Meditation II

Leonard Bernstein

Leonard Bernstein (arr. Donald Hunsberger)

Subtitle: On a Sequence by Beethoven

General Info

Year: 1971 / 1973
Duration: c. 4:00
Difficulty: (see Ratings for explanation)
Original Medium: Orchestra
Publisher: Boosey & Hawkes
Cost: Score and Parts (print) - $91.70   |   Score Only (print) - $12.40

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
B-flat Contrabass Clarinet
E-flat Alto Saxophone I-II
B-flat Tenor Saxophone
E-flat Baritone Saxophone
B-flat Cornet I-II-III
B-flat Trumpet I-II-III
Horn in F I-II-III-IV
Trombone I-II-III-IV
Euphonium
Tuba
String Bass
Piano
Timpani
Percussion (5 players), including:

• Bass Drum
• Crash Cymbals
• Marimba
• Orchestra Bells
• Snare Drums (2)
• Suspended Cymbal
• Temple Blocks (4)
• Vibraphone
• Xylophone

Errata

None discovered thus far.

Program Notes

The 1970s saw a number of religious rock musicals, notably Jesus Christ Superstar and Godspell, and Bernstein was so impressed by the latter that he invited 23-year-old writer Stephen Schwartz to provide lyrics for Mass -- once again, Bernstein reached beyond his own world of classical music for a collaborator to help him create a large-scale musical theater piece, as he had with West Side Story.

Mass was Bernstein's most ambitious theater work. Despite its adaptation of the Latin text interspersed with songs, ""numbers,"" choreographic sequences, and symphonic interludes, Mass is ecumenical in nature and cannot be categorized.

Perhaps the most accurate description of the piece is "pageant." With approximately 200 performers, including dancers, singers, a boy chorus, rock and blues singers, actors, and two orchestras, as well as a marching band—who play through the audience – Mass is a musical and theatrical experience.

Bernstein's Meditation No. 2 allows both audience and celebrant a moment of contemplation.

- Program Note from publisher

Media

(Needed - please join the WRP if you can help.)

State Ratings

None discovered thus far.

Performances

To submit a performance please join The Wind Repertory Project

• Old Dominion University (Norfolk, Va.) Wind Ensemble (Brian O. Walden, conductor) - 29 October 2021

Works for Winds by This Composer

Adaptable Music

• Cool (Flex instrumentation) (arr. Murtha) (1957/2018)
• West Side Story (Flex instrumentation) (arr. Sweeney) (1957/2015)

All Wind Works

• Almighty Father (arr. Hunsberger) (1971/1974)
• America (arr. Vinson) (1963/2018)
• America from "West Side Story" (arr. Brown)
• A Bernstein Tribute (adapt. Grundman) (1991)
• Candide Suite (arr. Grundman) (1956/1993)
• Cool (Flex instrumentation) (arr. Murtha) (1957/2018)
• Dance Suite (1990)
• Danzón (arr. Bocook) (1944/1990)
• Danzón (arr. Krance) (1944)
• Divertimento (arr. Grundman) (1980/1984)
  • BSO Forever, The
• Fanfare for the 25th Anniversary of the High School of the Arts (orch. Ramin)
• Fanfare for the Inauguration of John F. Kennedy (orch. Ramin) (1961/1995)
• Fanfare from "Dance Suite"
• Four Dances from "West Side Story" (tr. Polster) (1957/1980)
• Gee, Officer Krupke (arr. Murtha) (1957/2015)
• Glitter and Be Gay (arr. Frenkel) (1956/)
• Glitter and be Gay from "Candide" (tr. Davis)
• Highlights from "West Side Story" (arr. Ingram) (1963)
• I Hate Music! (arr. Nowlin) (1943/)
• Make Our Garden Grow (arr. Kreines) (1956/2017)
• Make Our Garden Grow (arr. John Gibson) (1956/)
• Mambo from "West Side Story" (arr. Sweeney) (1957/2013?)
• Maria (arr. Murtha) (1957/2003)
• Maria from "West Side Story" (arr. McCoy) (1957)
• Meditation No. 2 (arr. Hunsberger) (1971/1973)
• A Musical Toast (tr. Grundman) (1982)
• Overture to "Candide" (trans. Beeler)
• Overture to "Candide" (tr. Grundman) (1955/1986)
• Overture to "Candide" (arr. Howell) (1955/2020)
• Overture to "Candide" (tr. Hunsberger) (1955/)
• Prelude, Fugue and Riffs (1974/1991)
• Presto Barbaro from "On the Waterfront" (arr. Erickson)
• Prologue from "West Side Story" (arr. Gilmore) (1962)
• Selections from "Wonderful Town" (arr. Saurer) (1953)
• Shivaree (1970)
• A Simple Song (arr. Sweeney) (1971/2010)
• Slava! (tr. Grundman) (1977)
• Slava! (arr. Linden) (1977/2011)
• Slava! (tr. Longfield) (1977/)
• Somewhere (arr. Brown) (1957/2012)
• Somewhere from "West Side Story" (arr. Bocook)
• Suite from "MASS" (arr. Sweeney) (1971/2009 )
• Suite from "On the Town" (arr. Higgins) (1944)
• Suite from "West Side Story" (arr. Davis)
• Symphonic Dance Music from "West Side Story" (arr. Polster) (1980)
• Symphonic Dances from "West Side Story" (arr. Leon) (1967/2007)
• Symphonic Dances from "West Side Story" (tr. Lavender) (1967/2008)
• Symphonic Suite from "On the Waterfront" (arr. Bocook) (1954/2011)
• Symphony No. 1 (tr. Bencriscutto) (1942/1952)
  • Profanation from "Symphony No. 1"
  • Lamentation from "Symphony No. 1"
• Three Dance Episodes from "On The Town" (arr. Lavender) (1944/2016)
• Three Dance Episodes from "On The Town" (tr. Stith) (1944/1972)
• West Side Story: Highlights (tr. Ingram)
• West Side Story: Medley (arr. Bocook) (1957/1991)
• West Side Story: Selection (arr. Duthoit) (1957/1959)
• West Side Story (Flex instrumentation) (arr. Sweeney) (1957/2015)
• West Side Story (arr. Norris)
• A White House Cantata (tr. Nowlin) (1997/)
• Wrong Note Rag (arr. Ricketts) (1953/2005)

Resources

• Bernstein, L.; Hunsberger, D. [1973]. Meditation No. 2: On a Sequence of Beethoven [score]. Amberson Enterprises: New York.
• Girsberger, Russ. Percussion Assignments for Band & Wind Ensemble. Volume I: A-K. Meredith Music Publications, 2004, pp. 39.