Symphony in Blue & Gold
General Info
Year: 2023
Duration: c. 19:05
Difficulty: V (see Ratings for explanation)
Publisher: Swan Maiden Press (in press)
Cost: Score and Parts - Available June 2024
Movements
1. Blues and Fugues - 4:18
2. in Gold - 4:30
3. Waltz - 4:32
4. Finale - 4:42
Instrumentation
Piccolo
Flute I-II-III-IV
Oboe I-II (II doubling English horn)
Bassoon I-II (II doubling contra-bassoon)
B-flat Clarinet I-II-III
B-flat Bass Clarinet
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
Bass Trombone
Euphonium
Tuba
Double Bass
Percussion I-II-III-IV, including:
- Bass Drum
- Bells
- Crash Cymbal
- Crotales
- Drum Set
- Marimba
- Snare Drum
- Suspended Cymbal
- Vibraphone
- Xylophone
Errata
None discovered thus far.
Program Notes
Symphony in Blue & Gold was commissioned to celebrate the 100th anniversary of bands at my alma mater, the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire.
As a starting point, I researched and studied two significant pieces in wind band literature that were composed around the time the band was first formed on campus. These were La création du monde (1923) by Darius Milhaud and Rhapsody in Blue (1924) by George Gershwin, specifically the original dance band version orchestrated by Ferde Grofé. Both pieces use a combination of classical and jazz influences, and this felt very reflective of my own experience as a music student at UWEC.
Overall, the piece uses a modified four-movement symphony plan. The first movement, Blues and Fugues, alternates a standard 12-bar blues with two four-voice fugues. The opening tenor saxophone solo presents the UWEC melodic material that appears throughout all four movements. The second movement, in Gold, focuses on timbres played by metallic instruments and introduces the other main melodic material, which musically spells out BLUGLD. The third movement is a waltz and the final movement, Finale, expands and combines material from the previous three movements.
I am so honored to have the opportunity to write Symphony in Blue & Gold for a place where I had so much musical and personal growth. I truly took this opportunity to heart, and tried to grow my own compositional voice and craft while writing this piece as a tribute to a place that was so important in my educational journey.
- Program Note by composer
Media
- Audio: Reference recording. University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire Wind Symphony (John R. Stewart, conductor)
State Ratings
None discovered thus far.
Performances
To submit a performance please join The Wind Repertory Project
- Quincy (Ill.) Concert Band (Trent A. Hollinger, conductor) - 5 November 2023
- The Ohio State University (Columbus) Wind Symphony (Russell C. Mikkelson, conductor) - 4 October 2023
- Bowling Green (Ohio) State University Symphonic Band (Kenneth Thompson, conductor) - 1 October 2023
- University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire Wind Symphony (John R. Stewart, conductor) – 30 April 2023 *Premiere Performance*
Works for Winds by This Composer
Adaptable Music
- Mary Shelley Meets Frankenstein (flex). See: The Authors Suite
- Steampunk Scenes (Flex instrumentation) (2015/2021)
All Wind Works
- The Authors Suite (2023)
- Kindred Spirits
- My Dearest Jane
- Mary Shelley Meets Frankenstein (2014/2019)
- Mary Shelley Meets Frankenstein (Flex instrumentation) (2014/2019/2020)
- Band of Heroes (2018)
- Baskerville (2019)
- Category 4 (2021)
- Claremont Triumphant (2011)
- Clocktower Fanfare (2016)
- Echoes (2018)
- El Salon Mexico (as arranger) (2009)
- First Suite Fanfare (2020)
- Florence & Alice (2021)
- Four Grainger Songs (as arranger) (2003)
- The Haunted Carousel (2015)
- A Journey in Time (2020)
- Kindred Spirits. See: See: The Authors Suite
- Like the Wind
- Mary Shelley Meets Frankenstein. See: The Authors Suite
- My Dearest Jane. See: See: The Authors Suite
- She Dares, She Leaps (2022)
- Springtime Ride (2018)
- Steampunk Scenes (Flex instrumentation) (2015/2021)
- Steampunk Suite (2015/2017)
- Symphony in Blue & Gold (2023)
- The Town Band (2022)
- Tutued Toucan Can-Can (2021)
- Where no one has gone before (2023)
Resources
- Perusal Score
- Erika Svanoe website Accessed 12 May 2023