Gerald McBoing Boing

Gail Kubik

General Info

Year: 1952
Duration: c. 16:00
Difficulty: (see Ratings for explanation)
Publisher: Peer Music Classical
Cost: Score and Parts (print) – Rental | Score Only (print) - $15.00

Instrumentation

Full Score
Flute
Oboe
Bassoon
B-flat Soprano Clarinet
B-flat Trumpet
Horn in F
Piano
Timpani I-II
Percussion, including:

Bass Drum
Castanets
Cowbell
Crash Cymbals
Glockenspiel
Gong (large)
Mexican Gourd
Ratchet
Slapstick
Slide Drum
Suspended Cymbal
Tambourine
Temple Blocks (2)
Tenor Drum
Thunder Sheet
Tom-Tom
Triangle
Vibraphone
Wood Blocks (2)
Xylophone

Viola
Cello

Errata

None discovered thus far.

Program Notes

Gerald McBoing Boing is an animated short film that was produced in 1950 and won an Oscar in 1951 for best animated cartoon of the year. The short film is based off of the book of the same title by Dr. Seuss. The producers and composer of the short film were insistent that the musical score should function as an equal partner with the animation and the writing in the film's production. The score was composed first and served as a blueprint for the animation. Because of this, transferring the film score to a concert stage was simple and accomplished without alteration or loss of notes. The only change from the original found in the cartoon is that this version is made into a percussion concerto and allows the percussionist to exist as the sounds of Gerald McBoing Boing in a much more animated way.

- Program Note by composer, adapted by Debra Traficante

Gerald McBoing Boing is an animated short film about a little boy who speaks through sound effects instead of spoken words. It was produced by United Productions of America and given wide release by Columbia Pictures on November 2, 1950. It was adapted by Phil Eastman and Bill Scott from a story by Dr. Seuss,.

Gerald McBoing Boing won the 1950 Oscar for Best Animated Short.

- Program Note from Wikipedia

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

Kennesaw (Ga.) State University Wind Symphony (Debra Traficante, conductor; Nicholas Massaroni, narrator) - 7 October 2020

Works for Winds by This Composer

Resources

Gerald McBoing-Boing, Wikipedia Accessed 8 October 2020
Kubik, G. (1952). Gerald McBoing Boing : A Children's Tale ; Based on the Columbia Pictures Released "Gerald McBoing Boing" [score]. Southern Music Publishing: New York.