Aegean Festival Overture

From Wind Repertory Project
Andreas Makris

Andreas Makris (trans. Albert Bader)


General Info

Year: 1967 / 1970
Duration: c. 10:25
Original Medium: Orchestra
Difficulty: VI (see Ratings for explanation)
Publisher: E.C. Schirmer Archives (Originally, Galaxy Music)
Cost: Score and Parts - $94.95   |   Score Only - Unknown

For further availability information, see Discussion tab, above.


Instrumentation

Full Score
Flute I-II-III (I doubling Piccolo)
Oboe I-II
English Horn
Bassoon I-II
E-flat Soprano Clarinet
B-flat Soprano Clarinet Solo-I-II-III
E-flat Alto Clarinet
B-flat Bass Clarinet
E-flat Contra-Alto Clarinet
E-flat Alto Saxophone I-II
B-flat Tenor Saxophone
E-flat Baritone Saxophone
B-flat Cornet I-II-III
B-flat Trumpet I-II
Horn in F I-II-III-IV
Trombone I-II-III
Euphonium
Tuba
String Bass
Timpani
Percussion I-II, including:

  • Bass Drum
  • Crash Cymbals
  • Snare Drum
  • Triangle
  • Xylophone


Errata

  • Bassoon 2: 3 measures before rehearsal 15: Part lists two C#s in this measure; should be C# on beat 1, D on beat 2 (4)
  • Flute 2/3: Unclear in the parts: Flute 2 enters 5th measure of rehearsal 37. Flute 3 enters at rehearsal 38.
  • Bassoons: 3 measures before rehearsal 35: articulation marks are missing in part and score. Should mimic all other parts.

Program Notes

This piece was written in 1967 as an orchestral overture for the Washington National Symphony and was premiered by that group under Howard Mitchell a year later at Constitution Hall. Its immediate success then and on tour occasioned the collaboration between Makris and Albert Bader of the U.S. Air Force Band to arrange the overture as a concert piece for band.

From its first hammering dotted eighth rhythms, Aegean Festival Overture reflects the Greek origins of its composer, who was born in Salonika, a colorful Aegean seaport. The driving energy of the fast section with its restless 5s and 7s and the lyric plaintiveness of the contrasting middle section, all molded into a symphonic form, epitomize the musical style of Makris that is a blend of classic form and Greek folkloristic elements.

- Program Note excerpted from the Yale Concert Band concert program


Aegean Festival Overture has been a staple in the band repertoire ever since, and like Shostakovich’s Festive Overture, is best known in its version for concert band. Although Makris did not use any actual folk tunes, the melodies and rhythms throughout Aegean Festival Overture are unmistakably Greek in origin.

- Program Note excerpted from United States Marine Band notes


While both melodies and rhythms of the Aegean Festival Overture have been undoubtedly influenced by the Greek folk music, there is nothing which has been taken directly from the folk music, and it is all original. If one looks through the pages of the Aegean casually, one would at once see a definite characteristic, and that is irregular and multiple rhythms.

To quote the composer: “Concerning the melodies, they are all original, but my memories from Greece, the climate, sky, beautiful sea, the gaiety and sorrow of the Greek people undoubtedly have contributed to the general character of these melodies. The elaborate clarinet cadenza is a shepherd’s inspiration but obviously too sophisticated to actually be played by the lonely shepherd.”

- Program Note from Texas A&M University Wind Symphony concert program, 24 November 2019


Media


State Ratings

  • Florida: VI
  • Maryland: VI
  • New York: VI
  • North Carolina: VI
  • Virginia: VI


Performances

To submit a performance please join The Wind Repertory Project

  • The Naperville (Ill.) Winds (Sean Kelley, conductor) - 14 March 2024
  • San Luis Obispo (Calif.) Wind Orchestra (David Rackley, conductor) – 24 September 2023
  • Bowling Green (Ohio) State University Wind Symphony (Bruce Moss, conductor) - 14 April 2023
  • Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville Wind Symphony (Rubén Darío Gómez, conductor) - 1 March 2022
  • Kent (Ohio) State University Wind Ensemble (Wendy Matthews, conductor) - 30 January 2022 (Severance Music Center, Cleveland)
  • University of Central Arkansas (Conway) Wind Ensemble (Ricky Brooks, conductor) – 21 February 2020 (CBDNA 2020 Southwestern Division Conference, Norman, Okla.)
  • Ohio University (Athens) Wind Symphony (William Talley, conductor) – 13 February 2020
  • Texas A&M University (College Station) Wind Symphony (Timothy Rhea, conductor) – 24 November 2019
  • University of South Carolina (Columbia) Wind Ensemble (Cormac Cannon, conductor) – 19 November 2019
  • University of Central Arkansas (Conway) Wind Ensemble (Brantley Douglas, conductor) – 10 October 2019
  • University of Georgia (Athens) Hodgson Wind Ensemble (Cynthia Johnston Turner, conductor) – 1 October 2019
  • California State University, Stanislaus, Wind Ensemble (Stuart Sims, conductor) – 9 May 2019
  • University of Minnesota (Minneapolis) Symphonic Band (J. Nick Smith, conductor) – 25 April 2019
  • Atlanta (Ga.) Youth Wind Symphony (Scott A. Stewart, conductor) - 19 May 2019
  • Carrollton (Tex.) Wind Symphony (Jim McDaniel, conductor) - 21 December 2018 (2018 Midwest Clinic)
  • The University of Texas at Tyler Wind Ensemble (Jeffrey Emge, conductor) – 6 December 2018
  • University of North Texas (Denton) Wind Symphony (Eugene Migliaro Corporon, conductor) – 27 September 2018
  • United States Marine Band (Washington, DC.) (Jason K. Fettig, conductor) - 29 August 2018
  • Indiana University (Bloomington) Concert Band (Jason H. Nam, conductors) – 14 November 2017


Works for Winds by This Composer


Resources

  • Andreas Makris website
  • Miles, Richard B., and Larry Blocher. 2002. Teaching Music Through Performance in Band. Volume 4. Chicago: GIA Publications. pp. 575-582.