Wrong Note Rag

Composer Name

Subtitle: From Wonderful Town

General Info

Year: 1953 / 2005
Duration: c. 2:50
Difficulty: IV (see Ratings for explanation)
Original Medium: Orchestra
Publisher: Hal Leonard
Cost: Score and Parts (print) - $70.00 | Score Only (print) - $15.00

Instrumentation

Full Score
C Piccolo
Flute I-II
Oboe
Bassoon
B-flat Soprano Clarinet I-II-III
E-flat Alto Clarinet
B-flat Bass Clarinet
E-flat Alto Saxophone I-II
B-flat Tenor Saxophone
E-flat Baritone Saxophone
B-flat Trumpet I-II-III
Horn in F I-II-III-IV
Trombone I-II-III
Euphonium
Tuba
Timpani
Percussion I-II-III, including:

Crash Cymbals
Drum Set
Orchestra Bells
Suspended Cymbal
Wood Block
Xylophone

Errata

None discovered thus far.

Program Notes

This entertaining and witty production number is from the Broadway show Wonderful Town. As the title implies, this "rag" encounters some curious melodic entanglements as well as unexpected rhythmic entanglements.

- Program Note from publisher

Leonard Bernstein’s Wonderful Town opened at the Winter Garden Theater in New York City on February 23, 1953, swiftly winning a Tony award for Best Musical. The whimsical and quirky The Wrong Note Rag superbly captures the lighter side of this award-winning musical gem.

- Program Note from Concord Band concert program, 23 October 2010

Media

Audio: Reference recording. Ensemble and conductor unknown
Audio CD: The Oregon Symphonic Band (Michael Burch-Pesses, conductor) - 2006

State Ratings

None discovered thus far.

Performances

To submit a performance please join The Wind Repertory Project

San Luis Obispo (Calif.) Wind Orchestra (David Rackley, conductor) – 25 September 2022
Santa Ynez Valley (Calif.) Wind Ensemble (Sharon Jeskey, conductor) - 27 March 2022
Sacramento (Calif.) State University Concert Band (Matthew Morse, conductor) – 17 October 2018
Little Rock (Ark.) Wind Symphony (Israel Getzov, conductor) – 11 October 2018
Marion (Mass.) Concert Band (Tobias Monte, conductor) - 24 August 2018
Piedmont Wind Symphony (Winston-Salem, N.C.) (Matthew Troy, conductor) - 1 June 2018
Quad City Wind Ensemble (Davenport, Iowa) (Brian Hughes, conductor) - 12 May 2018
Northwest Missouri State University Wind Symphony (John Bell, conductor) – 12 April 2018
Baldwin Pops Band (Fairhope, Ala.) (Jason Rinehart, conductor) – 1 October 2017
Concord (Mass.) Band (James O'Dell, conductor) – 23 October 2010
The Oregon Symphonic Band (Hillsboro) (Michael Burch-Pesses, conductor) – 22 December 2006 (2006 Midwest Clinic)

Works for Winds by This Composer

Adaptable Music

Cool (Flex instrumentation) (arr. Murtha) (1957/2018)
West Side Story (Flex instrumentation) (arr. Sweeney) (1957/2015)

All Wind Works

Almighty Father (arr. Hunsberger) (1971/1974)
America (arr. Vinson) (1963/2018)
America from "West Side Story" (arr. Brown)
A Bernstein Tribute (adapt. Grundman) (1991)
Candide Suite (arr. Grundman) (1956/1993)
Cool (Flex instrumentation) (arr. Murtha) (1957/2018)
Dance Suite (1990)
Danzón (arr. Bocook) (1944/1990)
Danzón (arr. Krance) (1944)
Divertimento (arr. Grundman) (1980/1984)
- BSO Forever, The
Fanfare for the 25th Anniversary of the High School of the Arts (orch. Ramin)
Fanfare for the Inauguration of John F. Kennedy (orch. Ramin) (1961/1995)
Fanfare from "Dance Suite"
Four Dances from "West Side Story" (tr. Polster) (1957/1980)
Gee, Officer Krupke (arr. Murtha) (1957/2015)
Glitter and Be Gay (arr. Frenkel) (1956/)
Glitter and be Gay from "Candide" (tr. Davis)
Highlights from "West Side Story" (arr. Ingram) (1963)
I Hate Music! (arr. Nowlin) (1943/)
Make Our Garden Grow (arr. Kreines) (1956/2017)
Make Our Garden Grow (arr. John Gibson) (1956/)
Mambo from "West Side Story" (arr. Sweeney) (1957/2013?)
Maria (arr. Murtha) (1957/2003)
Maria from "West Side Story" (arr. McCoy) (1957)
Meditation No. 2 (arr. Hunsberger) (1971/1973)
A Musical Toast (tr. Grundman) (1982)
Overture to "Candide" (trans. Beeler)
Overture to "Candide" (tr. Grundman) (1955/1986)
Overture to "Candide" (arr. Howell) (1955/2020)
Overture to "Candide" (tr. Hunsberger) (1955/)
Prelude, Fugue and Riffs (1974/1991)
Presto Barbaro from "On the Waterfront" (arr. Erickson)
Prologue from "West Side Story" (arr. Gilmore) (1962)
Selections from "Wonderful Town" (arr. Saurer) (1953)
Shivaree (1970)
A Simple Song (arr. Sweeney) (1971/2010)
Slava! (tr. Grundman) (1977)
Slava! (arr. Linden) (1977/2011)
Slava! (tr. Longfield) (1977/)
Somewhere (arr. Brown) (1957/2012)
Somewhere from "West Side Story" (arr. Bocook)
Suite from "MASS" (arr. Sweeney) (1971/2009 )
Suite from "On the Town" (arr. Higgins) (1944)
Suite from "West Side Story" (arr. Davis)
Symphonic Dance Music from "West Side Story" (arr. Polster) (1980)
Symphonic Dances from "West Side Story" (arr. Leon) (1967/2007)
Symphonic Dances from "West Side Story" (tr. Lavender) (1967/2008)
Symphonic Suite from "On the Waterfront" (arr. Bocook) (1954/2011)
Symphony No. 1 (tr. Bencriscutto) (1942/1952)
- Profanation from "Symphony No. 1"
- Lamentation from "Symphony No. 1"
Three Dance Episodes from "On The Town" (arr. Lavender) (1944/2016)
Three Dance Episodes from "On The Town" (tr. Stith) (1944/1972)
West Side Story: Highlights (tr. Ingram)
West Side Story: Medley (arr. Bocook) (1957/1991)
West Side Story: Selection (arr. Duthoit) (1957/1959)
West Side Story (Flex instrumentation) (arr. Sweeney) (1957/2015)
West Side Story (arr. Norris)
A White House Cantata (tr. Nowlin) (1997/)
Wrong Note Rag (arr. Ricketts) (1953/2005)

Resources

Bernstein, L.; Comden, B.; Green, A.; Ricketts, T. (2005). The Wrong Note Rag: From Wonderful Town [score]. Hal Leonard: Milwaukee, Wisc.