Trilogy

Jeff Tyzik

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Subtitle: Variations on Themes of Howard Hanson

General Info

Year: 2000
Duration: c. 14:40
Difficulty: (see Ratings for explanation)
Publisher: Macaroni Music
Cost: Score and Parts – Rental (Tyzik Music)

Movements

1. March : for Donald Hunsberger – 4:05
2. Ballad : for Warren Benson – 4:50
3. Scherzo : for Samuel Adler – 4:40

Instrumentation

Full Score
C Piccolo
Flute I-II
Oboe I-II
English Horn
Bassoon I-II
Contrabassoon
B-flat Soprano Clarinet I-II-III
B-flat Bass Clarinet
E-flat Contra Alto 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-III-IV
Trombone I-II-III
Euphonium
Tuba
String Bass
Piano
Timpani
Percussion (5 players)

(percussion detail desired)

Bass Violin

Errata

None discovered thus far.

Program Notes

In 2000, then Eastman School of Music Dean Jim Undercoffer asked me to compose a piece for the Eastman Wind Ensemble in a performance marking the 150th anniversary of the University of Rochester. In all the composing and arranging I have done over the years, I had written very few pieces for wind ensemble.

I remember that as a student at Eastman (starting in 1969) Howard Hanson was still at the school. During my early years at Eastman I became very interested in his music. I began to think that it might be fun and challenging to take some of Hanson’s thematic material from his second and sixth symphonies as a departure point and create some variations of that material. In the true style of Hanson, I decided I would be very melodic and pay great attention to his harmonic and intervallic usages as well. There are a few literal references to his work, but his themes serve mostly as a departure point.

I composed the 12-minute suite in reverse order (Scherzo, Ballad, and March). As I worked on the Scherzo, I heard my composition teacher and mentor Samuel Adler in my head pushing me along. When I came up with the opening sounds of the Ballad, the gentle spirit of my composition teacher and mentor Warren Benson was in the room. I’ve always wanted to compose a march. As I worked on the March, Donald Hunsberger, one of the great conductors and mentors I have been fortunate enough to study with, was in my thoughts. Having been a member of the Eastman Wind Ensemble, I knew first hand that Don was also one of the great guardians of the “Eastman Sound.”

It seemed the most natural thing in the world to pay homage to Howard Hanson and to dedicate the movements of Trilogy to three of the most in fluential musicians in my life: Sam Adler, Warren Benson, and Donald Hunsberger.

- Program Note by composer

Trilogy was written in 2000 for the 150th anniversary of the University of Rochester, of which the Eastman School of Music is a part. The three-movement work references themes from symphonies of Howard Hanson, the renowned director of the Eastman School of Music from 1924 to 1964. In honor of three other iconic faculty members at the Eastman School of Music, each movement pays tribute to one of Tyzik's mentors: the first movement is a march for Donald Hunsberger, the second a ballad for Warren Benson, and the third is a scherzo for Samuel Adler.

- Program Note from Teaching Music through Performance in Band. Volume 12

Media

Audio CD: Eastman Wind Ensemble (Mark Davis Scatterday, conductor)

State Ratings

None discovered thus far.

Performances

To submit a performance please join The Wind Repertory Project

Eastman Wind Ensemble (Rochester, N.Y.) (Mark Davis Scatterday, conductor) - 1 November 2021
University of North Texas (Denton) Wind Symphony (Eugene Migliaro Corporon, conductor) – 19 September 2019

Works for Winds by This Composer

Concerto for Timpani and Wind Orchestra (2009/2013)
Concerto for Trombone and Wind Ensemble (2003/2004)
Images (2012/2017)
New York Cityscape (2008)
Riffs (2009)
Symphonies (2021)
Three Latin Dances (2019)
Trilogy (2000)

Resources

Bronnenkant, Lindsay. "Trilogy: Variations on Themes of Howard Hanson" In Teaching Music through Performance in Band. Volume 12, Compiled and edited by Andrew Trachsel, 871-880. Chicago: GIA Publications, 2021.
Jeff Tyzik website Accessed 16 September 2019
Tyzik, J.; Hanson, H. (2000). Trilogy: Variations on Themes of Howard Hanson [score]. Jeff Tyzik: [United States].