|
Please DONATE to help with maintenance and upkeep of the Wind Repertory Project!
|
Wu Xing
Subtitle: Concertino for Two Percussion and Band
General Info
Year: 2016
Duration: c. 10:00
Difficulty: III+ (see Ratings for explanation)
Publisher: Alfred Music Publishing
Cost: Score and Parts (print) - $100.00 | Score Only (print) - $12.00
Instrumentation
Full Score
C Piccolo
Flute I-II
Oboe
Bassoon
B-flat Soprano 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
Horn in F I-II
Trombone I-II-III
Bass Trombone
Euphonium
Tuba
Percussion I-II-III-IV, including:
- Bells
- Chimes
- Crotales
- Vibraphone
- Xylophone
Solo Percussion I-II, including:
- Bass Drums (large and medium)
- Brake Drum
- Crash Cymbals (with leather hand strap)
- Finger Cymbals
- Floor Tom
- Gong (large)
- Hi-Hat (closed)
- Kick Bass Drum
- Ocean Drum
- Pole (long wooden)
- Snare Drum
- Suspended Cymbal (small)
- Thunder Sheet
- Timpani (with large cymbal)
- Triangle (small)
- Tub of Water
Errata
None discovered thus far.
Program Notes
The Wu Xing (pronounced wu-hsing) are the traditional Chinese five phases – Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, and Water. “Wu” refers to the number 5. These five phases also have traditional pitch associations in Western solfege that produce a pentatonic scale and these corresponding harmonies.
Metal Water Wood Fire Earth re la mi sol do ii vi iii V I
in Bb: Cm Gm Dm F Bb
The resulting chord progression of Cm Gm Dm F Bb briefly appears at the beginning of the “Wood” section and is repeated in the last “Earth” section as the culmination of the Wu Xing concept. The number 5 is referred to throughout -- 5-measure phrases, 5-note harmonies, a 5-note melody, 5-note rhythms, etc.
The work features two solo percussionists playing a variety of sounds organized by instruments made of, or representing, metal, water, wood, fire, and earth. The final “Earth” section uses two bass drums playing a 5-note rhythm, in five phrases, of five rhythms each, that grows in power to the end.
Wu Xing was commissioned by a consortium of 22 high schools and colleges.
- Program Note from publisher
Media
- Audio: Reference recording. University of Texas at San Antonio Symphonic Band (John Zarco, conductor)
State Ratings
None discovered thus far.
Performances
To submit a performance please join The Wind Repertory Project
- Gustavus Adolphus College (St. Peter, Minn.) Wind Symphony (James Patrick Miller, conductor; Jonathan Hickox-Young and Zoe Raisbeck, percussion) - 11 May 2019
- University of Texas at San Antonio Symphonic Band (John Zarco, conductor) – 10 March 2016 *Premiere Performance*
Works for Winds by This Composer
Adaptable Music
- Blue-Bop (Flex instrumentation) (2020)
- Hard Times Come Again No More (Flex instrumentation) (as arranger) (1854/2020)
- Mam-Blu (Flex instrumentation) (2006/2020)
- The Road Not Taken (Flex instrumentation) (1993/2020)
- Scintilla (Flex instrumentation) (2018/2020)
All Wind Works
- Blue-Bop (Flex instrumentation) (2020)
- A Blue Streak (2010)
- Cantique (2012)
- Congo Square (2016)
- Country Bandstand (2002)
- Fantasia on Brother James' Air (2023)
- Fantasia on "Silent Night" (2011)
- Fields (1994)
- Galop (as transcriber) (c. 1909/2013)
- Gearbox (2009)
- Hard Times Come Again No More (Flex instrumentation) (as arranger) (1854/2020)
- The Harmonious Blacksmith (as arranger) (1720/2020)
- Hocus Pocus (2013)
- The Hound of Heaven (1988)
- Hymn for Emmanuel (2015)
- Love Among the Ruins (2016)
- Mam-Blu (Flex instrumentation) (2006/2020)
- Minton's Playhouse (1994)
- O Magnum Mysterium (1996)
- The Road Not Taken (Flex instrumentation) (1993/2020)
- Scintilla (Flex instrumentation) (2018/2020)
- Seasons (2022)
- Silent Shadows to the Last (2017)
- Sinfonietta (2012)
- Storyville (1996)
- Suite Argentine (2020)
- Suite Louisiane (2018)
- Symphony No. 1, “Blue” (1999)
- Symphony No. 2 (2019)
- Tattoo (2005)
- The Temptation of St. Anthony (2014)
- Wu Xing (2016)
Resources
- James Syler website Accessed 11 May 2019