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Trauersinfonie (ed Votta-Boyd)
Richard Wagner (ed. Votta and Boyd)
This work bears the designation WWV 73. It is also known as Trauermusik.
Contents
General Info
Year: 1844 / 1924 / 1994
Duration: c. 6:20
Difficulty: III (see Ratings for explanation)
Publisher: Ludwig Masters
Cost: Score and Parts - $55.00 | Score Only - $15.00
Instrumentation
Full Score
Flute
Oboe I-II
Bassoon I-II
Bb Soprano Clarinet I-II-III-IV
Bb Bass Clarinet
Bb Contrabass Clarinet
Bb Soprano Saxophone
Eb Alto Saxophone
Bb Tenor Saxophone
Eb Baritone Saxophone
Cornets I-II
C Trumpet I-II
Horn in F I-II
Basso Horn in Bb I-II
Trombone I-II
Bass Trombone
Euphonium (Bass Clef & Treble Clef)
Tuba
Percussion, including:
- Muted Drum
Errata
None discovered thus far.
Program Notes
A cursory glance at the score of Trauersinfonie (or Trauermusik) can give the impression that the work's seemingly conservative technical demands will require minimal rehearsal time. Realistically, this is a piece that is rather difficult to perform well. The tempo in the newest edition never exceeds 66 beats per minute, and the bulk of the work is slower still. High school and less experienced college players may struggle to control tone quality and intonation while effecting expansive phrases. The educational benefits of this piece are significant to younger players, and more mature performers will enjoy the opportunity to perform a piece written specifically for winds from this renowned composer.
- Notes from Great Music for Wind Band
A magnificent work, filled with noble eloquence and lyric beauty, in slow, measured tempo using themes from Weber's opera Euryanthe in tribute to that composer (the piece was composed for the torchlight ceremony at Weber's re-burial in Germany).
- Program Note from Music for Concert Band
Renowned for his timeless additions to the world of opera and orchestral repertoire, Richard Wagner composed Trauermusik to accompany Carl Maria von Weber's remains to their final resting place. Using themes of Weber, it is a significant addition to the wind repertoire, and Dr. Boyd's adaptation for modern ensembles makes it a true classic.
- Program Note by publisher
On December 14, 1844, the remains of Carl Maria von Weber were moved from London, where he had died, to Germany. Wagner composed Trauermusik for the torch light procession to Weber’s final resting place, the Catholic Cemetery in Friedrichstadt. As part of his musical remembrance, Wagner arranged several portions of Weber’s opera Euryanthe for a large wind band of 75 players including 7 oboes, 10 bassoons, 25 clarinets and 14 horns, among others. 20 drums accompanied this wind band during the funeral procession.
The first part of Trauermusik is an arrangement of music from the overture to Euryanthe, which represents the vision of Emma’s spirit in the opera. The main section of the work is taken from the cavatina “Hier dicht am Quell,” the text of which contains numerous references to death. The coda comes from a passage in Act II that recalls the opening “spirit music.” Wagner amassed all of the military bands around Dresden for the occasion, and was gratified by the effect. He remained fond of the work throughout his life and in Mein Leben he wrote, “1 had never before achieved anything that corresponded so perfectly to its purpose.”
- Program note by Michael Votta
The original published subtitle to the work, Funeral Music on Themes of Carl Maria von Weber, is misleading in that it implies that Wagner borrowed and arranged Weber’s melodies, when in fact he took both the melodic and harmonic content directly from Weber’s opera Euryanthe, which greatly influenced Wagner’s sense of musical drama (as did Weber’s Der Freischütz, the presence of which may be felt in Wagner’s early opera Der fliegende Holländer). The opening section of Trauermusik represents the spirit of the opera’s title character, and the closing section (as in the opera) reprises this music, paying homage to the vision of
the departed Euryanthe. The more extended middle section of Trauermusik is taken from the cavatina Hier dicht am Quell (Near to this spring), which is filled with textual references to death. Through his treatment of these passages, Wagner created a musical eulogy while also paying tribute to a major source of his inspiration.
