Nola by Felix Arndt arr. guitar duo. The composition dates from 1915 and is frequently referred to as the first piece of novelty music an idiom that emerged from the ragtime era. Light and breezy in character it is a style of music very much intended to lift the mood and spirit. This is the perfect “party piece.” Arndt was a New York based composer and pianist who died during the Spanish Flu epidemic of 1919. Guitar parts are appended to the full score in the pdf sheet music download. Guitar accompaniments are in place allowing guitars to participate in play-a-long ensemble activities as part of music practice routines. The accompaniment tracks play back at 58, 60, 62, 64 & 66 & 68 half note (minim) beats per minute. There is a two bar count in /click track at the beginning of the accompaniment tracks. The guitar accompaniment is quite playable and not nearly as difficult as the Guitar 1 solo. Classical, steel and electric guitar are all appropriate although an acoustic sound has been used in the #PlentyMusic recordings. Appreciate that there are some octave transpositions in the parts required to keep to the range of the instrument. Sections need to be played at the same tempo and there is little opportunity for slowing down at the end of phrases and sections. This is music that moves along quickly but also needs to played in a completely relaxed manner. Nola is brimming with musical ideas and inventiveness and is a very “modern” sounding work for 1915. As a musical snapshot of its time it references both the ragtime era of its near past and points to the future in its swing jazz style triplet rhythms. Swing playing identifies more with the 1920’s so this is music that can be viewed as being ahead of its time. The playing style of the bass and chords is derived from ragtime. Contrasting and repeating sections are in evidence whilst the formal pattern of the music is A B A C D C A with an 8 bar coda at the end. The key plan can be summarised as I – i – I – IV - I The novelty era has a strong connection with ragtime particularly in the choices of formal patterns and musical shapes. Whilst the repetitive element is strong the composer does not make use of repeat signs. The music editor’s observation is that Felix Arndt was a hugely talented, imaginative and inventive composer and it is a tragedy that he did not live longer to compose music that similarly anticipated future trends. He left the music world with the potential to achieve so much. Born in 1889 if he had lived his entitled three year scores and ten he could have lived until 1959 and would have been a contemporary with so many other greats. It is also ironic because 1959 is the year that a version of Nola achieved success in the pop charts. What is so evident is that he had a wonderful understanding of harmonic colour and the relevance of chords in the popular music idiom. He can be truly described as a musical forerunner. Apart from the abundance of musical ideas it is understanding of the harmonic framework which makes his music so appealing. There are several dance patterns referenced in the music.
