Spellbook, The
General Info
Year: 2019
Duration: c. 6:20
Difficulty: IV (see Ratings for explanation)
Publisher: Paul Dooley
Cost: Score and Parts (print) - $250.00 | Score Only (print) - $40.00
Instrumentation
Full Score
C Piccolo
Flute I-II-III
Oboe I-II
Bassoon I-II
Contrabassoon (optional)
B-flat Soprano Clarinet I-II-III
E-flat Alto Clarinet (optional but preferred)
B-flat Bass Clarinet
E-flat Contra-Alto Clarinet (optional)
B-flat Contrabass Clarinet (optional)
B-flat Soprano Saxophone
E-flat Alto Saxophone
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
Bass Trombone
Euphonium I-II
Tuba I-II
String Bass
Timpani
Percussion I-II-III-IV-V, including:
- Bass Drum (large)
- Cabasa
- Crash Cymbals
- Crotales
- Finger Cymbals
- Glockenspiel
- Hi-Hat
- Marimba
- Shaker (metal)
- Sleigh Bells
- Snare Drum
- Suspended Cymbal
- Tam-Tam
- Vibraphone
- Wind Chimes (metal)
- Xylophone
Errata
None discovered thus far.
Program Notes
The Spellbook is a musical companion to my interactive and educational composition The Conductor’s Spellbook for orchestra.
In The Conductor’s Spellbook, a group of 2nd and 3rd graders attend a local orchestra concert. Following the performance, the teachers quickly round up all the children to go home … but young Tony Stradivarius is left behind, all alone in the concert hall. With the instruments still lying onstage, Tony approaches the podium and discovers the magical Conductor’s Spellbook. The Spellbook shows Tony how to conduct, teaches him about sound and instrument design, and even introduces magical incantations that bring the instruments to life. Tony gets carried away casting these spells, and eventually loses control of his newfound ensemble. The instruments play so loudly that the concert hall tremors until the lights go out!
Where The Spellbook story begins, Tony finds himself in this darkness, carefully crawling around the stage. The Spellbook’s magical glow just barely illuminates the concert hall’s vast pillars and balconies, as well as the glistening musical instruments. At the back of the stage, Tony discovers the timpani and percussion section rumbling ominously. The low woodwinds play a groovy melody that creeps its way through the wind ensemble. The brass erupt into a frenzy of sound, as Tony struggles to find his way amidst the chaos.
The Spellbook was commissioned by the Colorado Mesa University Wind Symphony, conducted by Calvin Hofer, with generous support from Karen Combs and Lynn Wegener. The premiere performance was given by the Colorado Mesa University Wind Symphony, Calvin Hofer, conductor, at the Best of the West Festival in Grand Junction on December 6, 2019.
- Program Note from publisher
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 Texas (Austin) Symphony Band (Clifton Croomes, conductor) – 28 September 2022
- Sonoma State University (Rohnert Park, Calif.) Wind Ensemble (Andy Collinsworth, conductor) – 12 March 2020
- Texas Private School Music Educators Association All-State Concert Band (Andrew Trachsel, conductor) – 25 January 2020
- Colorado Mesa University (Grand Junction) Wind Symphony (Calvin Hofer, conductor) – 6 December 2019 *Premiere Performance*
Works for Winds by This Composer
- Boom Goes the Dynamite (2023)
- Canticles (2022)
- Circus Overture (as transcriber) (2015)
- Coast of Dreams (2014)
- Elytra (2022)
- Manifestos (2019)
- March Jubilee (2020/2022)
- Masks and Machines (2015)
- Masks and Machines (chamber instrumentation) (2015/2020)
- Mavericks (2016)
- Meditation at Lagunitas (2014)
- Mondrian's Studio (2019)
- Point Blank (2010)
- Point Blank (Chamber instrumentation) (2010/2020)
- Salt of the Earth (2012)
- The Spellbook (2019)
- Three Futurist Symphonies
- Velocity Festivals. See: Coast of Dreams
- Yellow Red Blue (2021)
Resources
- Belongia, Dan. "The Spellbook." In Teaching Music through Performance in Band. Volume 12, Compiled and edited by Andrew Trachsel, 647-654. Chicago: GIA Publications, 2021.
- Paul Dooley website Accessed 8 June 2021