For the Unfortunate

H. Owen Reed

General Info

Year: 1971
Duration: c. 13:00
Difficulty: VI (see Ratings for explanation)
Publisher: Neil A Kjos Music Company
Cost: Score & Parts - $50.00 | Score Only - $5.50

Instrumentation

Full Score
Piccolo
Flute I-II-III
Oboe I-II
Bassoon I-II
Contrabassoon (optional)
B-flat Soprano Clarinet I-II-III
E-flat Alto Clarinet
B-flat Bass Clarinet
Eb Contra Alto Clarinet (Opt.)
B-flat Contrabass Clarinet
E-flat Alto Saxophone I-II
B-flat Tenor Saxophone
E-flat Baritone Saxophone
B-flat Cornet I-II-III-IV
Horn in F I-II-III-IV
Trombone I-II-III-IV
Euphonium I-II
Tuba
Percussion I-II-III-IV-V, including:

Bass Drum
Bell Cluster (small)
Bell Plate (medium)
Bongos
Cowbells (small and large)
Cymbal (medium suspended)
Glockenspiel
Gong (Tam-tam) (medium and large)
Parade Drum
Sizzle Cymbal
Timpani (3)
Tom-Toms (3)
Triangle
Tubular Bells
Vibraphone
Wood Blocks (small, medium and large)
Xylophone

Errata

None discovered thus far.

Program Notes

In October 1971, I received a letter from Mr. Richard Hiller which read in part: "Last May, a tragic light plane crash took the life of Joseph Krysik, his wife, and his one year old son. Mr. Krysik had been director of music at the McKeesport, Pennsylvania, High School for seventeen years. I had the privilege of being one of his assistants for the last few years. I have now been appointed Director of Music at McKeesport Schools. The Instrumental Music Association, which is a band parents organization, has directed me to find a well-known composer to write a work for band in memory of Mr. Krysik. I know that Mr. Krysik had a high regard for your work and I would like you to consider taking the commission."

The thought of writing such an emotionally charged work was awe inspiring, but the challenge was irresistible, so I accepted. The resulting composition, For the Unfortunate, has some programmatic connotations: It is a tragic work. It not only represents the tragedy of the Krysik family and his friends, but tragedies which befall all mortals. Still, the imposition of The Battle Hymn of the Republic, which occurs near the end (and in which the audience may participate), offers a ray of hope for the troubled. But I would urge the listener generally to follow the aesthetic theory of the absolute expressionist rather than that of the referentialist in listening to the music.

Program Note by H. Owen Reed

Commercial Discography

Audio CD: Rutgers Wind Ensemble (William Berz, conductor)
Audio CD: Keystone Wind Ensemble (Jack Stamp, conductor)

State Ratings

None discovered thus far.

Performances

To submit a performance please join The Wind Repertory Project

Works for Winds by This Composer

Resources

H. Owen Reed website Accessed 10 February 2022