- Program Note from University of Michigan Symphony Band concert program, 20 October 2017
Commercial Discography
- Audio CD: University of Houston Wind Ensemble (David Bertman, conductor) - 2011
Audio Links
State Ratings
- Louisiana: V
- Michigan: Senior High AA
- South Carolina: VI
- Texas: V. Complete
- Virginia: IV
Performances
To submit a performance please join The Wind Repertory Project
- Ouachita Baptist University (Arkadelphia, Ark.) Wind Ensemble (Craig V. Hamilton, conductor) – 5 November 2019
- University of Cincinnati (Ohio) College-Conservatory of Music Wind Ensemble (Thomas Gamboa, conductor) – 24 October 2019
- University of Arkansas (Fayetteville) Wind Ensemble (Christopher Knighten, conductor) – 16 October 2019
- Yale University (New Haven, Conn.) Concert Band (Thomas Duffy, conductor) – 4 October 2019
- University of Arizona (Tucson) Wind Symphony (Chad Shoopman, conductor) – 26 September 2019
- Temple University (Philadelphia, Penn.) Wind Symphony (Matthew Brunner, conductor) – 26 April 2019
- State University of New York, Potsdam, Crane Wind Ensemble (Brian K. Doyle, conductor) – 27 March 2019
- Ithaca (N.Y.) College Wind Ensemble (Joseph Missal, conductor) – 1 March 2019
- Northwestern University (Evanston, Ill.) Symphonic Wind Ensemble (Mallory Thompson, conductor) – 9 November 2018
- Indiana University (Bloomington) Concert Band (Jason H. Nam, conductor) – 3 April 2018
- California State University, Los Angeles Wind Ensemble (Emily Moss, conductor) – 15 March 2018
- Ball State University (Muncie, Ind.) Wind Ensemble (Thomas Caneva, conductor) - 1 December 2017
- University of Michigan (Ann Arbor) Symphony Band (Emily Threinen, conductor) – 20 October 2017
- University of North Texas (Denton) Wind Ensemble (Jacqueline Townsend, conductor) – 27 April 2017
- University of California, Los Angeles, (UCLA) Wind Ensemble (Travis J. Cross, conductor) – 26 April 2017
- Cuesta Wind Ensemble (San Luis Obispo, Calif.) (Jennifer Martin, conductor) – 25 March 2017
- University of Nebraska (Lincoln) Symphonic Band (Anthony Falcone, conductor) – 7 March 2017
- The Ohio State University (Columbus) Symphonic Band (Jennifer Olis, conductor) – 16 November 2016
- University of Texas (Austin) Wind Symphony (Lance L. Sample, conductor) – 6 April 2016
- Northern Illinois University (DeKalb) (Thomas Bough, conductor) - 2014
Works for Winds by this Composer
- Awake (arr. Houseknecht) (1868/1957)
- Chor der Junger from "Das Liebesmahl der Apostel" (arr. Pohler)
- Die Meistersingers, Excerpts from the Opera (arr. Eric Osterling)
- Die Meistersinger Overture (tr. Hindsley) (1868/197-?)
- Die Meistersinger, Prelude (arr. Moses-Tobani/H.R. Kent) (1904/1948)
- Die Meistersinger von Nurnbürg (tr. Hindsley) (1868/196-?)
- Elsa's feierlicher Zug zum Münster (tr. Nefs) (1848/2017)
- Elsa's Procession to the Cathedral from "Lohengrin" (tr. Bourgeois)
- Elsa's Procession to the Cathedral from "Lohengrin" (tr. Cailliet)
- Entry of the Gods into Valhalla (arr. Godfrey) (1869/1906)
- Entry of the Gods into Valhalla (arr. O'Neill) (1869/1930)
- Evening Star (arr. Barnard) (1845/1927)
- Festmusik (arr. Seifert-Kressbronn) (1843-1982)
- Fest Marsch from "Tannhäuser" (tr. Rumbelow) (1845/1997)
- The Flying Dutchman (tr. Hindsley) (1843/197-?)
