Three Klezmer Miniatures

Philip Sparke

Philip Sparke

General Info

Year: 2009
Duration: c. 7:30
Difficulty: III (see Ratings for explanation)
Publisher: Anglo Music, through Music Shop Europe
Cost: Score and Parts (print) - €143.00   |   Score Only (print) - €26.00

Instrumentation

Full Score
C Piccolo
Flute
Oboe
Bassoon
E-flat Soprano Clarinet
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
String Bass
Timpani
Percussion I-II-III, including:

• Bass Drum
• Crash Cymbal
• Glockenspiel
• Snare Drum
• Tambourine
• Tom-tom
• Tubular Bells
• Vibraphone
• Woodblock

Errata

None discovered thus far.

Program Notes

Three Klezmer Miniatures is Philip Sparke’s third work based on traditional Jewish klezmer melodies, after Shalom! and A Klezmer Karnival.

Klezmer music originated in the 'shtetl' (villages) and the ghettos of Eastern Europe, where itinerant Jewish troubadours, known as 'klezmorim', had performed at celebrations, particularly weddings, since the early Middle Ages. 'Klezmer' is a Yiddish term combining the Hebrew words 'kley' (instrument) and 'zemer' (song), and the roots of the style are found in secular melodies, popular dances, Jewish 'hazanut' (cantorial music) and also the 'nigunim', the wordless melodies intoned by the 'Hasidim' (orthodox Jews).

Since the 16th century, lyrics had been added to klezmer music, due to the 'badkhn' (the master of ceremony at weddings), to the 'Purimshpil' (the play of Esther at Purim) and to traditions of the Yiddish theatre, but the term gradually became synonymous with instrumental music, particularly featuring the violin and clarinet.

Three Klezmer Miniatures uses the following traditional tunes:

1. Sham Harei Golan (There are the mountains of Golan) and Nigun Shel Yossi, a circle dance.
2. Tumbalalaika, a Russian Jewish love song.
3. Hava Nagila, perhaps the most famous of all Jewish folk dances; the title means ‘let us rejoice’.

- Program Note from publisher

Media

• Audio: Reference recording. Ensemble and conductor unknown

State Ratings

• Minnesota: II

Performances

To submit a performance please join The Wind Repertory Project

• Golden Gate Park Band (San Francisco, Calif.) (Mark Nemoyten, conductor) - 10 July 2022
• Pittsburg (Kan.) State University Symphonic Band (A. Douglas Whitten, conductor) - 12 February 2022
• Triangle Wind Ensemble (Cary, N.C.) (Evan Feldman, conductor) – 15 December 2019
• Golden Gate Park Band (San Francisco, Calif.) (Robert Calonico, conductor) – 28 April 2019
• LA Pierce Symphonic Winds (Los Angeles, Calif.) (Stephen Piazza, conductor) – 20 March 2015
• University of Nevada Reno Symphonic Band (Sharon Jeskey and Jim Cochran, conductor) – 11 March 2010 (CBDNA 2010 Western/Northwestern Division Conference, Reno, Nev.)

