Suite for Band
From Wind Repertory Project
Contents |
General Info
Year: 1994
Duration: c. 17:00
Difficulty: IV (see Ratings for explanation)
Publisher: Alliance Publications
Cost: Score & Parts - $125.00 | Score Only - $20.00
Instrumentation
Full Score
Piccolo
Flute I-II
Oboe I-II
Bassoon I-II
Bb Soprano Clarinet I-II-III
Eb Alto Clarinet
Bb Bass Clarinet
Alto Saxophone I-II
Tenor Saxophone
Baritone Saxophone
Trumpet (in Bb) I-II-III-IV
French Horn I-II-III-IV
Trombone I-II-III
Euphonium
Tuba
Timpani
Percussion I-II-III, including:
- Bass Drum
- Cymbals (crash)
- Glockenspiel
- Snare Drum
- Triangle
- Tubular Bells
- Xylophone
- Vibraphone
Errata
None discovered thus far.
Program Notes
Suite for Band is a large work in five movements, each a musical description of an Ancient Greek mythological figure. The piece uses serialism, polytonality, mixed meters and the Church Modes, as well as a creative approach to instrumentation.
Ares (Movement I), the god of war is represented by an insistent march and a dissonant chorale. An ostinato forms the foundation for the Aeolian melody. The "Middle Eastern" flavor, provided in part by the use of parallel fifths, was a response to the conflict in the Persian Gulf. The central section of Ares employs a bitonal and canonic treatment of a chant-like melody while the chimes call out a death toll.
Pan (Movement II), the flute playing faun (half man, half goat), appropriately features the flute section in a generally pastoral illustration. The quiet scene is abruptly disturbed by an outbreak of terrified emotion; the word "panic" is derived from Pan's unpredictable temperament. Soon the music returns to the opening material, this time in complete reverse. This movement utilizes twelve-tone techniques.
Hermes (Movement III)is cast in an unwavering tempo, the third movement is a fast-paced march depicting Hermes, the light-footed messenger of the gods. The main theme is based on an altered scale. The harmonies, when combined with jaunty rhythms, give the music a strange, jazzy style.
Morpheus (Movement IV), the god of dreams, is veiled in "impressionist" music. The unconventional tonality and monotonous phrases suggest a foggy dreamscape. Like Pan, this movement is structured in an arch-form and uses a tone-row for some of the material.
Apollo (Movement V) is the final movement. It glorifies Apollo as the ideal male character. The heroic theme is set in a rhythmic dance of 7/8 time. The number seven, being prime, symbolizes perfection and sincerity. Apollo was considered incapable of telling a lie. The movement is basically a rondo, with the contrasting sections consisting of the same melody first set in the Dorian mode then in the Mixolydian mode. The main theme is always in the Lydian mode; the mode known as "Lydian" by the ancient Greeks was reserved for music of the highest order.
Program Note by Guy Kelpin
Commercial Discography
None discovered thus far.
Audio Links
State Ratings
None discovered thus far.
Recent Performances
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Additional Works for Winds by this Composer
None discovered thus far.
Additional Resources
- Dunker, Amy. Analysis of Suite for Band