- Flying Dutchman Overture, The (arr. Godfrey) (1843/1955)
- Gathering of the Armies (arr. Friedman) (1850/1995)
- Homage March (ed. Bourgeois)
- Huldigungsmarsch (ed. Reed) (1864/2002)
- Huldigungsmarsch (ed. Schaefer) (1864/1971)
- Italian Polka (arr Leidzen) (arr. Leidzen) (1941)
- Kaisermarsch (tr. Godfrey) (1871/1912)
- King Heinrich’s Call (tr. Bourgeois) (1850/1983)
- Invocation of Alberich from "Rheingold" (arr. Cailliet) (1869/1940)
- Liebestod (arr. Shishikura) (1856/2014)
- Liebestod (arr. Bainum) (1856/1964)
- Lohengrin (arr. Tamanini) (1850/2005)
- Lohengren: Introduction to Act III (arr. Drumm) (1850/1937)
- March from "Tannhäuser" (arr. Lake) (1926)
- March on, America
- Nibelungen March (arr. Stretton) (c.1874/1909)
- Overture to Rienzi (arr. Grabel) (1842/1933)
- Pilgrim's Chorus (arr. Geese) (1845/2009)
- Pilgrim's Chorus (arr. Musser) (1845/)
- Pilgrim's Chorus (arr. Musser; ed. Rapp) (1845/2009)
- Pilgrim's Chorus (arr. Reed) (1845/1991)
- Prelude to Act I of "Die Meistersinger" (trans. Kreines) (1862/2012)
- Prelude to Act III from "Lohengrin" (tr. Hindsley) (1850)
- Prelude to Act III from "Lohengrin" (tr. Brand) (1850/2001)
- Procession of the Knights of the Holy Grail from "Parsifal" (arr. Houseknecht) (1964)
- Ride of the Valkyries (tr. Patterson)
- Ride of the Valkyries (arr. Laurendeau) (1870/1908)
- Ride of the Valkyries (tr. Longwood) (1870/2000)
- Ride of the Valkyries (arr. Hernandez) (1870)
- Rienzi Overture (arr. Meyrelles) (1842/1892)
- Selections from Act III of "Die Meistersinger von Nurnbürg" (arr. Hanna) (1868/2015)
- Seigfried Fantasie (arr. Seidel) (1876/1893)
- Siegfried Idyll (1870)
- Siegfried's Funeral March (tr. Tanick) (1876/)
- Siegfried's Funeral Music (arr. Paul Whear)
- Siegfried's Funeral March from "Gotterdammerung" (tr. Bourgeois)
- Tannhäuser (arr. Lake) (1845/1926)
- Tannhäuser Grand March (tr. McAlister) (1845/2005)
- Tannhäuser March (arr. E. Fall) (1845)
- Tannhäuser Overture (arr. Fall) (1845/1936)
- Tannhäuser Overture (tr. Safranek) (1845/1913)
- Tannhäuser Overture (arr. Sousa) (1845/)
- Tannhäuser Overture (arr. Winterbottom) (1845/1903)
- Tannhäuser Selection (arr. Lake) (1926)
- Trauersinfonie (ed. Votta/Boyd) (1844/1924/1994)
- Trauersinfonie (tr. Leidzen) (1844/1924/1949)
- Tristan und Isolde (tr. Janssen) (1862/2015)
- Vorspiel und Liebestod (arr. Godfrey) (1865/1909)
- Wotan's Farewell and Magic Fire Music from "Die Walküre" (arr. Lake) (1874/1937)
References
- Krienes, J.; Hansbrough, R. (2014). Music for Concert Band: A Selective Annotated Guide to Band Literature. Meredith Music Publications: Delray Beach, Fla.; pp. 83-84.
- Miles, Richard B., and Larry Blocher. (2010). Teaching Music through Performance in Band. Volume 1. Chicago: GIA Publications. pp. 754-760.
- Nicholson, Chad. (2009). Great Music for Wind Band: A Guide to the Top 100 Works in Grades IV, V, VI. Galesville, MD: Meredith Music Publications. pp 114-115.
- Wagner, R.; Votta, M.; Boyd, J.; Weber, C. (1994). Trauermusik (WWV 73): (Trauersinfonie) for Wind Orchestra [score]. Ludwig Music: Cleveland, Ohio.