Symphonic Movement

From Wind Repertory Project
Vaclav Nelhybel

Vaclav Nelhybel


General Info

Year: 1966 / 1994
Duration: c. 7:00
Difficulty: VI (see Ratings for explanation)
Publisher: Alfred Music Publishing
Cost: Score and Parts (print) - $85.00   |   Score Only (print) - $15.00


Instrumentation

Full Score
C Piccolo
Flute I-II
Oboe I-II
Bassoon I-II
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-III
B-flat Trumpet I-II
Horn in F I-II-III-IV
Trombone I-II-III
Euphonium
Tuba
String Bass
Timpani
Percussion (4-5 players), including:

  • Crash Cymbals
  • Glockenspiel
  • Tam-Tam
  • Temple Blocks
  • Triangle
  • Tubular Bells
  • Wood Blocks
  • Xylophone


Errata

None discovered thus far.


Program Notes

Symphonic Movement is dedicated to John Paynter and the Northwestern University Band. Gill Mitchell, a former Assistant Director at The U.S. Army Band, played a recording of Nelhybel’s Trittico for Paynter, who immediately asked the composer to consider writing a work for Northwestern. Symphonic Movement arrived in the mail five days later. It is believed that Nelhybel had already started the work, but was inspired to complete it. The piece was immediately popular among bands, and Nelhybel conducted the Arkansas Tech University Band in a performance at the 1967 College Band Directors National convention.

Symphonic Movement is composed in five continuous sections: Adagio, Allegro, Poco meno mosso, Allegro, and Adagio. Nelhybel described Symphonic Movement as “my first composition for band written completely on a symphonic level.”

He opens the work with an eerie and suspenseful introduction. Nelhybel builds the eight-note fragment that will be the foundation of the work. The piece is highly percussive in nature, and features unique material for each instrument family throughout the ensemble. The summation of this material creates a true tour-de-force, with intensity that grows until the final climax of the piece.

- Program Note from U.S. Army Field Band


Symphonic Movement is a monotheistic [sic] composition based on an eight-tone series of C, Eb, E, A, Bb, Db, Gb, and C. The remaining four tones (D, F, Ab, and B) of the complete twelve-tone chromatic gamut are used only twice as a group. The design of the composition is in the symmetrical form of an arch. The tonal center is C, except for sixty-one measures of B-flat. For the most part, it is a musically graphic, rather than lyric, piece. There is an abundance of biting brass, fast moving woodwinds, and great dynamic variety.

- Program Note from Educational Record Reference Library


Media


State Ratings

  • Florida: VI
  • New York: VI
  • Texas: V


Performances

To submit a performance please join The Wind Repertory Project

  • University of Cincinnati (Ohio) College-Conservatory of Music Wind Ensemble (Terrance Milligan, conductor) - 22 March 2023
  • Indiana University (Bloomington) Wind Ensemble (Andrew Boysen, Jr., conductor) - 3 March 2022 (87th Annual ABA National Convention)
  • Indiana University (Bloomington) Wind Ensemble (Rodney Dorsey, conductor) – 22 February 2022
  • State University of New York, Potsdam, Concert Band (William L. Lake, Jr., conductor) – 20 November 2019
  • Virginia Tech (Blacksburg) Wind Ensemble (Derek Shapiro, conductor) – 13 October 2019
  • North Dakota State University (Fargo) Wind Symphony (Warren Olfert, conductor) – 4 May 2019
  • University of Oregon (Eugene) Wind Ensemble (David M. Jacobs, conductor) – 6 February 2019
  • Texas Tech University (Lubbock) Symphonic Band (Ryan Smith, conductor) – 23 September 2018
  • Pennsylvania Music Educators Association Wind Ensemble (Lancaster, Penn.) (Michael Fansler, conductor) – 21 April 2018
  • Indiana University (Bloomington) Concert Band (Jason H. Nam, conductor) – 3 April 2018
  • West Chester University (Penn.) Concert Band (M. Gregory Martin, conductor) – 15 February 2018
  • North Dakota State University (Fargo) Wind Symphony (Warren Olfert, conductor) – 3 December 2017
  • College-Conservatory of Music, University of Cincinnati Wind Ensemble (Jon Noworyta, conductor) — 2 November 2017
  • University of Central Arkansas (Conway) Symphonic Band (Brantley Douglas, conductor) – 12 Ocober 2017
  • University of Texas (Austin) Symphony Band (Lance Sample, conductor) – 30 November 2016
  • University of North Texas (Denton) Concert Band (Kelly Desjardins, conductor) – 9 November 2016
  • Mississippi Wind Symphony (Jackson) (Craig Young, conductor) – 17 June 2016
  • University of Georgia (Athens) Hodgson Wind Ensemble (Cynthia Johnston Turner, conductor) – 1 March 2016
  • University of North Carolina, Greensboro, Symphonic Band (William L. Lake, Jr., conductor) – 17 November 2015


Works for Winds by This Composer


Resources

  • Nelhybel, V. (1994). Symphonic Movement [score]. Belwin-Mills: [United States].
  • Perusal score