Suite Française (Woolfenden)
General Info
Year: 1991
Duration: c. 8:55
Difficulty: V (see Ratings for explanation)
Publisher: Ariel Music
Cost: Score and Parts - $55.00 | Score Only - $20.00
Movements
1. Pastorale - 1:40
2. Valse - 2:25
3. Scene et Marche - 4:45
Instrumentation
Full Score
Flute I-II
Oboe I-II
B-flat Soprano Clarinet I-II
Bassoon I-II
Errata
None discovered thus far.
Program Notes
The Suite Française was commissioned by Val Brodie, then director of the Rugby Music Centre. It was premiered on 22 May 1991 at the Rugby Youth Music Festival, under the direction of Helen Deakin.
Woolfenden's Suite Française begins with a Pastorale, introduced by the bassoon and clarinet and then taken up by the oboe. The movement paints the picture of an early morning in a scenic pasture. The second movement, Valse, features a melody from the French folk song collection Chants D’Auvergne (N’aï pas iéu de mio). The finale, Scene et Marche, is the most substantial movement, and as per the composer, characterizes the life of Monsieur Hulot, a fictional character created by French comic Jacques Tati for a series of films in the 1950s and '60s. As with many of Woolfenden's scores for winds, the suite evolved from music written for the Royal Shakespeare Company, in this case two separate productions of Love's Labour's Lost.
- Program Note by Nikk Pilato
Woolfenden liked to take inspiration from music written for the Royal Shakespeare Company. The piece is divided into three movements. The first movement is titled Pastorale. This movement paints a scenic picture of a pasture in the early morning of the day. Pastorale features the oboe and flutes with expressive solo lines throughout the movement. The second movement is a valse which features a melody based off of the French folk song N’aï pas iéu de mio which is from the French folk
song collection Chants D’Auvergne. The final movement is titled Scene et Marche and is a playful movement that is meant to characterize the life of fictional character Monsieu.
- Program Note by Michael Carrasquillo for the Indiana University of Pennsylvania Wind Ensemble concert program, 14 November 2020
Media
State Ratings
None discovered thus far.
Performances
To submit a performance please join The Wind Repertory Project
- Northern Kentucky University Harmonie (Nikk Pilato, conductor) - 20 April 2023
- Baylor University (Waco, Tx.) Symphonic Band (Craig Adams, conductor) - 6 February 2023
- Peabody (Baltimore, Md.) Wind Ensemble (Harland D. Parker, conductor) - 8 November 2022
- Capital Region Wind Ensemble (Schenectady, N.Y.) (Brett Wery, conductor) - 21 November 2021
- Indiana University of Pennsylvania Wind Ensemble (Michael Carrasquillo, conductor) - 14 November 2020
- University of British Columbia (Vancouver) Bands (Robert Taylor, conductor) – 13 February 2020
- College-Conservatory of Music (Cincinnati, Ohio) Wind Ensemble (Thomas Gamboa, conductor) – 28 March 2019
- Northshore Concert Band (Evanston, Ill.) (Mallory Thompson, conductor) - 10 February 2019
- Northwestern University (Evanston, Ill.) Symphonic Wind Ensemble (Mallory Thompson, conductor) – 23 February 2018
- University of Michigan (Ann Arbor) Concert Band (Courtney Snyder, conductor) – 12 April 2017
Works for Winds by This Composer
- Birthday Treat
- Bohemian Dances
- Celebration
- Claremont Canzona
- Curtain Call
- Deo Gracias (1986)
- Divertimento for Band
- Firedance (2000/2002)
- French Impressions (1998)
- Gallimaufry
- Illyrian Dances (1986)
- Irish Reel (as arranger) (1936/2000)
- Mockbeggar Variations
- Serenade for Sophia (2001)
- SPQR (1988)
- Suite Française (1991)
Resources
None discovered thus far.