Inferno, The

Robert W. Smith

Robert W Smith

This work is the first movement of the composer's Symphony No. 1, The Divine Comedy.

General Info

Year: 1995
Duration: c. 7:20
Difficulty: V (see Ratings for explanation)
Publisher: Alfred Publishing
Cost: Score and Parts - $87.00   |   Score Only - $9.00

Instrumentation

Full Score
C Piccolo
Flute I-II
Oboe
Bassoon
B-flat Soprano Clarinet I-II-III
B-flat Bass Clarinet
B-flat Contrabass 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 (Bass Clef & Treble Clef)
Tuba
Piano
Timpani
Percussion I-II-III-IV, including:

• Bass Drum
• Bells
• Chimes
• Crash Cymbal
• Heavy Chain
• Marimba
• Suspended Cymbal
• Tam-Tam
• Tom-Toms (2)
• Triangle
• Whip
• Wind Chimes
• Xylophone

Errata

In Score:

• Baritone B.C., m. 79: Add hairpin crescendo starting on beat 1 and lasting full measure
• Tuba, m. 107: Add an accent to the dotted half note on beat 1
• Mallet Percussion, Marimba, m. 96: Add dynamic marking "f" starting on beat 2

In Parts:

• Flute I, m. 79: Add hairpin crescendo starting on beat 1 and lasting full measure
• Flute II, m. 72-73: Add a trill (to Gb) lasting for full two measures
• Flute II, m. 79: Add hairpin crescendo starting on beat 1 and lasting full measure
• Mallet Percussion, Marimba, m. 103: Add marking "molto rall."
• Mallet Percussion, Marimba, m. 107: Add an accent to the dotted half note chord on beat 1
• Percussion III, m. 104: Add dynamic marking "f" on beat 1
• Percussion III, Crash Cymbals, m. 106: Add hairpin crescendo starting on beat 1 and lasting full measure
• Percussion III, Crash Cymbals, m. 107: Add dynamic marking "ff"

In Score and Parts:

• Flute I, m. 59: The G-flat5 sixteenth note printed on the & of beat 2 should be a G-natural
• Flute I, m. 169: The G-flat5 sixteenth note printed on the & of beat 2 should be a G-natural
• Flute II, m. 59: The G-flat5 sixteenth note printed on the & of beat 2 should be a G-natural
• Flute II, m. 169: The G-flat5 sixteenth note printed on the & of beat 2 should be a G-natural
• Baritone Saxophone, m. 173-174: Slur the sixteenth notes starting from the D5 on beat 1 of m. 173 to the C6 on beat 1 of m. 174 (identical to m. 63-64)

Program Notes

The Inferno is the first movement of Robert W. Smith's four-movement work The Divine Comedy based on Dante Alighieri's literary classic of the same name. Dante's vision of hell consists of nine concentric circles divided into four categories of sin. This first movement of the epic work uses visual imagery with huge blocks of sound and explosive winds and percussion.

- Program Note by publisher

Commissioned by the James Madison University Band, Harrisonburg, VA, Dr J. Patrick Rooney, Director of Bands.

- Program Note from score

Commercial Discography

None discovered thus far.

Audio Links

• Audio: Reference recording. Ensemble and conductor unknown

State Ratings

• Alabama: Class A
• Georgia: VI
• Kansas: V
• Minnesota: II
• Mississippi: VI-A
• New York: Concert Band V
• North Carolina: VI
• Ohio: OMEA High School Band C
• Tennessee: VI
• Virginia: V

Performances

To submit a performance please join The Wind Repertory Project

• Franklin (Mass.) High School Wind Ensemble (Diane Plouffe, conductor) – 10 December 2019
• Newtown (Conn.) High School Wind Ensemble (Kurt Eckardt, conductor) – 24 May 2019 (Carnegie Hall, New York)
• Los Angeles (Calif.) Symphonic Winds (Stephen Piazza, conductor) – 7 October 2018
• Ohlone Wind Orchestra (Fremont, Calif.) (Tony Clements, conductor) – 1 May 2016
• PEI Senior High Honours Band 2015 (Karem J. Simon, Conductor) - 25 November 2015
• Keene (N.H.) State College Concert Band (Samantha Fowler, conductor) - 30 October 2014
• De Kunstvrienden Sint-Eloois-Winkel(Ledegem, Netherlands) (Dimitri Bracke, conductor) – 7 April 2013
• Ely Senior High Band, Ely, Minnesota (Nolan Hauta, conductor) - March 2013

