I know you've been anxiously waiting for those piano/vocal arrangements I told you about at the June concert. Sorry. Things have changed. It's still all pretend, but my shrink has convinced me to Pretend Big. So I have.
Originally, I considered putting the public domain music I found and arranged into a vaudeville show with two pianos. Two pianos were not out of the question as accompaniment in smaller towns on the vaudeville circuit and I've done enough duo piano and duet arrangements that it made sense to score it that way. But then I started to think that a vaudeville show would be somewhat limited. To do it right, there'd have to be some comedy routines and a juggler or dog act. That reduces the music to 6 to 8 people singing and/or dancing for 10 to 15 minutes each. And while I enjoy arranging for pianos, I decided that I've already done that.
Thus, things changed. I started grouping songs so there'd be a sequence of ragtime songs and not-ragtime songs, song and dance, inventions (songs about cars, telephones and movies), The Great War, prohibition, music from theater (George Cohan, Jerome Kern, Eubie Blake, and a song by the great female impressionist of his day, Julian Eltinge), blues and such. For a reason that now escapes me, I borrowed some books on orchestrating. I found one called "The Sound of Broadway Music," not so much a how to as a book about the legendary orchestrators. And then, behold, "The Complete Idiot's Guide to Arranging and Orchestrating." Well. The title said it all. And it was quite good. Thorough and I didn't feel I needed a master's to get started.
And with that, the concept of the evening changed, so that now it's kind of "Ain't Misbehavin'" but bigger. I want 8 singers (4/4), at least two each to be dancers, but all of them are expected to be able to at least move with music. Since this is a pretend production, I also want the swings and understudies to be part of the few large production numbers (like they are in the opening audition of "A Chorus Line").
The orchestra needs 14 (or 15) musicians and a conductor. The major disappointment is that I've limited myself to 4 violins and a plucked string bass. String bass occasionally doubles on tuba. One of the violinists doubles on viola to give the limited section a little mellowness. Two trumpets and a trombone. Alto and tenor sax, clarinet, and flute, with flute also doubling on oboe. The piano wafts from not being necessary to being an essential part of the number. (The fights with the producer have been infuriating. I'd love a larger pit orchestra, with more strings and more brass; additional musicians cost additional bucks, of course, so the producer is dragging his heels.) (I can't tell the shrink that because he'd want to know who the producer is. "Oh. It's the other voice in my head." He sometimes takes me too seriously as it is.) We're negotiating over whether to have a drummer and percussionist or just a drummer. (It's somewhat moot because, after all this time, I still can't figure out how to create the drum set stuff, but I put drum set and percussion lines on the score, just in case it comes to me.)
I really, truly do understand that none of this will see the light of day (or the light of a music stand). Ain't nobody in Harrisburg who'll put on a show that doesn't already have a New York reputation. But orchestrating is fascinating. I've done a few very small ensembles, but this is cool...writing with the same musicians in mind and trying to think of neat things to have them do while not overpowering the singer. When to use everybody and when to use just the piano. My shrink assures me I'm not nuts. I like his attitude, but at times I wonder. This hasn't become an obsession, but it's been a great way to spend evenings.
Hope summer is going well for you. Take good care.
d
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