FRIEDMAN Stanley, Zephyr Dances

These six short pieces were composed for my own brass chamber group, the Zephyr Quartet, which includes Ben Lewis (trumpet), Sam Compton (horn) and Greg Luscombe (trombone).The Dances are based on different but related pitch sets, each of which is generated by the available overtones of the various valve combinations:Tango (open-C7 + 1,2,3-F#7),Polka (open-C7 + 1,3-G7),Minuet (open-C7 + 2,3-Aflat7),Balkan Two-Step(open-C7 + 1,2-A7),Sarabande (open-C7 + 1-B-flat7),Hora (open-C7 + 2-B7).These sets further are contrasted with the additional sets of excluded pitches. The results yield modes and harmonies suggestive of music from various cultures and ethnicities. Zephyr Dances is published in both quartet and quintet versions (which differ slightly).Stanley Friedman