Trauersinfonie (tr Leidzen)

From Wind Repertory Project
Richard Wagner

Richard Wagner (trans. Erik Leidzén)


Subtitle: Funeral Music from Euryanthe by Weber

This work also appears under the title Trauermusik.


General Info

Year: 1844 / 1924 / 1949
Duration: c. 6:15
Difficulty: IV (see Ratings for explanation)
Publisher: G. Schirmer
Cost: Score and Parts - $70.00   |   Score Only - $7.50


Instrumentation

Full Score
Flute
Oboe I-II
English Horn
Bassoon I-II
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 Bass Saxophone
B-flat Cornet I-II-III
Horn in F I-II-III-IV
Trombone I-II-III
Euphonium
Bass
String Bass
Timpani
Percussion, including:

  • Crash Cymbals
  • Snare Drum
  • Tam-Tam


Errata

None discovered thus far.


Program Notes

On December 14, 1844, the remains of Carl Maria von Weber were moved from London, where he had died, to Germany. Wagner composed Trauersinfonie for the torchlight procession to Weber’s final resting place, the Catholic Cemetery in Friedrichstadt.

As part of his musical remembrance, Wagner arranged several portions of Weber’s opera Euryanthe for a large wind band. This wind band was accompanied during the funeral procession by 20 drums. The first part of Trauersinfonie is an arrangement of music from the overture to Euryanthe which represents the vision of Emma’s spirit in the opera. The main section of the work is taken from the cavatina Hier dicht am Quell, the text of which contains numerous references to death. The coda comes from a passage in Act II that recalls the opening “spirit music.”

Wagner amassed all of the military bands around Dresden for the occasion, and was gratified by the effect. He remained fond of the work throughout his life and in Mein Leben, he wrote, “I had never before achieved anything that corresponded so perfectly to its purpose.”

- Program Note by Orange County Wind Symphony


A cursory glance at the score of Trauersinfonie (or Trauermusik) can give the impression that the work's seemingly conservative technical demands will require minimal rehearsal time. Realistically, this is a piece that is rather difficult to perform well. The tempo in the newest edition never exceeds 66 beats per minute, and the bulk of the work is slower still. High school and less experienced college players may struggle to control tone quality and intonation while effecting expansive phrases. The educational benefits of this piece are significant to younger players, and more mature performers will enjoy the opportunity to perform a piece written specifically for winds from this renowned composer.

- Program Note from Great Music for Wind Band


Media


State Ratings

  • Alabama: Class A
  • Arkansas: IV
  • California: III-C
  • Florida: V
  • Georgia: V
  • Iowa: IV
  • Indiana: ISSMA SENIOR BAND GROUP I
  • Louisiana: V
  • Massachusetts: V
  • Michigan: AA
  • Minnesota: Category 2
  • Mississippi: IV-A, V-A, VI-A
  • North Carolina: V
  • Oklahoma: IV-A
  • South Carolina: V
  • Tennessee: V
  • Texas: V
  • Virginia: V


Performances

To submit a performance please join The Wind Repertory Project

  • East Tennessee State University (Johnson City) Wind Ensemble (Christian Zembower, conductor) - 2 March 2023
  • Appalachian State University (Boone, N.C.) Wind Ensemble (John Stanley Ross, conductor) - 23 September 2022
  • Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville Wind Symphony (Ruben Dario Gomez, conductor) - 4 June 2021
  • Calvin University (Grand Rapids, Mich.) Wind Ensemble (Tiffany Engle, conductor) - 12 March 2021
  • Eastman School of Music (Rochester, N.Y.) Wind Orchestra (Mark Scatterday, conductor) - 17 February 2021
  • University of Central Florida (Orlando) Symphonic Band (Scott Lubaroff, conductor) – 7 November 2019
  • NorthWinds Symphonic Band (Kansas City, Mo.) (John Bell, conductor) - 24 January 2019
  • University of Kansas (Lawrence) Symphonic Band (Paul Popiel, conductor) – 12 October 2017
  • Ithaca (N.Y.) College Wind Ensemble (Justin Cusick, conductor) – 31 March 2017
  • California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, Wind Orchestra (Christopher J. Woodruff, conductor) – 17 March 2017 
  • Johns Hopkins University (Baltimore, Md.) Peabody Wind Ensemble (Harland D. Parker, conductor) – 8 February 2017
  • Northwest Missouri State University (Maryville) Wind Symphony (John Bell, conductor) – 13 October 2016
  • Virginia Grand Military Band (Alexandria) (Loras John Schissel, conductor) – 6 February 2016
  • Orange County (Calif.) Wind Symphony (Anthony Mazzaferro, conductor) - 12 April 2015
  • University of Florida (Gainesville) Wind Symphony (David Waybright, conductor) – 19 January 2015
  • The College of New Jersey Wind Ensemble (David Vickerman, conductor) - Ewing, NJ 25 April 2014
  • University of Southern California Thornton Wind Ensemble (H. Robert Reynolds, conductor) - 29 September 2013
  • University City Summer Band (Tom Poshak, conductor) - June 2012
  • San Luis Obispo (Calif.) Wind Orchestra (William V. Johnson, conductor) - 20 October 2007
  • Michigan State University (East Lansing) Wind Symphony (John T. Madden, conductor) – 22 December 2007 (2007 Midwest Clinic)


Works for Winds by This Composer


Resources

  • Gambill, Tommie G. "Contemporary editions of nineteenth century wind band literature." 1979. Florida State University, Ph.D. dissertation, pp. 88-95.
  • Garofalo, Robert J. Guides to Band Masterworks. Meredith Music Publications, 1992. Reprinted as Guides to Band Masterworks. Volume I. Meredith Music Publications, 2016, pp. 23–39.
  • Garofalo, Robert J. "Richard Wagner: Trauersinfonie." BD Guide vol. 7, no. 1, September-October 1992, pp. 52–54, 57. Reprinted in Performance Study Guides of Essential Works for Band, edited by Kenneth L. Neidig. Meredith Music Publications, 2009. pp. 58–61.
  • Johnson, L. Keating. "Richard Wagner's Trauersinfonie." Journal of Band Research vol. 16, no. 2, Spring 1981, pp. 38–42. Reprinted in The American Bandmasters Association Journal of Band Research: A Repertoire Anthology (1964–1989). General editor Terry Austin. GIA Publications, 2013. pp. 145–148.
  • Kinder, Keith. "New Light on Wagner's Trauermusik [Trauersinfonie]." In: Kongressbericht Oberwölz/Steiermark 2004. Alta Musica, band 25. Edited by Bernhard Habla. Hans Schneider, 2006, pp. 205-217.
  • Nicholson, Chad. Great Music for Wind Band: A Guide to the Top 100 Works in Grades IV, V, VI. Meredith Music Publications, 2009, pp 114-115.
  • Votta, Michael. "Richard Wagner's Trauermusik, WWV 73 [Trauersinfonie]." In: The Wind Ensemble and its Repertoire: Essays on the 40th Anniversary of the Eastman Wind Ensemble. Edited by Frank J. Cipolla & Donald R. Hunsberger. University of Rochester Press, 1994, pp. 168-186.
  • Whitwell, David. "Making Band Masterpieces Musical: Richard Wagner, Trauermusik." In Essays on Performance Practice, by David Whitwell. Whitwell Publishing, 2013, pp. 79–83.
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