Kokopelli's Dance

Nathan Tanouye

General Info

Year: 2005
Duration: c. 8:00
Difficulty: V (see Ratings for explanation)
Publisher: NNT Music
Cost: Score & Parts - $175.00 | Score Only - $30.00

Instrumentation

Full Score
C Piccolo
Flute I-II
Oboe I-II
English Horn
Bassoon I-II
B-flat Soprano Clarinet I-II-III
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
Timpani
Percussion, including:

Xylophone

Errata

None discovered thus far.

Program Notes

This popular piece (commissioned and recorded by the UNLV Wind Orchestra) has received rave reviews from band directors around the country. Its difficulty level is perfect for professional, university, or even advanced high school wind ensembles. This piece features many soloists within the ensemble including flute, tuba, and timpani.

- Program Note from publisher

Kokopelli’s Dance is the first classical composition by jazz composer Nathan Tanouye. The piece begins with Kokopelli’s theme played by a solo flute, the same instrument that Kokopelli played. The theme is then passed through the ensemble in a fugue-like fashion. This style of writing emits the feelings of happiness and joy that Kokopelli symbolized in ancient Indian life. As different sections of the piece progress, the atmosphere of Kokopelli's theme changes, just as the atmosphere of a dance changes with the entrance of each new person. A light-hearted, spirited composition, Kokopelli’s Dance is a delightful illustration of an old Indian legend.

- Program Note by the Boise State University Symphonic Winds concert program, 5 March 2015

Media

Audio: Reference recording. Showa Wind Symphony (Eugene Migliaro Corporon, conductor)
Audio CD: North Texas State Wind Symphony (Eugene Migliaro Corporon, conductor)
Audio CD: University of Nevada at Las Vegas Wind Orchestra (Thomas Leslie, conductor)

State Ratings

None discovered thus far.

Performances

To submit a performance please join The Wind Repertory Project

West Virginia University (Morgantown) Wind Symphony (Scott C. Tobias, conductor) - 23 October 2022
United States Marine Band (Washington, D.C.) (Bryan P. Sherlock, conductor) - 1 August 2019
Winnepeg (Can.) Wind Ensemble (Jacqueline Dawson, conductor) – 19 May 2019
University of Prince Edward Island (Charlottetown) Wind Ensemble (Karem J. Simon, conductor) – 31 March 2019
Cleveland State University (Ohio) Symphonic Wind Ensemble (Birch Browning, conductor) – 20 November 2017
Los Angeles Symphonic Winds (Stephen Piazza, conductor) – 29 May 2016
Boise (Id.) State University Symphonic Winds (William Eicher, conductor) - 5 March 2015 (80th Annual ABA National Convention)
Mo Hornmusikk, Norwegian Championship for Wind Bands (Reid Gilje, conductor) - 4 April 2014
CBDNA Western/Northwestern Division Intercollegiate Band (Reno, Nev.) (Erich Rombach-Kendall, conductor) – 15 March 2012 (CBDNA 2012 Western/Northwestern Division Conference, Reno, Nev.)
Alvøens Musikkforening, Norwegian Championship for Wind Bands (Bengt Florvåg, conductor) - 23 March 2012
Douglas Anderson School of the Arts (Jacksonville, Fla.) Wind Symphony (Shawn L. Barat, conductor) – 14 December 2011 (2011 Midwest Clinic)
Indiana University (Bloomington) Wind Ensemble (Stephen W. Pratt, conductor) – 27 February 2010 (CBDNA 2010 North Central Division Conference, Normal, Ill.)

Works for Winds by This Composer

Resources

Nathan Tanouye website Accessed 21 May 2016
Tanouye, N. (2005). Kokopelli's Dance [score]. N. Tanouye: [Las Vegas, Nev.]