Promenade Overture

John Corigliano

John Corigliano (trans. Matthew Roeder)

General Info

Year: 1981 / 2001 / 2017
Duration: c. 8:00
Difficulty: VI (see Ratings for explanation)
Original Medium: Orchestra
Publisher: Manuscript
Cost: Score and Parts - Unknown

Instrumentation

Full Score
C Piccolo
Flute I-II
Oboe I-II
Bassoon I-II
B-flat Soprano Clarinet I-II
B-flat Soprano Saxophone
E-flat Alto Saxophone
B-flat Tenor Saxophone
E-flat Baritone Saxophone
C Trumpet I-II-III-IV
Horn in F I-II-III-IV
Trombone I-II-III
Euphonium
Tuba
String Bass
Harp
Synth Pad
Timpani
Percussion (4 players), including:

Bass Drum
Bell Tree
Finger Cymbals
Glockenspiel
Ratchet
Snare Drum
Suspended Cymbal
Tambourine
Tam-Tam
Temple Blocks, high, medium and low
Tenor Drum
Triangle
Xylophone

Errata

None discovered thus far.

Program Notes

The premise of Promenade Overture took root years ago when the composer was caught off guard by Haydn’s delightful Farewell Symphony. This Haydn work is often used to end a concert because during the last movement the players gradually exit, leaving two violins to finish the symphony on a bare stage.

Since overtures usually begin concerts, a reverse of this procedure – the entrance of an orchestra while playing – became both an interesting idea and a compositional challenge.

Offstage brass announce the start of the work, with the trumpets playing the last five measures of the Farewell Symphony – backwards. This forms a fanfare announcing the promenade of performers, which starts with the piccolo, concludes with the tuba, and contains a variety of motives which eventually form a lyrical melody that is built to a climax by the full orchestra.

- Program Note by composer for orchestral version

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

University of Colorado Boulder Wind Symphony (Matthew Roeder, conductor) – 30 April 2018

Works for Winds by This Composer

Antiphon. See: Two Works for Antiphonal Brass
Circus Maximus. See: Symphony No. 3, "Circus Maximus"
Concerto for Clarinet and Wind Ensemble (tr. Davis) (1977/2014)
DC Fanfare (tr. Spede) (1997/2001)
Elegy (arr. Anderson) (1969/2012)
Gazebo Dances (1974)
Lullaby for Natalie (trans. Martin) (2011/2012)
Mr. Tambourine Man (trans. Mösenbichler-Bryant) (2000/)
Promenade Overture (tr. Roeder) (1981/2017)
Red Violin Chaconne (tr. Lorenzo) (2005)
STOMP (trans. Humfeld) (2010/2018)
Tarantella from "Symphony No. 1" (tr. Gershman) (1988)
Symphony No. 3, "Circus Maximus" (2004)
Tournaments (tr. Anderson) (1963/2013)
Two Works for Antiphonal Brass (1993)
- Fanfares to Music
- Antiphon (arr. Jack Hyatt)
Voyage (tr. Thornton) (1971/2015)

Resources

John Corigliano website Accessed 1 May 2018
Matthew Roeder, personal correspondence, May 2018