Works for Winds by this Composer

• Aces (2015)
• Ain't No Stoppin' Us (2007)
• Affirmation Overture (1991)
• Africa: Ceremony, Song and Ritual (1994)
• African Bell Carol (2012)
• All is Calm (as arranger) (2002)
• An American Christmas (2004)
• American Dances (Brass Ensemble) (2017)
  • Rag
  • Square
  • Swing
• American Dances (Wind Ensemble) (2017/2018-2019)
  • Rag (2017/2019)
  • Square (2017/2019)
  • Swing (2017/2018)
• American Flourish (2009)
• American Landscape I
• American Portrait I
• And to All a Good Night (2004)
• Angels, from the Realms of Glory (as arranger) (1816/1999)
• Apollo Fanfare
• The Ascension: See Symphony No 1, "The Divine Comedy"
• Ash Lawn Echoes (1993)
• At Daybreak
• At the Crossroads (1994)
• Bells!
• Beyond the Bell Carol (2018)
• Blue: See Krisanna's Colors
• Brazil: Ceremony, Song and Samba (2009)
• Brazilian Bell Carol (2016)
• Buffalo Dances (2006)
• By Loch and Mountain (1997)
• Cameroon
• Castle Lore
• Celtic Bell Carol
• Celtic Carol (2002)
• Celebration Fanfare from "Buffalo Dances"
• Ceremonium (1994)
• Chatauqua
• Christmas Concerto III
• Christmas Declaration (2009)
• Christmas in the Round
• Christmas Proclamation
• Christmas Hymn
• Cohan Celebration
• Crown of Glory
• Crush (2013)
• Currents (2006)
• Dance Celebration (2000)
• Danza
• Deck the Halls with Drums and Voices
• Declaration and Flourish: See Vaughan Williams Suite
• Declaration in Blue (2002)
• Divine Comedy: See Symphony No 1, "The Divine Comedy"
• Dramatico
• Dreams (2010)
• Dueling Dragons
• Earhart (2012)
• El Espiritu de Valencia
• Encanto (1989/2007)
• Eternal Peaks (2006)
• Evening Alleluias
• Fanfare and Processional on an Old English Carol (1999)
• Fanfare for a Holiday Celebration (2006)
• Fanfare for Tomorrow
• Fiesta La Vida
• Flying Fortress (2019)
• Full Throttle (2015)
• Furioso
• Gentle Winds of Spring (2019)
• Georgia on My Mind (as arranger) (1930/1980)
• Gladiator Finale
• Glorioso
• Goondiwindi
• The Great Locomotive Chase (2000)
• The Great Steamboat Chase (2003)
• The Greatest Generation (2017)
• Greensleeves: See Vaughan Williams Suite
• Groovin' Down Cool Street
• Hadrian's Wall (2010)
• Herndon Exaltations
• Highlights from "Ragtime" (as arranger) (1997)
• Holiday March
• Holst Winter Suite
  • On This Day Earth Shall Ring (as arranger) (1924/2001)
  • In the Bleak Midwinter (arr Smith) (as arranger) (1906/1992)
  • Old Brenton Carol (as arranger) (1910/2001)
• Hoosier Suite
• Hymnsong Variants
• In a Gentle Rain (2000)
• In the Bleak Mid-winter (Smith)
• Incantations
• Inchon (2001)
• The Inferno: See Symphony No 1, "The Divine Comedy"
• Into the Storm (1994)
• Ireland: Of Legend and Lore (1996)
• Irish Songs for Solo and Band
• Jingle Bells Forever (1998)
• Journeys in Time
• King of Kings (1998)
• Krisanna's Colors (2015-2017)
  • Red (2017)
  • Blue (2015)
  • Yellow (2016)
• Kronos (2003)
• Latin Bell Carol
• Liturgical Fanfare (1995)
• Lullaby for Band
• Maelstrom, The (1997)
• March Grandioso (as arranger) (1909/2007)
• Mighty Empire (2018)
• Mirages
• Morpheus (2004)
• Moto Continuo
• Musical Mayhem (2017)
• A Nation's Strength (2003)
• Navarro
• North Bay Vistas
• Paradiso: See Symphony No 1, "The Divine Comedy"
• Peace Like a River
• Purgatorio: See Symphony No 1, "The Divine Comedy"
• Prairie is My Garden, The (2018)
• Prevailing Winds
• Promising Skies (2010)
• Recession, Depression Holiday Blues, The
• Red: See Krisanna's Colors
• Rising Dragons (2006)
• Rites of Tamburo (1999)
• Repercussions
• Runaway Sleigh, The
• Semper Liberi (1998)
• Sensei's Ride on the Cherry Blossom Express (2010)
• Shenandoah (arr. Smith and Story) (2003)
• Solaris
• Songs of Earth, Water, Fire and Sky (1998)
• Songs of Sailor and Sea (1997)
• The Sound and the Fury (1999)
• Southwest Summer (2009)
• Spirit of Orpheus, The (1998)
• Spirit of the Winds
• Star Wars: Episode II, Attack of the Clones (as arranger)
• Stone Gardens (2016)
• Suite for the Heroes Among Us (2018)
• Summer Nights (2016)
• Symphonic Festival (1991)
• Symphonic Statement (2006)
• Symphony No 1, "The Divine Comedy" (1995)
  • Inferno, The
  • Purgatorio
  • Ascension, The
  • Paradiso
• Symphony No. 2, "The Odyssey" (2004)
  • Iliad, The
  • Winds of Poseidon
  • Isle of Calypso, The
  • Ithaca
• Symphony No. 3, "Don Quixote" (2008)
  • Quest, The
  • Dulcinea
  • Sancho and the Windmills
  • The Illumination
• Symphony of Souls
• Sword of Kings
• The Tempest (1995)
• Teutonic Tales (2010)
  • Damon-Tanz
  • Freya
  • Thor's Hammer
• Through the Vulcan's Eye (1996)
• To Dance in the Secret Garden (1996)
• To Challenge the Sky and Heavens Above (2000)
• To the Summit! (2001)
• Top Gun (1986)
• Triton Fanfare
• Tromba Grande (2016)
• 'Twas in the Moon of Wintertime (as arranger) (1995)
• Twelve Seconds to the Moon (1996)
• Ultimatum
• Upon a Midnight Clear (as arranger) (2014)
• Valiance: A Heroic Overture for Band
• Vaughan Williams Suite
  • Wassail (as arranger)
  • Greensleeves (as arranger) (2007)
  • Declaration and Flourish (2008)
• Walking the Planks (2012)
• When Summer Takes Flight (2002)
• Where the Black Hawk Soars (1995)
• Wind Song (2017)
• World Holiday Celebration
• Yellow: See Krisanna's Colors

References

• Smith, Norman E. (2002). Program Notes for Band. Chicago: GIA Publications, pp. 549.
• Smith, R. (1995). The Inferno: First Movement from The Divine Comedy [score]. Belwin Mills: Miami, Fla.