Al Fresco

Karel Husa

General Info

Year: 1975
Duration: c. 11:40
Difficulty: VI (see Ratings for explanation)
Publisher: Associated Music Publishers, Inc.
Cost: Score and Parts - $70.00 | Score Only: $20.00

Instrumentation

Full Score
Piccolo
Flute I-II
Oboe I-II
English Horn
Bassoon I-II
Contrabassoon (doubling String Bass)
E-flat Soprano Clarinet
B-flat Soprano Clarinet I-II-III
E-flat Alto Clarinet
B-flat Bass Clarinet
B-flat Contrabass Clarinet (doubling B-flat Bass Saxophone)
E-flat Alto Saxophone I-II
B-flat Tenor Saxophone I-II
E-flat Baritone Saxophone
Bass Saxophone (doubling B-flat Contrabass Clarinet)
B-flat Trumpet I-II-III-IV
Horn in F I-II-III-IV
Trombone I-II-III
Euphonium I-II
Tuba
String Bass (3-4 players preferred, doubling Contrabassoon)
Timpani
Piano
Percussion I-II-III-IV, including:

Bass Drum
Crash Cymbals (2 large)
Glockenspiel (2)
Gong (or Tam-Tam)
Marimba
Snare Drum
Suspended Cymbal (2: large and small)
Vibraphone
Xylophone

Errata

See: Topolewski in Resources, below.

Program Notes

Al Fresco has its roots in Karel Husa’s 1947 orchestral work, Three Fresques for Orchestra, Op. 7. Because the first movement was driven by extensive wind writing, Husa found the perfect opportunity to reimagine the music for wind band upon receiving a commission to compose a work for the Ithaca College Concert Band. Fittingly, this keystone work was the first of the heralded Walter Beeler Memorial Commissions. The first performance was given by the Ithaca College Concert Band (Edward Gobrecht, director) at the MENC Convention in Philadelphia on April 19, 1975, with the composer as guest conductor.

Al Fresco has no programmatic content. However, the title indicates my admiration for the art of painting, especially mural painting on wet plaster. And I have always been greatly moved by the forceful, even grandiose and rough, mysterious pictures dealing with primitive life, war, and pageantry.

- Program Note by composer

Awards

Al Fresco has been recommended as interesting, serious and distinctive music by members of the World Association of Symphonic Bands and Ensembles (WASBE).

Media

Audio CD: Ithaca College Wind Ensemble (Rodney Winther, conductor).

State Ratings

Arkansas: VI
Florida: VI --- (The Florida Bandmasters Association denotes this as "significant literature.")
New York: VI
South Carolina: VI
Texas: V

Performances

To submit a performance please join The Wind Repertory Project

University of Indianapolis (Ind.) Symphonic Wind Ensemble (Jon S. Noworyta, conductor) - 26 March 2023
University of Delaware (Newark) Wind Ensemble (Lauren Reynolds, conductor) – 19 July 2022 WASBE Conference (Prague, Czech Republic)
Oklahoma City (Okla.) University Wind Philharmonic (Jack Malm, conductor) - 12 April 2022
Luther College (Decorah, Iowa) Concert Band (Cory Near, conductor) - 8 April 2022
University of North Texas (Denton) Wind Symphony (Amy Woody, conductor) – 17 February 2022
State University of New York, Potsdam, Symphonic Band (Brian K. Doyle, conductor) – 3 March 2020
University of Oregon (Eugene) Wind Symphony (Jason Silveira, conductor) – 7 March 2019
Eastman School of Music (Rochester, N.Y.) Wind Orchestra (William Talley, conductor) – 30 November 2018
Ball State University (Muncie, Ind.) Symphony Band (Austin Hinkle, conductor) – 26 October 2018
Kenyon College (Gambier, Ohio) Wind Ensemble (Dane Heuchemer, conductor) - 8 April 2018
University of Texas (Austin) Wind Ensemble (Jerry Junkin, conductor) – 23 March 2018
State University of New York, Fredonia, Concert Band (Ray Stewart, conductor) – 7 March 2018
University of Cincinnati (Ohio) College-Conservatory of Music Wind Ensemble (Kevin Holzman, conductor) – 2 November 2017
College-Conservatory of Music, University of Cincinnati Wind Ensemble (Kevin Michael Holzman-conductor)—2 November, 2017
University of Nevada, Reno, Wind Ensemble (R. Reed Chamberlin, conductor) - 21 April 2017 (2017 San Joaquin Valley (Calif.) Concert Band Invitational)
University of North Texas (Denton) Concert Band (Jacqueline Townsend, conductor) – 12 April 2017
University of Minnesota (Minneapolis) Symphonic Band (Jerry Luckhardt, conductor) – 8 March 2017
Ouachita Baptist University (Arkadelphia, Ark.) Wind Ensemble (Craig V. Hamilton, conductor) – 7 March 2017
University of Nebraska (Lincoln) Symphonic Band (Anthony Falcone, conductor) – 7 March 2017
Seattle Pacific University Wind Ensemble (Danny Helseth, conductor) - 24 February 2017
Ithaca (N.Y.) College Concert Band (Brian Diller, conductor) – 1 December 2016

Works for Winds by This Composer

Al Fresco (1973)
American Te Deum (1976)
Apotheosis of This Earth (1970)
Cheetah (2007)
Concertino for Piano and Wind Ensemble (1984)
Concerto for Alto Saxophone and Concert Band (1967)
Concerto for Percussion and Wind Ensemble (1970)
Concerto for Trumpet and Wind Orchestra (1973)
Concerto for Wind Ensemble (1982)
Divertimento for Brass and Percussion (1957)
Divertimento for Symphonic Winds and Percussion (arr. Boyd) (1955/1995)
Élégie from "Osm českých duet" (arr. Reynolds) (1955/2022)
Fanfare for Brass and Percussion (1981)
Festive Ode (1964)
Les Couleurs Fauves (1996)
Music for Prague 1968 (1968)
Smetana Fanfare (1984)

Resources

Fullmer, David. (2003). "Karel Husa." In: A Composer's Insight, Volume 1. Galesville, Md.: Meredith Music Publications. pp. 71–95.
Hinkle, Austin C. "Karel Husa: biography, compositional techniques, and analysis of Al Fresco (1974)." 2019. Ball State University, M.M. thesis.
Miles, Richard, compiler and editor. (2002). Teaching Music Through Performance in Band. Volume 2. Chicago: GIA Publications. pp. 386–390.
Topolewski, Timothy. Errata Studies for the Wind Band Conductor, Vol. 1. Topolewski, 1990.