Richard Peaslee's Nightsongs is a single concert work for flugelhorn and/or trumpet, presented here with piano accompaniment. Written in 1973 and lasting approximately ten minutes, it was commissioned by trumpeter Harold Lieberman for a Carnegie Hall recital. Peaslee conceived the music around the flugelhorn's dark, singing sound; this listing is the piano edition, not the orchestral or wind-ensemble version.
The writing moves between reflective lyricism and more animated, jazz-inflected passages. Low-register color and syncopated rhythms are important features, while brighter trumpet sonorities can sharpen the contrast when both instruments are used. Triplet figures add motion within a work whose character depends as much on atmosphere as on brilliance.
For recital preparation, useful priorities include an even singing tone, clear rhythmic placement, and shaping the transitions between contrasting moods. The approximately ten-minute span offers room for a sustained musical narrative rather than a brief showpiece. This 20-page Shawnee Press edition is cataloged as MM0061 / HL 35015157.
* Note: Houghton Horns is not in any way affiliated with the creators of this video. We included the video to give you a general taste of what the song will sound like, but the artist's interpretation of the piece may vary from your sheet music.
Richard Peaslee's Nightsongs is a single concert work for flugelhorn and/or trumpet, presented here with piano accompaniment. Written in 1973 and lasting approximately ten minutes, it was commissioned by trumpeter Harold Lieberman for a Carnegie Hall recital. Peaslee conceived the music around the flugelhorn's dark, singing sound; this listing is the piano edition, not the orchestral or wind-ensemble version.
The writing moves between reflective lyricism and more animated, jazz-inflected passages. Low-register color and syncopated rhythms are important features, while brighter trumpet sonorities can sharpen the contrast when both instruments are used. Triplet figures add motion within a work whose character depends as much on atmosphere as on brilliance.
For recital preparation, useful priorities include an even singing tone, clear rhythmic placement, and shaping the transitions between contrasting moods. The approximately ten-minute span offers room for a sustained musical narrative rather than a brief showpiece. This 20-page Shawnee Press edition is cataloged as MM0061 / HL 35015157.
* Note: Houghton Horns is not in any way affiliated with the creators of this video. We included the video to give you a general taste of what the song will sound like, but the artist's interpretation of the piece may vary from your sheet music.