Punchinello

Alfred Reed

Alfred Reed

Subtitle: Overture to a Romantic Comedy, for Concert Band

General Info

Year: 1974
Duration: c. 7:50
Difficulty: V (see Ratings for explanation)
Publisher: C.L. Barnhouse
Cost: Score and Parts (print) - $150.00   |   Score Only (print) - $20.00

Instrumentation

Full Score
C Piccolo/Flute III
Flute I-II
Oboe I-II
English Horn (optional)
Bassoon I-II
Contra-Bassoon (optional)
E-flat Soprano Clarinet
B-flat Soprano Clarinet I-II-III
E-flat Alto Clarinet
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
B-flat Trumpet I-II-III
E-flat Horn or Alto I-II-III-IV
Horn in F I-II-III-IV
Trombone I-II-III
Bass Trombone
Euphonium
Tuba
String Bass
Timpani
Percussion, including:

• Bass Drum
• Bells
• Crash Cymbals
• Snare Drum
• Suspended Cymbal
• Xylophone

Errata

None discovered thus far.

Program Notes

This brilliant work, combining elements of the symphonic variation form with those of the large theater pit orchestra styling, was written for the Western Illinois Symphonic Wind Ensemble and its conductor, Christopher Izzo. The first performance took place on November 14th, 1973, at Macomb, Illinois, at one of their fall concerts on campus.

The music is in the traditional three-part overture form (fast-slow-fast) with a warm lyrical middle section set off by a brilliant opening and closing group of themes that are constantly developed with all of the resources of the modern integrated wind ensemble. Although there is no program note denoting how the music was conceived in terms of any specific play, story or film, some listeners might just perhaps find a touch of nostalgia in the long, singing line of the middle section, or in the exciting theater two-step rhythms in the final portion. The only real clue as to what the music is about may be found in its subtitle: Overture to a Romantic Comedy ... and the elements of both romance and comedy have indeed always remained the same, and, hopefully, will continue to be so!

- Program Note from score

Commercial Discography

• Audio CD: Mansfield University Concert Wind Ensemble (Adam F. Brennan, conductor) - 2013

Media

• Audio: Reference recording. Ensemble and conductor unknown

State Ratings

• Alabama: Class AA
• Arkansas: V
• Georgia: VI
• Iowa: IV
• Indiana: ISSMA SENIOR BAND GROUP I
• Kansas: V
• Louisiana: IV
• Maryland: I
• Michigan: Senior High AA
• New York: Concert Band V
• Ohio: OMEA High School Band C
• Tennessee: VI
• Virginia: VI

Performances

To submit a performance please join The Wind Repertory Project

• Tallahassee (Fla.) Winds (Patrick Dunnigan, conductor) – 11 February 2020
• Florida State University (Tallahassee, Fla.) Concert Band (Steve Kelly, conductor) – 11 February 2019
• Indiana University (Bloomington) Symphonic Band (Eric M. Smedley, conductor) – 13 November 2018
• University of Oregon (Eugene) Wind Symphony (Nicholas Soenyun, conductor) – 26 October 2018
• University of Georgia (Athens) Hodgson Symphonic Band (Michael Robinson, conductor) – 24 September 2018
• Oak Ridge (Tenn.) Community Band/Wind Ensemble (Dale Pendley, conductor) - 15 April 2018
• Wartburg College (Waverly, Iowa) Wind Ensemble (Craig A. Hancock, conductor) – 15 April 2018
• Indiana University (Bloomington) Summer Concert Band (Stephen W. Pratt, conductor) – 21 June 2017
• 2016 Virginia All-State Band – 9 April 2016

Works for Winds by this Composer

Adaptable Music

• Come, Sweet Death (Flex instrumentation) (as transcriber; arr. Benson) (1736/1976/2019)
• Two Bagatelles (Flex instrumentation) (arr. Clark) (1983/1997/2010)

