Reprinted with permission from Tempo, the official magazine of the New Jersey Music Educators Association.
Citation information:
Berz, William, "Forgotten Gems," Tempo, 52 no. 4 (May 1998): 26-28.
Forgotten Gems
by
William Berz
There are certain compositions in the band repertoire that receive continued attention from conductors, the most obvious might include the suites of Holst and Vaughan Williams. These pieces are important, and they should continue to be performed as they have stood the test of time.
Aside from a very few such classics, many band conductors seem to feature new works, most notably by educational composers such as Robert W. Smith and James Swearingen. While this literature is important and should not necessarily be avoided, it is my experience that many conductors over-program from this repertoire. It is not uncommon to hear 8 or 10 works by Swearingen and Smith at a single band festival.
There are many compositions by significant composers that seem to receive little attention--forgotten gems. Our students might gain from including some of these works. Since most are by "significant" composers, the music tends to have greater aesthetic interest than many educational pieces.
Especially for the band conductor, it is important to perform original works from the past. The band medium is really very modern, and until recently, bands had to make transcriptions a staple of their repertoire. Hopefully, conductors can find music from the past that can be performed so that students can experience music by important composers that was conceived specifically for band.
I will be offering some articles highlighting what I consider to be forgotten gems--compositions that deserve greater attention from band conductors. I will try to focus on grade 3 and 4 music, although I will include some other levels.
The Battell by William Byrd, freely transcribed by Gordon Jacob (Grade 4) (20 minutes)
The Battell is a suite originally composed by William Byrd for virginal (an early keyboard instrument). Byrd was one of England's most important composers of the late 16th century. The work is unusual in being an early example of programmatic music portraying a conflict as well as events preceding and following the actual battle. It is found in the manuscript "My Ladye Nevells Booke" dated 1591. This setting for band was published in 1964.
The Battell, as scored by Jacob, does not include the first movement from the original manuscript, The Earle of Oxford's Marche or as it is subtitled The Marche before the Battell. The last movement is also omitted from Jacob's version since it is simply "another version" of the previous movement. One could include the first march in performance since it is found as the first movement of the William Byrd Suite also arranged by Jacob. This is what we did on the Rutgers compact disc Transformations.
Most of the movements are short; only the Earle of Oxford's exceeds 100 measures in length, and most feature quite regular structure and phrasing. Jacob uses different orchestrational techniques to highlight structure. For example, the third movement, The Marche of Footemen, is four repetitions of an eight-bar phrase; the second half of which is varied somewhat on each repeat. Jacob employs different instrumental resources for each phrase, in order: brass, woodwind, middle and low brass with the addition of trumpets in mid-phrase, and finally full band.
The ninth movement, The Marche to the Fighte, serves as a center of the suite for it is in the midst of this movement where "the battels be joyned." Music before this movement illustrates activities before the battle, music afterwards portraying the mourning and celebrations that might typically follow.
The work provides tremendous potential for teaching. First, it is a work by a major composer, namely William Byrd, and is transcribed by another important figure, Gordon Jacob. The transcription process is in itself interesting, because one can see how Jacob enhances the programmatic elements through his orchestration of this set of early keyboard pieces. Second, it represents an example of music from the Renaissance, an era often understandably neglected by bands. Lastly, and perhaps most importantly, the music is simply charming. The work is not technically difficult. The challenges lie in the areas of style, interpretation, tone, and intonation. One would not have to perform all of the movements.