Works for Winds by This Composer

• Atlantic Odyssey (2010)
• Ballad for Benny (2001)
• The Bandwagon (2004)
• Barn Dance and Cowboy Hymn (1985)
• Beethoven's Greeting (2008)
• Between the Two Rivers (2003)
• Big Sky Overture (2002)
• Blazon (2010)
• A Bluegrass Overture (2017)
• Bohemian Rhapsody as arranger) (1975/2011)
• Bolero (as arranger) (1928/2011)
• Cambridge Intrada (2007)
• The Camelot Chronicles (2007)
• Carnival (1997)
• Carol of the Shepherds (2001)
• Celebration (1993)
• The Centurion (1988/2000)
• Chorale and Variations (2004)
• Clarinet Calypso (2003)
• Clarinet Concerto (2003)
• Colditz March (as arranger) (1972/2014)
• Colorado Springs (2007)
• A Colour Symphony (2015)
• Concert Prelude (1976/2000)
• Concertino Classico (2010)
• Dance Movements (1995)
• Dance of the Whale (2013/2014), from Bestiarium
• David of the White Rock (as arranger) (1741/2003)
• Deserts (2008)
• Diamond Concerto (2012)
• Diversions (1999)
• Drink to Me Only with Thine Eyes (as arranger) (1790/2011)
• The Earl of Oxford's Marche (as arranger) (1581-91/2006)
• Earth, Water, Sun, Wind (2000)
• An English Sea Song Suite (2006)
• Euphonium Concerto No. 2 (2005)
• Exultation (2010)
• Fanfare for Saint Cecilia (2008)
• Fanfare, Romance and Finale (1990)
• Fantasy for Euphonium (1995)
• A Festive Tribute (J.S. Bach) (2007)
• Fiesta! (1998)
• Fiesta de la Vida (2005/2006)
• Five Festive Fanfares (2000)
  • Victory Fanfare
• Flowerdale (2002/2010)
• Flying the Breeze (2002/2004)
• The Four Noble Truths (2003/2004)
• Four Norfolk Dances (2001)
• Gemini Concerto (2017/2019)
• Girl with the Flaxen Hair, The (as arranger) (1910/2007)
• Hail the Dragon! (2010)
• Harlequin (2004)
• Hanover Festival (2000)
• A Huntingdon Celebration (2003)
• In Memoriam: For the Fallen (2015)
• Infinity and Beyond... (2001)
• Invictus (2001)
• Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring (as arranger) (1723/2004)
• Jubilee Overture (1983)
• Jubiloso (2008/2009)
• A Klezmer Karnival (2004)
• The Land of the Long White Cloud (1980/1988)
• Letter from Home (2008)
• A Lindisfarne Rhapsody (1998)
• The Long Day Closes (as arranger) (1868/2007)
• MacArthur Park (as arranger) (1967/2005)
• Madrigalum (2006)
• Måndalen Landscapes (2004)
• Manhattan (2004)
• Marchissimo (2004)
• Mary's Boy Child (as arranger) (1956/2003)
• Masquerade (2003)
• Merry-Go-Round (2002)
• Morning Song (2002)
• Mountain Song (1990/1993)
• Music for a Festival (1985)
• Music of the Spheres (2004)
• Navigation Inn (2000)
• North Hills Fantasy (2021)
• Of Skies, Rivers, Lakes, and Mountains (2012/2013)
• Once in Royal David’s City (as arranger) (1849/2004)
• Orient Express (1987/1994)
• Out of the Darkness, Into the Light (2003)
• Overture for Woodwinds (2000)
• The Painted Desert (2004)
• Panis Angelicus (as arranger) (1872/2001)
• Pantomime (1988/1996)
• Pastime with Good Company (as arranger) (15--?/2005)
• Pentangle (2021)
• The Pioneers (2005)
• A Pittsburgh Overture (1992)
• Portrait of a City (2002)
• Postcard from Singapore (2004)
• Prelude to a Celebration (2007)
• A Quiet Moment (2007)
• Reflections (2011)
• Reflections on an Old Japanese Folk Song (2015)
• Rhythm and Blues (arr. Wheeler) (1986/2012)
• The Roaring Forties (2008)
• Sailing with the Tall Ships (2012)
• Salute to a Hero (2009)
• A Savannah Symphony (2010)
• Scenes from a Comedy (2007)
• The Seasons (2005)
• Shalom! (2001)
• Sierra Nevada (2006)
• Sinfonietta No. 1 (1990)
• Sinfonietta No. 2 (1992)
• Sinfonietta No. 3 (2001)
• Sinfonietta No. 4 (2012)
• Sinfonietta No. 5 (2021)
• Sleepers, Awake! (as transcriber) (1731/2002)
• Slipstream (1987/1990)
• Snow Valley Sleigh Ride (2007)
• Song and Dance (arr. Brand) (1984/2009)
• Song of Friendship (2017)
• The Song of the Bell (2012)
• Sounds of the Saint Lawrence (2008)
• Spirit of the Sequoia (2004)
• St. Paul's Suite (as arranger) (1912-1913/2017)
• Strathcarron (2002)
• Suite from Hymn of the Highlands (2002)
• Summer Isles (2002/2006)
• The Sun Will Rise Again (2011)
• Sunrise at Angel's Gate (2001)
• Symphonic Metamorphosis (2007)
• Symphony No. 1. See: Earth, Water, Sun, Wind
• Symphony No. 2. See: A Savannah Symphony
• Symphony No. 3. See: A Colour Symphony
• Tales of the River Wye (2007)
• Tallis' Canon (arr. Sparke) (/2012)
• A Tameside Overture (1989)
• Te Deum Prelude (as arranger) (1688-1698/2001)
• Ten Chorale Preludes (as arranger) (1914/2002)
• Theatre Music (1989)
• Three English Folk Song Miniatures (2013)
• Three Extraordinary Journeys (2006)
• Three Klezmer Miniatures (2009)
• Three Washington Statues (2015)
• To a New Dawn (2000)
• To a Wild Rose (as arranger) (1896/2002)
• Tokyo Triptych (2007)
• Trombone Concerto (2007)
• Tuba Concerto (2007)
• The Unknown Journey (2014)
• Valerius Variations (2005)
• Variations on a Fourth (2019/2022)
• Veni Immanuel (2003)
• Watch Your Step! (2017)
• A Weekend in New York (2008)
• The White Rose (2002)
• Wind in the Reeds (2017)
• Wilten Festival Overture (1999)
• A Winter's Tale (2010)
• Year of the Dragon (1984/1985)
• Year of the Dragon (2017 edition) (1984/1985/2017)
• A Yorkshire Overture (1991)

Resources

• Perusal score
• Philip Sparke website Accessed 14 December 2019