Edgar Meyer Compositions

As far as I'm aware, most of his music is not available for sale. The solo parts for his concertos are also unavailable; it's the orchestra parts you can rent.

When someone asked him about this in a class, he said he doesn't like to sell his music because "no one else can play it right." I can respect that.

 

I started transcribing "canon" a while back. I got about a minute ande a half into it. Its not too bad. 15/8 get a little weird because there is some over the bar line stuff. The best part is if you can't understand Edgar, just wait 15 beats and Bela plays it. Its a very cool piece.

Also, making it easier to transcribe, he pretty much stays within a pentatonic or hexatonic mode the whole time. So, you can kinda "guess" notes with a lot of accuracy. He stays in that mode almost exclusively.

And, at least in my case, I've listened to it so much I can almost sing it from memory. It's not too much of a bear.

 

I only made it about a minute and a half through, then I moved on to other stuff. It might become a summer project though.

 

I wish he would sell "Wolly Mammoth" that song is so cool.

 

I'm sure there's someone out there somewhere right now with a digital slower-downer device who's transcribing every note Edgar has played. Won't be too long until the "E.M. Real Book."

 

It'd be on the market already if there was. The genius who tries to do that will probably end up in a law suit.

 

it's really interesting to transcribe the stuff you are interested in, not noly to keep your ears working, but to see HOW edgar composes. I transcribed his '3rd mov. from Amalgamations for Solo bass' from 'uncommon ritual', and it was alot of fun. I reckon he was using solo strings except with a regular orchestral tuned bottom E. (E B E A). it was intersting to see how alot of stuff (but not all) worked really quite easily with the left hand, but getting that 'edgar' bowstroke took some time! it's a really cool piece..