Albanian Dance

Shelley Hanson

General Info

Year: 2005
Duration: c. 2:50
Difficulty: V (see Ratings for explanation)
Publisher: Boosey & Hawkes
Cost: Score and Parts - $65.00 | Score Only - $7.95

Instrumentation

Full Score
C Piccolo
Flute I-II
Oboe I-II (optional)
Bassoon I-II
B-flat Soprano Clarinet I-II-III
E-flat Alto Clarinet
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
Timpani
Percussion I-II-III-IV, including:

Bass Drum
Crash Cymbal
Snare Drum
Suspended Cymbal
Tom-toms (2: high and low)
Xylophone (3.5 octaves (optional 3.0 octaves); optional Marimba)

Errata

None discovered thus far.

Program Notes

This exciting setting of the well-known Albanian tune Shota captures the festive mood of a village dance. Incorporating the common folk-dance rhythm of long-long-short, this lively piece is scored in cut-time and has a 3 + 3 + 2 eighth-note pattern throughout. The work includes memorable melodies and interesting rhythms and effects, such as trombone glissandos and horn rips.

- Program Note from The Instrumentalist

Eastern Europe has had a long tradition of brass bands, some of which include clarinets and, since the twentieth century, saxophones. Although the instruments now commonly used by concert bands look and sound somewhat different than some of the instruments used by Eastern European bands, this setting of the popular Albanian tune Shota seeks to re-create the festive mood of a raucous village dance, where just such a folk band would have provided the music. Present throughout the piece is the rhythmic pattern of long-long-short, which is a very common folk dance rhythm in many cultures.

This piece is based on part of the finale of the accordion concerto AccorDances, which was written for accordion virtuosos Mark Stillman. The present version was commissioned by Jane Church and the East Lansing High School Concert Band, and was premiered in November, 2003 with the composer conducting.

- Program Note from the score

Media

Audio: Encore Wind Ensemble, Jerry Luckhardt, conductor
Audio CD: McCracken Middle School Symphonic Band (Chip De Stefano, conductor) - 2006

State Ratings

Georgia: IV
Indiana: ISSMA SENIOR BAND GROUP III
Kansas: IV
Michigan: Senior High B
Minnesota: II
South Carolina: V

Performances

To submit a performance please join The Wind Repertory Project

Melbourne (Fla.) Municipal Band (Staci Rosbury, conductor) – 20 May 2023 (ACB 2023 Annual Convention (Orlando, Fla.))
Brookwood High School (Snellville, Ga.) Symphonic Winds (Jack Jean, conductor) - 2 May 2023
Appalachian State University (Boone, N.C.) Symphony Band (Jason Gardner, conductor) - 15 February 2023
Tennessee Governor’s School for the Arts (Murfreesboro) Wind Ensemble (Denny Hawkins, conductor) – 25 June 2022
University of North Texas (Denton) Concert Band (Slade Denman, conductor) - 13 April 2022
California State University Northridge Wind Symphony (Lawrence Stoffel, conductor) - 4 March 2022
Benedictine College (Atchison, Kan.) Wind Symphony (Brian Casey, conductor) - 20 March 2021
Luther College (Decorah, Iowa) Varsity Band (Cory Near, conductor) - 21 February 2021
Clovis (Calif.) Community Band (Dan Linstrom, conductor) - February 2021 (Virtual)
West Chester University (Penn.) Concert Band (Andrew Yozviak, conductor) – 27 February 2020
Wilson County (TN) High School Honor Band (Denny Hawkins, conductor) - 21 February 2020
Colorado State University (Fort Collins) Symphonic Band (T. André Fagin, conductor) - 12 December 2019
Indiana University (Bloomington) Concert Band (Jason H. Nam, conductor) – 12 November 2019
University of Dubuque (Iowa) Wind Ensemble (Cassandra Blanchard, conductor) – 2 November 2019
Shenandoah Conservatory Concert Band (Winchester, Va.) (Keith Taylor, conductor) – 26 October 2019
University of Minnesota (Minneapolis) Symphonic Band (Jerry Luckhardt, conductor) – 17 October 2019
Manhattan Wind Ensemble (New York) (Laurel Stinson, conductor) – 23 May 2019
Blythewood (S.C.) High School Concert Band (Quintus Wrighten, conductor) - 16 May 2019
Kansas Wesleyan University (Salina) University Band (Carl Rowles, conductor) – 30 April 2019

Works for Winds by This Composer

Adaptable Music

Dances with Winds (Flex instrumentation) (2008)
Evening Song (Flex instrumentation) (as arranger) (1855/1873/2016)
Toccata "Atalanta" (Flex instrumentation) (as arranger) (1602/2017)

All Wind Works

Albanian Dance (2005)
Dances with Winds (Flex instrumentation) (2008)
El Gato Montés (as arranger) (1918/2014)
Elegy for Albinoni (2011)
Evening Song (Flex instrumentation) (as arranger) (1855/1873/2016)
Islas y Montañas
- Tocata & La Tumba de Alejandro Garcia Caturla (2001)
- Volver a la Montaña (2001)
- Seis Manuel (2003)
Patapan (as arranger) (1720/2005)
Toccata "Atalanta" (Flex instrumentation) (as arranger) (1602/2017)
Verbovaya Doschechka

Resources

Guides to Band Masterworks, Vol. 5 (David Kish). Meredith Music.
Hanson, S. (2005). Albanian Dance [score]. Boosey & Hawkes: New York.
The Horizon Leans Forward..., compiled and edited by Erik Kar Jun Leung, GIA Publications, 2021, p. 347.
Teaching Music Through Performance in Band, Vol. 8.