Pablo!

Richard Meyer

General Info

Year: 2002
Duration: c. 9:10
Difficulty: IV (see Ratings for explanation)
Publisher: Alfred Music Publishing
Cost: Score and Parts (print) - $100.00; (digital) - $100.00 | Score Only (print) - $12.00

Instrumentation

Full Score
Flute I-II
Oboe I-II
Bassoon
B-flat Soprano Clarinet I-II-III
E-flat Alto Clarinet
B-flat Bass Clarinet
E-flat Alto Saxophone I-II
B-flat Tenor Saxophone
E-flat Baritone Saxophone
B-flat Trumpet I-II-III
Horn in F I-II
Trombone I-II-III
Euphonium
Tuba
Timpani
Percussion I-II-III, including:

Bass Drum
Bells
Castanets
Crash Cymbals
Crotales
Guiro
Ratchet
Snare Drum
Suspended Cymbal
Tambourine
Temple Blocks
Triangle
Vibraphone
Xylophone

Errata

None discovered thus far.

Program Notes

Pablo Picasso -- just the mention of the world-renowned artist's name brings with it mental images of bold works that rocked the art world and forever changed how great works of art are perceived. In this musically varied and intriguing work, the stages of Picasso's creative development are depicted in sound, from the "blue" and "rose" periods to the highly innovative "cubist" period. The music is completely engaging, with moments that echo of the Spanish influence, the impressionistic and pointillistic movements. With such strong imagery associated with the music, a high level of performance can be achieved as the music takes on characteristics of both the aural and visual arts.

- Program Note from publisher

This colorful and highly original work depicts the various stages of creativity in the life of the world-renowned artist Pablo Picasso. The piece is divided into five distinct sections:

The Main Theme is based on the Malaga movement from Isaac Albeniz’s masterwork Iberia (Book IV). Picasso was born in Malaga, a provincial town in Southern Spain, in 1881.

Variation I depicts Picasso’s somber “Blue Period,” which was started as a result of the suicide of his friend and fellow artist Carlos Casagemas. Casagemas’s musical name (C-A-A-G-E-A) is heard throughout this haunting variation.

Variation II represents Picasso’s lighter “Rose Period.” Paintings were much warmer and more cheerful during this time, most often depicting acrobats, harlequins and jugglers. Picasso and his friends attended the Cirque Medrano several times a week during this period.

Variation III employs minimalist techniques to represent Picasso’s highly innovative “Cubist” technique in which images were broken down into small fragments and then newly reorganized.

Variation IV depicts Picasso’s love of the bullfights. The virtuosic melody that opens this section is eventually combined with the original main theme to bring the work to an exciting conclusion.

Commissioned by Dr. James Arnwine for the Pasadena City College Concert Band.

- Program Note from score

Media

Audio: Reference recording. Ensemble and conductor unknown
Audio CD: First Colony Middle School Honors Band (Bethann Adams, conductor) – 2002

State Ratings

Louisiana: IV
Tennessee: V
Texas: IV. Complete

Performances

To submit a performance please join The Wind Repertory Project

San Antonio (Tx.) Community Wind Ensemble (Albert Aguilar, conductor) - 13 December 2020
Harmonique de Rungis (France) (Marie Faucqueur, conductor) - May 2013
First Colony Middle School (Sugar Land, Tx.) Honors Band (Bethann Adams, conductor) – 20 December 2002 (2002 Midwest Clinic)

Works for Winds by This Composer

Resources

Meyer, R. (2002). Pablo! [score]. Alfred Pub. Co.: Van Nuys, Calif.
Pablo Picasso, Wikipedia. Accessed 13 December 2020
Perusal score