Concertino-ensemble 小組合協奏曲

A new concept and form of composition/performance emerged today, March 1, 2017, at home after transcribing the first song from "Tâi San Kheh" through Sibelius 4.

This is short and simple composition/arrangement for music students to taste folk or popular music of Taiwan in a small ensemble with concertino style. The ensemble has at least two solo instruments with one playing as soloist while the other playing as accompanist. The accompanist will introduce the motive or the theme. While the soloist play the theme the introducer would play accompaniment.

There could be an optional cadenza played by the soloist. In the case that all members of the ensemble play as soloist, each player could have a cadenza, followed by a closing tutti.   The cadenza can be composed separately in various levels of technicality to be inserted in various levels of concertino of the same tune. The number of movement is not restricted or formulated. 

The forms, the pattern of accompaniment or style of the ensemble could be an imitation of other famous piece.The purpose is for the music student to taste two styles of music in one piece.

Today, Marh 2, 2017, I realized that the form was first created by Mr. Jui-lin Ong, the founder of STYCO, for the first recital of STYCO in this home-made piece honoring the graduating founding member, Dr. Yi-hsiao Leu.  http://tinyurl.com/ensembledconcertino

March 25, 2017 I ran across another idea of naming this form of composition/arrangement - "mini concertino", "mini-concerto", or "concertimini" for short.

This concept is a continuation from the following story.

Piano Lessons

(3) Ahhee Hsu - Piano Lessons TRUE STORY...PLEASE DO NOT DELETE,...

https://www.facebook.com/ahhee.hsu/posts/1608600915822183 

TRUE STORY...PLEASE DO NOT DELETE, RETURN IF YOU CAN'T FORWARD TO AT LEAST ONE PERSON!!!

At the prodding of my friends I am writing this story. My name is Mildred Honor. I am a former elementary school music teacher from Des Moines, Iowa.

I have always supplemented my income by teaching piano lessons... something I have done for over 30 years.

During those years, I found that children have many levels of musical ability, and even though I have never had the prodigy, I have taught some very talented students. However, I have also had my share of what I call 'Musically Challenged Pupils'.

One such pupil being Robby. Robby was 11 years old when his mother (a single mom) dropped him off for his first piano lesson.

I prefer that students (especially boys) begin at an earlier age, which I explained to Robby. But Robby said that it had always been his mother's dream to hear him play the piano, so I took him as a student.

At the end of each weekly lesson he would always say 'My mom's going to hear me play someday.' But to me, it seemed hopeless, he just did not have any inborn ability. I only knew his mother from a distance as she dropped Robby off or waited in her aged car to pick him up. She always waved and smiled, but never dropped in.

Then one day Robby stopped coming for his lessons. I thought about calling him, but assumed that because of his lack of ability he had decided to pursue something else. I was also glad that he had stopped coming. He was a bad advertisement for my teaching!

Several weeks later I mailed a flyer recital to the students' homes. To my surprise, Robby (who had received a flyer) asked if he could be in the recital. I told him that the recital was for current pupils and that because he had dropped out, he really did not qualify.

He told me that his Mother had been sick and unable to take him to his piano lessons, but that he had been practicing. 'Please Miss Honor, I've just got to play,' he insisted. I don't know what led me to allow him to play in the recital - perhaps it was his insistence or maybe something inside of me saying that it would be all right.

The night of the recital came and the high school gymnasium was packed with parents, relatives and friends. I put Robby last in the program, just before I was to come up and thank all the students and play a finishing piece. I thought that any damage he might do would come at the end of the program and I could always salvage his poor performance through my 'Curtain Closer'.

Well, the recital went off without a hitch; the students had been practicing and it showed. Then Robby came up on the stage. His clothes were wrinkled and his hair looked as though he had run an egg beater through it. 'Why wasn't he dressed up like the other students?' I thought. 'Why didn't his Mother at least make him comb his hair for this special night?'

Robby pulled out the piano bench, and I was surprised when he announced that he had chosen to play Mozart's Concerto No.21 in C Major. I was not prepared for what I heard next. His fingers were light on the keys, they even danced nimbly on the ivories. He went from pianissimo to fortissimo, from allegro to virtuoso; his suspended chords that Mozart demands were magnificent! Never had I heard Mozart played so well by anyone his age.

After six and a half minutes, he ended in a grand crescendo, and everyone was on their feet in wild applause!!! Overcome and in tears, I ran up on stage and put my arms around Robby in joy.

'I have never heard you play like that Robby, how did you do it? Through the microphone Robby explained: 'Well, Miss Honor, remember I told you that my mom was sick? Well, she actually had cancer and passed away this morning. And well... she was born deaf, so tonight was the first time she had ever heard me play, and I wanted to make it special.'

There wasn't a dry eye in the house that evening. As people from Social Services led Robby from the stage to be placed in to foster care, I noticed that even their eyes were red and puffy. I thought to myself then how much richer my life had been for taking Robby as my pupil.

No, I have never had a prodigy, but that night I became a prodigy ... of Robby. He was the teacher and I was the pupil, for he had taught me the meaning of perseverance and love and believing in yourself, and may be even taking a chance on someone and you didn't know why.

Robby was killed years later in the senseless bombing of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City in April, 1995.

What touches me is not anything about the truth in the story. It helps me and guide me to study "concerto" and find new ways for ordinary people, especially the "half-bucket-musicians" to approach and appreciate the concerto..
See this for further understanding. http://www.snopes.com/glurge/music.asp