All Wind Works

• Acclamation!
• Alleluia! Laudamus Te (1973)
• Arioso (as arranger) (1998)
• Armenian Dances (1972-1978)
  • Armenian Dances, Part One (1972)
  • Armenian Dances, Part Two (1978)
• Autumn Leaves (as arranger) (1947/2017)
• Ballade (1956/1999)
• Bachianas Brasileiras No. 4 Suite (as arranger) (1965)
• Canto e Camdombe
• A Celebration Fanfare (1989)
• Ceremony of Flourishes (1964)
• Chanson Triste (1989)
• A Christmas Suite (1974)
• Chorale Prelude in E minor (1953/1966)
• A Christmas Celebration (1987)
• A Christmas Intrada (1980)
• Clear Track Polka (2000)
• Come, Sweet Death (as arranger) (1736/1976)
• Come, Sweet Death (as arranger, with Kim Benson) (1736/1976/2019)
• Concertino for Marimba and Winds (1993)
• Curtain Up! (1991)
• Danza Caribe (1986)
• Deck Thyself, My Soul, With Gladness (as arranger) (1653/1724/1990)
• Divertimento for Flute and Concert Band (1998)
• Double Wind Quintet (1975)
• El Camino Real (1985)
• El Camino Real (arr. Longfield) (1985/2013)
• The Enchanted Island (1980)
• The Entertainer (as arranger) (1902/1974)
• Evolutions (1993)
• Fanfare and Processional (2005)
• The Fantasticks (as arranger) (1966)
• Fantasy on "Black Is the Color of My True Love's Hair" (as arranger) (1973)
• A Festival Prelude (1962)
• A Festive Overture (1963)
• Fifth Suite for Band (1995)
• Finlandia (as editor) (1900/2004)
• First Suite for Band (1975)
• Five Dances for Five Clarinets and Band
• Forget Me Not, O Lord (as arranger) (c. 1736/1985)
• Fourth Suite for Band (1994)
• Funiculi Funicula (as arranger) (1880/1994)
• Giligia (2000)
• The Golden Year (1997)
• Greensleeves (1993/2011)
• Gypsy Dance (as arranger) (1872/1997)
• Huldigungsmarsch (as editor) (1864/2002)
• Highlights from "Exodus" (as arranger) (1960/1962)
• Highlights from Walt Disney's "Mary Poppins" (as arranger) (1963/1965)
• The Hounds of Spring (1981)
• Hymn Variants (1992)
• I Left my Heart in San Francisco (as transcriber; ed. Rogers) (1954/1963)
• Imperatrix (1972)
• In Dulci Jubilo (as arranger) (1970)
• Intrada Drammatica (1968/1992)
• Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring (as arranger) (1723/1981)
• Jidai (2001)
• Joyeux Noël (2002)
• A Jubilant Overture (1970)
• A Jubilant Overture (arr. Conaway) (1970/2011)
• The King of Love My Shepherd Is (1995)
• L’Arlésienne Suite No 2 (as editor, with McAlister) (1872/2002)
• A Little Concert Suite (1984)
• Mancini! (as arranger) (1965)
• March Grandioso (as arranger) (1901/1969)
• Mary Poppins (as arranger) (1964/2006)
• Millennium III (1999)
• Mr. Music (1990)
• Music for Hamlet (1973/2018)
• The Music-Makers (1968)
• The Music Man: Highlights (as arranger) (1957/1959)
• My Heart Is Filled With Longing (as arranger) (c. 1710/1986)
• Nimrod (as arranger) (1899/1965)
• A Northern Legend (1972)
• Ode for Trumpet (1956)
• Othello (1977)
• Our Father Who Art in Heaven (as arranger)
• Pilgrim's Chorus (as arranger) (1845/1991)
• The Pledge of Allegiance (1970)
• Praise Jerusalem! (1986)
• Prelude IV (as arranger) (1983)
• Prelude and Capriccio (1978)
• Presentation of the Silver Rose (as arranger) (1910/1988)
• Punchinello (1974)
• Radetzky March (as arranger) (1993)
• Rahoon (1965)
• The Ramparts of Courage (1995)
• Rosalind in the Forest of Arden (2005)
• Rushmore (1981)
• Russian Christmas Music (1944)
• Russian Christmas Music (arr. Curnow) (1944/1990)
• Seascape: A Dramatic Intermezzo (1962)
• Second Century (1986)
• Second Suite for Band (1980)
• Second Symphony (1979)
• Serenade (1966)
• The Severn Suite (as arranger) (1973)
• Siciliana Notturno (1977)
• Silver Shadow
• Sine Nomine (as arranger) (1906/1976)
• Sixth Suite for Band
• Slavonic Folk Suite (1953)
• Song of Threnos (1964)
• A Springtime Celebration (1991)
• The Strenuous Life (as arranger) (1902/1974)
• Sumus Futuro (1999)
• Symphonic Prelude (1963)
• Symphony for Brass and Percussion (1952/1967)
• Symphony II. See: Second Symphony
• Symphony No. 3 (1988)
  • Variations on the Porazzi Theme of Wagner (1882/1988)
• Symphony No. 4 (1992)
• Symphony No. 5 (1995)
• Tarantella (1996)
• Theme from "Lawrence of Arabia" (as arranger) (1963)
• Third Suite For Band (1982)
• Three Chorales (as arranger; ed. McAlister) (?/2013)
• Three Revelations from the Lotus Sutra (1984)
• Thunder and Lightning (1999)
• The Tsar's Farewell (as arranger) (2001)
• Twelfth Night (2003)
• Two Bagatelles (Flex instrumentation) (arr. Clark) (1983/1997/2010)
• Two Bagatelles (1983/1995)
• Two Bagatelles for Concert Band (1983/1997)
• Two Bagatelles for Four Trombones (1983)
• Vilia
• Viva Musica! (1984)
• With Trumpets And Drums (1992)

Resources

• Reed, A. (1974). Punchinello : Overture to a Romantic Comedy [score]. C.L. Barnhouse: Oskaloosa, Iowa.