Hymn to Yerevan (Grade 3) (4 minutes); Suite for Band (Grade 3) (10 minutes); Tapor No. 1 (Grade 3) (5 minutes) by Alan Hovhaness
One of the most prolific composers of his generation, Alan Hovhaness has composed a number of works for wind ensemble and band including four symphonies, an extended suite, two character pieces, and the Concerto for Trumpet and Wind Orchestra, titled Return and Rebuild the Desolate Places. A number of his works are not technically difficult and well within the reach of most high school bands. Even the symphonies (numbers 4 and 20 especially) are not overly taxing. All are quite unique reflecting his interest in Armenian and eastern musical systems. His compositions often have characteristics of tranquillity contrasted with the harshness. Hymn to Yerevan might be the best example. The ancient city of Yerevan, at the foot of the majestic Mount Ararat in Armenia, serves as an inspiration for the work. It is composed in the fifth mode of the Armenian church in a style that Hovhaness describes as the Sharagan or Armenian hymn style. The middle section is aleatoric featuring roaring trombones and clanging bells portraying a dauntless defiance of tragedy of the Armenians--this feature by itself might make it a valuable work in the educational setting. The piece concludes with a return of the beginning hymn.
Fantasia for Band by Vittorio Giannini (Grade 4) (7 minutes)
Most band musicians are familiar with Giannini's Symphony Number 3 partly because of the famous recording by the Eastman Wind Ensemble. It is still widely performed by collegiate bands. Giannini was a long time teacher (1939-1965) of composition at the Juilliard School, the Manhattan School, and the Curtis Institute, and was a very important figure in early years of the serious band movement.
Perhaps the most accessible of his works for winds, Fantasia for Band was commissioned by the Northern Westchester and Putnam County Music Teachers Association. Published in 1963, it has just been re-released by Belwin and is available once again. It is in a neo-Romantic style with thick scoring of rich harmonies. The form alternates between slow and fast sections, however even in the faster parts, technical demands are not great. Study of Giannini's music gives students an experience with music of the 1950s and 1960s, a unique time in the band's history.
Ginger Marmalade by Warren Benson (Grade 3) (3 minutes)
Like Giannini, Warren Benson has been a very important composer for the band medium. While much of his music is complex and difficult to perform (i.e., The Passing Bell, Mask of Night, The Leaves are Falling, The Solitary Dancer), Ginger Marmalade is accessible by many bands. Published by Carl Fischer as part of a series of works of school bands by major composers, it is extremely unusual in its character. Benson says that "the spice is in the orchestration," and it is much more thinly scored than most works for band. Not unlike The Solitary Dancer, it requires a light style and concentration on part of the performers. Its construction is masterful, making it a special and unique work for study.
A Little Night and Day Music by Samuel Adler (Grade 3/4) (7 minutes)
Another in the Carl Fischer series, this work is composed in two large sections: first, the slow A Little Night Music, and second, the fast A Little Day Music. The Night Music is serialized, although the technique is not strict. The feeling is very atmospheric with the emphasis on harmony achieved though layered pyramids. Other than the challenges inherent in any slow work (i.e., achieving good balance and intonation), the only difficulty is a mildly complicated rhythmic pattern in the low woodwinds. The Day Music is faster (quarter=104), and somewhat more technical. The percussion writing is particularly interesting, with pointalistic writing for many different instruments.
Adler is perhaps best known through his post as a professor of composition at the Eastman School; his music has been widely performed by professional orchestras and choral ensembles. A Little Night and Day Music is well worth investigating.
Satiric Dances (Grade 4) (7 minutes); Fantasies on a Theme by Haydn (Grade 5) (12 minutes) by Norman Dello Joio
Several of Norman Dello Joio's compositions are often performed (Scenes from the Louvre, Variants on a Medieval Tune) while others are ignored. Composed in 1975, Satiric Dances is in three movements: Allegro pesante, Adagio mesto, and Allegro spumante. It is among Dello JoioÕs more accessible music, although there are still some technical demands, especially in the trumpet and upper woodwind parts. The second movement is particularly charming with solos for the flute and the clarinet. It is unfortunately rarely performed.
