CHAMBER ENSEMBLE WITH RECORDERS
CHAMBER MUSIC WITH RECORDERS
This specialized chamber music collection explores the unique integration of recorders within modern, mixed instrumental groups. Spanning contemporary chamber repertoire for ensembles featuring recorder consorts, these works highlight innovative timbres, intricate counterpoint, and rich coloristic possibilities. Discover performance information, instrumentation notes, and download official scores and sheet music parts directly from the composer below.
AFTER A TANGO
for chamber ensemble
Duration:
14 minutes
Instrumentation:
Recorders (3), clarinet, trumpet, trombone, guitar, Percussion, violin, double bass
Year Composed:
1995
Premiere Performance:
25 March 1996
Jerusalem, Israel
Students of the Rubin Academy of Music, Jerusalem;
Lior Navok, conductor
About After a Tango
After a Tango is a 14‑minute chamber work composed in 1995 for an unusual and colorful ensemble that includes three recorders, clarinet, trumpet, trombone, guitar, percussion, violin, and double bass. The piece explores the emotional world — the atmosphere of longing, parting, and melancholy associated with the genre. Fragments of tango gestures surface like memories, while the instrumentation evokes its characteristic sonorities. The trio of recorders functions as a kind of modern “Greek chorus,” observing, echoing, and commenting on the musical events around them. The result is a reflective, character‑driven work that blends contemporary chamber writing with the shadow of a familiar dance tradition.
For the Performers
Level: Ideal for professional chamber players and advanced students comfortable with mixed‑instrumentation ensembles and stylistic nuance.
Programming: Well suited for contemporary chamber concerts, programs exploring dance‑inspired works, or recitals featuring unusual instrumental combinations.
Style: Evocative, atmospheric writing with subtle tango reminiscences; the recorder consort acts as a reflective commentary on the ensemble.
Performance Notes: Balance and spatial awareness are key; the recorders’ “chorus” role benefits from clear placement and sensitive dynamic shaping.
Program Notes
The Tango, besides being a passionate dance, also carries other connotations. It is associated with parting, death, and sadness. After a Tango portrays these elements without attempting to mimic the gestures of the traditional dance. Nevertheless, the attentive listener will discern fragments and reminiscences of Argentinean Tango within it. The instrumentation suggests Tango sonorities, thanks to the violin, guitar, double bass, and percussion. Additionally, a consort of three recorders acts as a Greek Chorus, reflecting the music played by the other instruments.