Concert band (Piccolo, 1st Flute, 2nd Flute, 1st Oboe, 2nd Oboe, 1st Bassoon, 2n...(+)
Concert band (Piccolo,
1st Flute, 2nd Flute, 1st
Oboe, 2nd Oboe, 1st
Bassoon, 2nd Bassoon,
Solo Bb Clarinet, 1st Bb
Clarinet, 2nd Bb
Clarinet, 3rd Bb
Clarinet, Eb Alto
Clarinet, Bb Bass
Clarinet, Bb Contra Bass
Clarinet, Eb Alto
Saxophone, Bb Tenor
Saxophone, Eb Barito) -
grade 5
SKU:
CN.R10011
Composed by
John Ireland. Band Music.
Score and parts. Duration
10:00. Published by G & M
Brand Music Publishers
(CN.R10011).
Cast your self
into a storm at sea with
this fantastic piece from
John Ireland. Turbulent
rhythmic motives launch
the work to blend into a
more lyrical melody
contrasting the opening.
Don't be fooled though;
the first rhythmic motive
provides the underlay, a
reminder that the calm
surface of the sea is
only masking the swirling
water
underneath!
A
Maritime Overture was
written in 1944 and
published in 1946. This
edition was published in
1988. The score was
prepared from the
composer's full draft by
Norman Richardson, and
uses the same material as
Tritons - a Symphonic
Prelude for orchestra
dating from the early
1900s. The development of
the material however is
different in each piece.
The work is conceived in
F major - but it is 24
bars before Ireland
establishes this
tonality. Fortissimo
chords of B-flat major
open the work, and the
Overture hovers between G
minor and B-flat as a
restless rhythmic motif
is introduced. As soon as
F major is finally
established it is
contradicted as the music
fragments, but the key is
allowed a further 4 bars
to consolidate before
more lyrical interplay
leads to a second idea,
introduced by flutes and
oboes in C major. Marked
'espressivo e ben
cantando' this is a
complete contrast to the
opening, although the
first rhythmic motif
provides the underlay - a
reminder after the
opening storms that the
calm surface of the sea
is only masking the
swirling water
underneath. A Maritime
Overture has a freer
approach to form than say
the first movement of a
symphony might allow,
enabling Ireland to
introduce a totally new
central section marked
'poco meno mosso' in F
minor. A bold cornet (not
trumpet) heralds this new
idea, in a passage marked
'with freedom' and
perhaps for the only time
there is a true
tranquility in the
sextuplet accompaniment.
Thus the restlessness is
suspended, but not for
long, as the opening
storm returns and a
recapitulation allows the
F major theme and the
second theme - this time
in the sub-dominant
(B-flat) - to reassert
themselves.