Autobahn

Ryan George

General Info

Year: 2008
Duration: c. 2:45
Difficulty: II (see Ratings for explanation)
Publisher: Fornine Music
Cost: Score and Parts - $95.00 | Score Only - $15.00

Instrumentation

Full Score
Flute
Oboe
Bassoon
B-flat Soprano Clarinet I-II
B-flat Bass Clarinet
E-flat Alto Saxophone I-II
B-flat Tenor Saxophone
E-flat Baritone Saxophone
B-flat Trumpet I-II
Horn in F
Trombone I-II
Euphonium
Tuba
Percussion I-II-III, including:

Bells
Marimba
Vibraphone

Errata

None discovered thus far.

Program Notes

Snaking through central Europe is a unique highway system called the Autobahn. What makes this highway special is the absence of speed limits. Your only hindrance is the performance ability of the vehicle you are driving.

In writing this piece, I wanted to focus less on the idea of speed and more on the freedom and exhilaration that one feels while driving on a road with no limitations. In the beginning of the work, fast cars whiz by (as imitated by the slide-gliss in the trombones) as the “driver” begins to accelerate onto the highway. Driving fast is a real thrill until they run into traffic. Honking horns and police sirens add to the frustration. The traffic eventually clears, though, and the driver puts the pedal to the metal and cruises off into the European countryside.

The work is dedicated to the students of the Glenn C. Jones Middle School Honor Band and their director, Dr. Tonya Millsap, whose ideas where the driving force behind this piece. A special thanks also goes to Jake Marbury who gave us the title for the work.

– Program Note by composer

Media

Audio: Reference recording. Ensemble and conductor unknown

State Ratings

None discovered thus far.

Performances

To submit a performance please join The Wind Repertory Project

Texas Tech University (Lubbock) University Band (Pershauna Johnson, conductor) - 24 April 2022
University of Wisconsin Eau Claire Symphony Band (Phillip A. Ostrander, conductor) - 13 December 2020
Ball State University (Muncie, Ind.) Campus Band (Madison Argo, conductor) - 11 November 2020
Shenandoah Conservatory (Winchester, Va.) Concert Band (Keith Taylor, conductor) - 5 March 2020
Smoky Hill High School (Aurora, Colo.) Symphonic Winds (Zak Ruffert, conductor) – 26 April 2019
Bullard High School (Fresno, Calif.) Symphonic Band (Jacob Cardona, conductor) – 12 April 2019 (2019 San Joaquin Valley (Calif.) Concert Band Invitational)
Granite Ridge Intermediate School (Fresno, Calif.) Symphonic Band (Jose Vargas, conductor) – 12 April 2019 (2019 San Joaquin Valley (Calif.) Concert Band Invitational)
Bullard (Calif.) High School Symphonic Band (Jacob Cardona, conductor) - 17 March 2019 (2019 Sutherland Wind Festival (Fresno, Calif.)
University of British Columbia (Vancouver) Concert Winds (Christian Reardon MacLellan, conductor) – 30 January 2019
Granite Ridge Intermediate School (Clovis, Calif.) Symphonic Band (Jose Vargas, conductor) - 15 April 2016 (2016 San Joaquin Valley (Calif.) Concert Band Invitational)
University of Missouri (Columbia) University Band (Gretchen Pohlman, conductor) – 15 October 2015
Urbandale (Iowa) High School Wind Ensemble – 1 May 2014

Works for Winds by This Composer

Adaptable Music

Autobahn (Flex instrumentation) (2008/2020)
Café 512 (Flex instrumentation) (2010/2020)
Jinx (Flex instrumentation) (2017/2020)

All Wind Works

Resources

George, R. (2008). Autobahn : For Symphonic Winds & Percussion [score]. Fornine Music: [Cedar Park, Tx.?]
Ryan George website
Schwartz, Robert M. "Autobahn." In Teaching Music through Performance in Band. Volume 10, Compiled and edited by Richard Miles, 208-213. Chicago: GIA Publications, 2015.