North by Northwest Overture

From Wind Repertory Project
Bernard Herrmann

Bernard Herrmann (trans. and arr. Carl Hammer)


General Info

Year: 1959 / 2008
Duration: c. 2:35
Difficulty: IV-1/2 (see Ratings for explanation)
Publisher: Carl Hammer
Cost: Score and Parts (digital) - $80.00


Instrumentation

Full Score
C Piccolo
Flute I-II
Oboe I-II
English Horn
Bassoon I-II
Contrabassoon
E-flat Soprano Clarinet
B-flat Soprano Clarinet I-II-III
E-flat Alto Clarinet
B-flat Bass Clarinet I-II
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
Bass Trombone
Euphonium
Tuba
String Bass
Harp I-II
Timpani
Percussion, including:

  • Bass Drum
  • Castanets
  • Crash Cymbals
  • Snare Drum
  • Tambourine
  • Xylophone


Errata

None discovered thus far.


Program Notes

North by Northwest is a 1959 American spy thriller film, directed by Alfred Hitchcock and starring Cary Grant, Eva Marie Saint and James Mason. The movie is a tale of mistaken identity, with an innocent man pursued across the United States by agents of a mysterious organization trying to prevent him from blocking their plan to smuggle out microfilm that contains government secrets.

This is one of several Hitchcock films that features a music score by Bernard Herrmann and a memorable opening title sequence by graphic designer Saul Bass. North by Northwest is now regarded among the essential Hitchcock pictures and is often listed as one of the greatest films of all time.

- Program Note from Wikipedia


In January 2008, Dr. Lawrence Stoffel visited with me about preparing a transcription of the overture to Alfred Hitchcock's North by Northwest. Permission to arrange was secured through the Alfred Publishing Company, and the transcription opened the "They Could've Been Contenders" concert on May 3, 2008.

I worked off of a copy of the original manuscript to prepare this transcription. I found Bernard Herrmann's writing to be well suited to a band transcription because the woodwinds, brass and percussion are featured so prominently throughout the score. The string parts are often doubled, and are stylistically similar to the wind parts.

- Program Note by Carl Hammer


Media


State Ratings

None discovered thus far.


Performances

To submit a performance please join The Wind Repertory Project

  • Lawrence University (Appleton, Wisc.) Wind Ensemble (Andrew Mast, conductor) - 26 February 2022
  • Gold Coast Wind Ensemble (Thousand Oaks, Calif.) (Michael Doty, conductor) – 19 January 2019
  • Atlanta (Ga.) Youth Wind Symphony (Scott A. Stewart, conductor) - 19 May 2018
  • California State University, Northridge, Wind Ensemble (Lawerence Stoffel, conductor) – 29 November 2016
  • Encore Concert Band (Mokena, Ill.) (Bill Schuetter, conductor) – 1 May 2016


Works for Winds by This Composer


Resources