“20th Century Good-bye”
(Composed, arranged, and orchestrated by Reynold D. Philipsek, copyright 1997 Zino-Rephi Music BMI)
Piano, vocals-reynold
Cello parts-Dianne Tremaine
Flute-Kristi Kuhns
Clarinet-Kevin Stuevens
Percussion-Gomez de Riquet
Violin parts-Carolyn Boulay
Oboe-Merilee Klemp
Trombone,cornet and euphonium parts-Zane Schaefer
Harp-Sunita Staneslow
Recorded by Brandon Lenz
Mastered by John Hammond
This remains the most wholly thought-out and thoroughly composed piece I have ever done or am likely to ever do. The entire track was built off of my vocal and spare piano. It is one of only a handful of songs I wrote on piano and not guitar.
In the late 1990’s I came up with this idea and went to great lengths to record this song by bringing in so many instrumentalists to play their part. I really thought this song would make some sort of deep impression, and while the Minneapolis Star Tribune gave the album of the same name a nice review and it was listed as one of the better local records of the year, not much came of it.
The constant quarter note pulse (on various instruments) is meant to depict a ticking clock and march of time. The melody over an ascending chromatic bass and tympani at the end is something my old music teacher (Phil Welter) hipped me to when I was in my late teens. As a device, it may not be totally groundbreaking, but it provides a bit of subliminal tension and an exciting dynamic. The “orchestration” leans heavily on what Claus Ogerman did with the early Jobim records. Spare and clear lines that interweave.
The energy it took to mount this project is something I don’t think I could muster these days. Just writing out all of the parts (I did it by hand) took forever as I was a relative late-comer to notating arrangements. In retrospect, I seemed to have had boundless enthusiasm in those days. That’s why the old maxim “make hay when the sun shines” is apt. Headphones help.
“20th Century Good-bye”
(Philipsek)
Some war, some peace,
All the happenstance between
Our two eternities in the meantime.
Is this an age of wonder of just Babylon?
A spectacular sunset mistaken
for a dawn at the same time?
Just where did the time fly?
20th Century Good-bye.
The rise and and decline
Of another chapter of mankind
In the meantime.
Is it random or design
that a million fates
all intertwine at the same time?
We all want to go to heaven
but we don’t want to die,
Like to take the plunge
and still keep dry in the meantime.
Be kind.
Love,
Reyn