Mary Shelley Meets Frankenstein
Subtitle: A Modern Promethean Tango
General Info
Year: 2014 / 2019
Duration: c. 4:50
Difficulty: V (see Ratings for explanation)
Original Medium: Saxophone quartet
Publisher: Swan Maiden Press
Cost: Score and Parts (digital) - $125.00
Instrumentation
Full Score
C Piccolo
Flute I-II
Oboe I-II
Bassoon I-II
Contrabassoon (optional)
B-flat Soprano Clarinet I-II-III
B-flat Bass Clarinet
B-flat Soprano Saxophone
E-flat Alto Saxophone I-II
B-flat Tenor Saxophone
E-flat Baritone Saxophone
B-flat Bass Saxophone (optional)
B-flat Trumpet I-II-III
Horn in F I-II-III-IV
Trombone I-II
Bass Trombone
Euphonium
Tuba
Timpani
Percussion I-VI, including:
- Bass Drum
- Castanets
- Claves
- Drum Set
- Gong
- Marimba
- Shakers
- Triangle
- Vibraphone
- Xylophone
Errata
None discovered thus far.
Program Notes
Mary Shelley Meets Frankenstein: A Modern Promethean Tango imagines a scenario where the young author meets her own creation, the monster brought to life whom we colloquially refer to as “Frankenstein.” They meet, circling each other in a dance reflective of a tango. Mary is initially curious and sympathetic, while the creature pleads for compassion. In the moment when the two come together, Mary’s sympathy is overwhelmed by horror and she begins to panic, while the creature becomes furious with her rejection. With the final notes, we are left asking ourselves -- who is the real monster?
Commissioned by Andrew Boysen, Jr. and the University of New Hampshire Wind Symphony.
- Program Note by composer
Media
- Audio: Reference recording. University of New Hampshire Wind Symphony (Andrew Boysen Jr., Conductor)
State Ratings
None discovered thus far.
Performances
To submit a performance please join The Wind Repertory Project
- San Francisco (Calif.) Lesbian/Gay Freedom Band (Pete Nowlen, conductor) - 30 September 2023
- Diablo Valley College (Pleasant Hill, Calif.) Wind Ensemble (Kaitlin Bove, conductor) - 2 March 2023
- University of Nebraska (Lincoln) Wind Ensemble (Foteini Angeli, conductor) - 30 November 2022
- University of North Dakota (Grand Forks) Wind Ensemble (James Popejoy, conductor) - 11 October 2022
- National Concert Band of America (Alexandria, Va.) (Adrian Holton, conductor) - 24 October 2021
- Prior Lake High School (Savage, Minn.) Band (Justin Schramm, conductor) – 12 March 2020
Works for Winds by This Composer
Adaptable Music
- Mary Shelley Meets Frankenstein (Flex instrumentation) (2014/2020)
- Steampunk Scenes (Flex instrumentation) (2015/2021)
All Wind Works
- Band of Heroes (2018)
- Baskerville (2019)
- Category 4 (2021)
- Claremont Triumphant (2011)
- Clocktower Fanfare (2016)
- Echoes (2018)
- El Salon Mexico (as arranger) (2009)
- First Suite Fanfare (2020)
- Florence & Alice (2021)
- Four Grainger Songs (as arranger) (2003)
- The Haunted Carousel (2015)
- A Journey in Time (2020)
- Like the Wind
- Mary Shelley Meets Frankenstein (2014/2019)
- Mary Shelley Meets Frankenstein (Flex instrumentation) (2014/2019/2020)
- She Dares, She Leaps (2022)
- Springtime Ride (2018)
- Steampunk Scenes (Flex instrumentation) (2015/2021)
- Steampunk Suite (2015/2017)
- Symphony in Blue & Gold (2023)
- The Town Band (2022)
- Tutued Toucan Can-Can (2021)
- Where no one has gone before (2023)
Resources
- Erika Svanoe website Accessed 23 October 2021
- Perusal score
- Svanoe, Erika. " Mary Shelley Meets Frankenstein: Composer Intro." YouTube. Erika Svanoe, 30 October 2020 Accessed 23 October 2021