling about my inspiration for Cash, and bring it in to the instruments that I love writing for.
I might not have imagined that this Johnny Cash concept would have worked out of hand, if it hadn’t been for your musicianship, insight fullness and graceful approaches in to the details of musical concepts and style. If the piece is good, then I will have no doubt that you will bring it to the forefront so others can grasp the intentions of the work, and in addition for others to enjoy playing it after you have brought it all out in to the open, and gave it a life.
Original music printed from the composer’s manuscripts.
Music editing, copying and engraving by Mark O’Connor
using Finale on Apple Macintosh 2003
Composed by Mark O’Connor
Can be heard on An American Journey by the Eroica Trio, Angel Records
Mark O’Connor Piano Trio with Soyeon Lee and Soo Bae soon to be released on OMAC Records
Catalogue Number MO160.
