Unraveling

From Wind Repertory Project
Andrew Boysen, Jr.

Andrew Boysen, Jr.


General Info

Year: 2006
Duration: c. 3:00
Difficulty: III (see Ratings for explanation)
Publisher: Neil A. Kjos Music
Cost: Score and Parts - $60.00   |   Score Only - $6.00


Instrumentation

Full Score
Flute I-II
Oboe
Bassoon
B-flat Soprano Clarinet I-II-III
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-IV, including:

  • Bass Drum
  • Bongos
  • Castanets
  • Claves
  • Finger Cymbals
  • Guiro
  • Snare drum
  • Suspended Cymbal
  • Tambourine
  • Tam-tam
  • Tom-tom (medium)
  • Vibraphone
  • Xylophone

Players singing


Errata

None discovered thus far.


Program Notes

In June of 2003, my good friend Randy Atkinson asked if I might be willing to conduct and compose a piece for the 2005 All-Iowa Middle School Honor Band. Randy and I have known each other for many years, and the opportunity to write a piece for him and also return to the state of Iowa was too tempting to bypass. I wanted to write a piece that would be exciting and challenging for the students, but attainable in the limited rehearsal time of only three and a half hours, so my concept was to use a rather difficult melody, but repeat the melody throughout the work so that I only had to teach it once to the whole ensemble. The melodic line is based on the octatonic scale and the piece uses other techniques such as singing and buzzing on mouthpieces. The work is intended to become progressively faster, with a sense of increasing momentum and intensity. In a sense, the piece "unravels" in front of the listener. The title has a dual meaning, though, as the concept of a repeating melodic line that gradually grows in intensity owes a great deal to Maurice Ravel's famous orchestral work Bolero (hence un-"Ravel"-ing)

Unraveling was commissioned by the Iowa Bandmasters Association for the 2005 All-Iowa Middle School Honor Band and premiered by that ensemble with the composer conducting on May 12, 2005.

- Program note by Andrew Boysen Jr.


Media

(Needed - please join the WRP if you can help.)


State Ratings

None discovered thus far.


Performances

To submit a performance please join The Wind Repertory Project

  • Urbana (Ill.) High School Wind Symphony (Darren Hicks, conductor) - 15 November 2023
  • University of Puget Sound (Tacoma, Wash.) Concert Band (Minna Stelzner, conductor) - 2 December 2022
  • University of Nebraska at Kearney Wind Ensemble (Duane Bierman, conductor) - 30 September 2021
  • Boston University (Mass.) Concert Band (Jennifer Bill, conductor) – 3 December 2018
  • University of Louisville (Ky.) Community Band (Jason Cumberledge, conductor) - 18 November 2018
  • McCracken Middle School (Skokie, Ill.) (Chip De Stefano, conductor) – 28 April 2016
  • Westbrook High School (Maine) Concert Band (Kyle Smith, conductor) - Spring 2013
  • All-Iowa Middle School Honor Band (Andrew Boysen, Jr., conductor) - 12 May 2005 *Premiere Performance*


Works for Winds by This Composer


Resources

  • Boysen, A. (2006). Unraveling [score]. Neil A. Kjos Music: San Diego.