The Pittsburgh Overture

Krzysztof Penderecki

This work may be found under its title in Polish, Uwertura Pittsburska.

General Info

Year: 1967
Duration: c. 12:00
Difficulty: VII (see Ratings for explanation)
Publisher: C. F. Peters
Cost: Score and Parts - $36.75

Instrumentation

Full Score
Flute I-II-III-IV: E-flat, C, alto, bass (doubling 2 piccolos and four C flutes)
Oboe I-II-III: C, d’amore, bass
English Horn
Bassoon I-II-III
Contrabassoon I-II
B-flat Soprano Clarinet (doubling E-flat alto saxophone)
B-flat Bass Clarinet (doubling E-flat alto saxophone)
E-flat Contra-Alto Clarinet
B-flat ContraBass Clarinet
Horn in F I-II-III-IV-V
Trumpets I-II-III-IV-V
Trombones I-II-III-IV-V
Piano
Timpani (6 drums)
Percussion, including:

Bass Drum
Bongos (2)
Chimes
Claves
Cymbals (6)
Gong (2)
Guiro
Javanese Gong (2)
Metal Plate (Musical Saw)
Ratchet
Tam-Tam (3)
Temple Blocks (5)
Tom-Toms (3)
Triangle
Vibraphone
Whip
Xylophone

Harmonium

Errata

None discovered thus far.

Program Notes

Robert Austin Boudreau, conductor of the American Wind Symphony Orchestra, commissioned Penderecki to compose The Pittsburgh Overture in the interest of adding pieces of significance to the wind ensemble repertoire. Penderecki completed the piece in 1967, and it was premiered on June 30, 1968, at the home of the American Wind Symphony, Oakmont Riverside Park in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The name of the piece is derived from the location of the premier.

The Pittsburgh Overture illustrates Penderecki’s exploratory approach to twelve-tone composition. Although the twelve-tone method is present, it is not applied with consistency throughout the piece. Similarly, the composition is not organized in traditional or symmetric structure.

Perhaps the most in-depth analysis of the piece is Katherine Ann Murdock’s 1986 doctoral dissertation, submitted at the Eastman School of Music (University of Rochester). Murdock utilized set-class analysis to examine Penderecki’s organization of pitch materials. A similarly meticulous analysis of the construction of the piece revealed the importance of the wedge shape, applied to several levels of the composition. She writes, “Though The Pittsburgh Overture makes only minimal use of the extended instrumental techniques developed during this century, it greatly expands the textural and timbral possibilities of the wind ensemble as a whole” (Murdock, 1986, p. 2).

In addition to a noticeable lack of musical conventions such as melody, meter, and harmonic progression, Penderecki utilizes a set of instruments that are slightly unusual in wind band repertoire. Ultimately, the piece is regarded as powerful and evocative, not only due to resourceful use of compositional technique, but due to the composer’s sensitive and intuitive awareness of dramatic timing, pacing, and gesture.

Media

Audio: Reference recording. Eastman Wind Ensemble (Donald Hunsberger, conductor)

State Ratings

None discovered thus far.

Performances

To submit a performance please join The Wind Repertory Project

Sydney (Aus.) Conservatorium of Music Wind Symphony (John Lynch, conductor) - 4 June 2015

Works for Winds by This Composer

Agnus Dei from "Polish Requiem" (arr. Bota) (1980-1984/2015)
The Pittsburgh Overture (1967)
Entrata (1994)
Prelude (1971)
Ubu Rex (arr. Brauel) (1990-1991/1995)

Resources

Murdock, Katherine Ann. "The Pittsburgh Overture" By Krzysztof Penderecki (And) "Forging The Circle". 1986. University of Rochester, Eastman School of Music, Ph.D. dissertation.
Penderecki, K. 1967). The Pittsburgh Overture [score]. C.F. Peters Corp.: New York, N.Y.
"UWERTURA PITTSBURSKA (Pittsburgh Overture), 1967 by Krzysztof Penderecki (Poland) [November 23, 1933 – March 29, 2020." WASBE. Web.] (Featured as WASBE’s Composition of the Week, 30 March 2020). Accessed 16 January 2023