Pneuma

Heinz Holliger

Subtitle: for Wind, Percussion, Organ and Radios

General Info

Year: 1970
Duration: c. 16:00
Difficulty: (see Ratings for explanation)
Publisher: Schott Music
Cost: Score and Parts - Rental | Score Only - €25.99

Instrumentation

Full Score
Flute I-II-III-IV (III-IV ad lib.)
Oboe I-II (both doubling English Horn)
Bassoon I-II
B-flat Soprano Clarinet I-II
C Trumpet I-II (I doubling B-flat Piccolo Trumpet)
Horn in F I-II
Trombone I-II
Tuba
Piano (doubling Electric Organ)
Timpani
Percussion (4 players), including:

Bamboo Woodchime
Bass Drum
Bongo (4)
Crash Cymbal
Flexatone
Glass Wind Chime
Guiro
Maracas (2)
Metal Block (2)
Rute (2)
Sandpaper block (2)
Single Head Tom-tom (or Timbales) (4)
Sizzle Cymbal
Snare Drum
Suspended Cymbal (2)
Tam-tam (2)
Tissue Paper
Transparent Paper
Triangle (4-8)
Whip
Whistle (1-4)

Head Piece of Soprano Recorder (4 players)
Sho (or Soprano Melodica)
Soprano Melodica I-II
Alto Melodica
Transistor Radio (4 players)

Errata

None discovered thus far.

Program Notes

"Pneuma" is an ancient Greek word for "breath", and in a religious context for "spirit" or "soul". It has various technical meanings for medical writers and philosophers of classical antiquity, particularly in regard to physiology, and is also used in Greek translations of ruach רוח in the Hebrew Bible, and in the Greek New Testament.

In classical philosophy, it is distinguishable from psyche, which originally meant "breath of life", but is regularly translated as "spirit" or most often "soul".

- Program Note from Wikipedia

Media

Audio CD: SWF-Sinfonieorchester Baden-Baden (Ernest Bour, conductor) - 1991

State Ratings

None discovered thus far.

Performances

To submit a performance please join The Wind Repertory Project

Het Radio Blazerensemble (Amsterdam, Netherlands) (Heinz Holligar, conductor) – 4 July 1971 *Premiere Performance*

Works for Winds by This Composer

"h" (1968)
Pneuma (1970)
Kreis (1971-72)
Für Rolf (1996-99)
Flüsterfuge und Zirkelkanon (2000-01)
Ma)(s)sacrilegion d'horreur (2004)

Resources

Holliger, H. (1970). Pneuma (1970) [score]. Schott Music: Mainz, Ger.
Perusal score
Pneuma, Wikipedia. Accessed 1 August 2021