Fantasies on a Theme by Haydn was commissioned by the Michigan School Band and Orchestra Association in honor of the retirement of Leonard Falcone from his post of Director of Bands at Michigan State University. The original version of the theme is from the rondo finale of the String Quartet in F, op. 74, No. 2, a theme often arranged for piano. Quoting Dello Joio, "the subtly conceived theme, offered an opportunity to fantasize in the musical language of today." The piece is comprised of four sections, a theme (further divided into an introduction, presentation of the theme in multiple octaves in the woodwinds, and a codetta) and three fantasies, resulting in a kind of theme and variations, perhaps Dello Joio's favorite genre. The first and third fantasies are fast and are filled with humorous moments. The second fantasy--an adagio--is, as Dello Joio describes it, "intensely lyric."
Reflections by Roger Nixon (Grade 4) (6 minutes)
Reflections is one of Nixon's first works for band. The entire work is slow and is thickly scored, making it an excellent vehicle for developing blend, balance, and phrasing. The entire work is build on the opening melody played by a solo flute. This motive is played repeatedly, almost without interruption during the entire piece. Beyond the demands of any piece of this nature, there are important parts for the trombone and horn sections.
A Solemn Music by Virgil Thomson (Grade 4) (5 minutes)
Thomson was commissioned in 1949 by the League of Composers to write a serious work for band. The result was A Solemn Music, composed for and premiered by the Goldman Band. As with most slow music, the demands needed to perform it are not technical, but in the areas of intonation, blend, balance, and interpretation. It is written in a language that is quite different from much of the traditional band repertoire. It is unfortunate that it is seldom played.
Classic Overture by Francois Joseph Gossec (Grade 4) (5 minutes)
There is a considerable body of literature for bands from the 18th and 19th centuries by French composers. With the many large scale patriotic displays of the French Revolution, bands took on great importance. Some of these ensembles were quite impressive in scope; in 1790, the band of the National Guard had some 70 players. Some of the greatest composers of the time, such as Gossec, Mehul, LeSueur, Catel, Louis Jadin, Hyacinthe Jadin, and others wrote for the medium. Much of this music has been adapted for modern wind instruments and represents a wonderful body of music that is, for the most part, quite playable by high school bands. The work cited here is but one example of this exciting and unique repertoire conceived--not transcribed--for wind instruments.
Die Natalis (Grade 4) (15 minutes); Laude (Grade 5) (14 minutes); Chorale and Alleluia (Grade 4) (5 1/2 minutes) by Howard Hanson
Howard Hanson was once considered to be one of the most significant of all American composers. Many consider him to be the leading advocate of American contemporary music during the middle of this century. As Director of the Eastman School, he had a significant influence on music education in the United States. It does seem that his music is being performed less frequently, and his voice in the fabric of American music reduced.
Die Natalis is based on a Lutheran Christmas chorale-tune. It was composed for the 50th anniversary of the Eastman School and was first performed by the Eastman Wind Ensemble in 1972. It is divided into four sections: Introduction, Chorale, Variations, and Finale. The general tempo of the work is not fast, making it within the technical bounds of many bands. It is also interesting to note that it is a work of some length (15 minutes) with greater development than many typical compositions for high school bands. This alone makes for interesting programming.
Laude is somewhat similar to Die Natalis in that it too is based on a Lutheran chorale (All the world praises the Lord), and is also a work of some length and substance. It was commissioned by the College Band Directors National Association. The chorale is first presented in a rather straight forward manner, and is followed by seven variations, each quite different in character.
Completed in January of 1954, Chorale and Alleluia, was Hanson's first work for band. It was premiered in that same year by the U. S. Marine Band at the American Bandmasters Association convention. The work begins with two main themes: first, a chorale heard in the brass, and then a more sprightly theme presented in the upper woodwinds. Midway through the piece, a third theme is presented in the low brass. There is much creative counterpoint between these three themes enhanced because of the differing meter of each of the themes. The chorale is in 4/4; the second theme is in 3/4; the third theme first appears in 3/4, but the four-note motive can be easily presented in 2/4. It should be an absolutely basic work for high school bands.