Riff Raff

Ryan George

This article is a stub. If you can help add information to it,
please join the WRP and visit the FAQ (left sidebar) for information.

General Info

Year: 2012
Duration: c. 8:40
Difficulty: V (see Ratings for explanation)
Publisher: Fornine Music
Cost: Score and Parts (print) - $295.00 | Score Only (print) - $50.00

Instrumentation

Full Score
Piccolo
Flute I-II
Oboe I-II
E-flat Soprano Clarinet
B-flat Soprano Clarinet I-II-III-IV
B-flat Bass Clarinet
Bassoon I-II
Contrabassoon
E-flat Alto Saxophone I-II
B-flat Tenor Saxophone
E-flat Baritone Saxophone
B-flat Trumpet I-II-III-IV
Horn in F I-II-III-IV
Trombone I-II-III-IV
Euphonium
Tuba I-II
Double Bass
Piano (optional)
Timpani
Percussion I-II-III-IV-V

(Percussion detail desired)

Errata

None discovered thus far.

Program Notes

Riff Raff was born out of a recently renewed interest in post-war jazz and big band. The works of composers and arrangers like Kenton, Riddle, Graettinger, Ellington, and even the jazz-inspired sounds in some of Bernstein’s symphonic music conjure up images (in my mind anyway) of the “urban rebel” found within mid-century American pop culture. This idea of the brooding lone figure who forges through life on his own terms can be found in some of the fictional film characters played by James Dean and Marion Brando or in the hard-boiled detectives and heroes within pulp novels and film noir. What I find interesting about these characters is the double-persona that they usually possess. On one hand they exude an über-cool toughness and an “I don’t care what the world thinks” bravado. Yet internally there is often a conflicted and troubled soul in need of redemption.

- Program note by composer

Media

Audio: Reference recording. Ensemble and conductor unknown.
Audio CD: VanderCook Symphonic Band (Charles T. Menghini, conductor)
Audio CD: Hoover (Ala.) High School Symphonic Winds (Ryan Fitzpatrick, conductor)

State Ratings

None discovered thus far.

Performances

To submit a performance please join The Wind Repertory Project

University of Texas (Austin) Symphony Band (Clifton Croomes, conductor) - 24 March 2023
The Naperville (Ill.) Winds (Sean Kelley, conductor) - 9 December 2021
University of the Incarnate Word (San Antonio, Tx.) Wind Ensemble (Brett A. Richardson, conductor) – 23 February 2020
Hoover (Ala.) High School Symphonic Winds (Ryan Fitzpatrick, conductor) – 20 February 2020 (CBDNA 2020 Southern Division Conference, Natchitoches, La.)
Northwestern State University of Louisiana (Natchitoches) Wind Symphony (Jeffrey C. Mathews, conductor) – 10 July 2019 - WASBE Conference (Buñol, Spain)
Texas A&M University (Lubbock) Symphonic Winds (Russell Tipton, conductor) - 28 April 2019
University of Oklahoma (Norman) Symphony Band (Brian Britt, conductor) – 23 April 2018
John Hersey High School (Arlington Heights, Ill.) Symphonic Band (Scott Casagrande, conductor) – 23 February 2018 (CBDNA 2018 North Central Conference, Kalamazoo, Mich.)
San Jose (Calif.) State University Wind Ensemble (Edward C. Harris, conductor) – 3 December 2015
James Logan High School (Union City, Calif.) Wind Symphony (Adam R. Wilke, conductor) - 20 February 2015 (2015 CMEC Conference, Fresno)
James Logan High School (Union City, Calif.) Wind Symphony (Adam R. Wilke, conductor) - 21 March 2014 (2014 Sutherland Wind Festival, Fresno, Calif.)
VanderCook College of Music (Chicago, Ill.) Symphonic Band (Charles T. Menghini, conductor) – 21 December 2012 (2012 Midwest Clinic)

Works for Winds by This Composer

Adaptable Music

Autobahn (Flex instrumentation) (2008/2020)
Café 512 (Flex instrumentation) (2010/2020)
Jinx (Flex instrumentation) (2017/2020)

All Wind Works

Resources

Mast, Andrew. "Riff Raff." In Teaching Music through Performance in Band. Volume 9, edit. & comp. by Richard Miles, 742-747. Chicago: GIA Publications, 2013.
Perusal score