Woodwind Quintet (flute, oboe, clarinet in B-flat, horn in F and bassoon)

SKU: IM.3767

Composed by Felix Bartholdy Mendelssohn, Hector Berlioz, and Michael Praetorius. Arranged by Graham Bastable. Score and parts. International Music Co. #3767. Published by International Music Co. (IM.3767).

9 x 12 inches.

Double Reed Quartet (2 oboes, english horn/bassoon, bassoon) - Intermediate

SKU: FT.FM105

Composed by Michael Praetorius. Arranged by Robert Rainford. Score and parts. Forton Music #FM105. Published by Forton Music (FT.FM105).

ISBN 9790570480043.

Doub le Reed Quartet - 2 oboes, cor anglais or bassoon, Bassoon. A selection of dances from Michael Praetorius' famous Terpsichore collection. These nine short pieces present the music of the Renaissance for the wind player. Not difficult, although some of the more unusual time signatures (6/4, 3/2) may be unfamiliar to younger players. About grade 3/4 upwards.

Concert band - Grade 3

SKU: MH.1-59913-054-8

Composed by Bob Margolis. Suitable for advanced middle school, high school, community and college bands. Conductor score and set of parts. Duration 4:45. Published by Manhattan Beach Music (MH.1-59913-054-8).

ISBN 9781599130545.

Roya l Coronation Dances is the first sequel to the Fanfare Ode & Festival, both being settings of dance music originally arranged by Gervaise in the mid 16th-century (the next sequel is The Renaissance Fair, which uses music of Susato and Praetorius). Fanfare Ode & Festival has been performed by many tens of thousands of students, both in high school and junior high school. I have heard that some of them are amazed that the music they are playing was first played and danced to over 400 years ago. Some students tend to think that music started with Handel and his Messiah to be followed by Beethoven and his Fifth Symphony, with naught in between or before of consequence. Although Royal Coronation Dances is derived from the same source as Fanfare Ode & Festival, they are treated in different ways. I envisioned this new suite programmatically -- hence the descriptive movement titles, which I imagined to be various dances actually used at some long-ago coronation. The first movement depicts the guests, both noble and common, flanked by flag and banner bearers, arriving at the palace to view the majestic event. They are festive, their flags swirling the air, their cloaks brightly colored. In the second movement, the queen in stately measure moves to take her place on the throne as leader and protector of the realm. In the third movement, the jesters of the court entertain the guests with wild games of sport. Musically, there are interesting sonorities to recreate. Very special attention should be given to the tambourine/tenor drum part in the first movement. Their lively rhythms give the movement its power. Therefore they should be played as distinctly and brilliantly as possible. The xylophone and glockenspiel add clarity, but must not be allowed to dominate. Observe especially the differing dynamics; the intent is to allow much buzzing bass to penetrate. The small drum (starting at meas. 29) should be played expressively, with attention to the notated articulations, with the brass light and detached, especially in a lively auditorium. It is of some further interest that the first dance is extremely modal. The original is clearly in G mixolydian mode (scale: G-A-B-C-D-E-F-G). However, other editors might put in F-sharps in many places (changing the piece almost to G major), in the belief that such ficta would have been automatically put in by the 16th-century performers as they played. I doubt it. I have not only eschewed these within the work, but even at the cadences. So this arrangement is most distinctly modal (listen to the F-naturals in meas. 22 and 23, for instance), with all the part-writing as Gervaise wrote it. In the second movement, be careful that things do not become too glued together. In the 16th century this music might have been played by a consort of recorders, instruments very light of touch and sensitive to articulation. Concert band can easily sound heavy, and although this movement has been scored for tutti band, it must not sound it. It is essential, therefore, that you hear all the instruments, with none predominating. Only when each timbre can be heard separately and simultaneously will the best blend occur, and consequently the greatest transparency. So aim for a transparent, spacious tutti sound in this movement. Especially have the flutes, who do this so well, articulate rather sharply, so as to produce a chiffing sound, and do not allow the quarter-notes to become too tied together in the entire band. The entrance of the drums (first tenor, then bass) are events and as such should be audible. Incidentally, this movement begins in F Major and ends in D Minor: They really didn't care so much about those things then. The third movement (one friend has remarked that it is the most Margolisian of the bunch, but actually I am just getting subtler, I hope) again relies upon the percussion (and the scoring) to make its points. Xylophone in this movement is meant to be distinctly audible. Therefore, be especially sure that the xylophone player is secure in the part, and also that the tambourine and toms sound good. This movement must fly or it will sink, so rev up the band and conduct it in 1 for this mixolydian jesting. I suppose the wildly unrelated keys (clarinets and then brass at the end) would be a good 16th-century joke, but to us, our put-up-the-chorus-a-half- step ears readily accept such shenanigans. Ensemble instrumentation: 1 Full Score, 1 Piccolo, 4 Flute 1, 4 Flute 2 & 3, 2 Oboe 1 & 2, 2 Bassoon 1 & 2, 1 Eb Clarinet, 4 Bb Clarinet 1, 4 Bb Clarinet 2, 4 Bb Clarinet 3, 2 Eb Alto Clarinet, 1 Eb Contra Alto Clarinet, 3 Bb Bass & Bb Contrabass Clarinet, 2 Eb Alto Saxophone 1, 2 Eb Alto Saxophone 2, 2 Bb Tenor Saxophone, 2 Eb Baritone Saxophone, 3 Bb Trumpet 1, 3 Bb Trumpet 2, 3 Bb Trumpet 3, 4 Horn in F 1 & 2, 2 Trombone 1, 4 Trombone 2 & 3, 3 Euphonium (B.C.), 2 Euphonium (T.C.), 4 Tuba, 1 String Bass, 1 Timpani (optional), 2 Xylophone & Glockenspiel, 5 Percussion.

By Bob Margolis (After Claude Gervaise). Concert band. Suitable for high school, community, and college bands. Level: Grade 4. Conductor score and set of parts. Duration 4:30. Published by Manhattan Beach Music.

Chamber orchestra

SKU: FG.55011-647-4

Composed by Harri Wessman. Score & parts. Fennica Gehrman #55011-647-4. Published by Fennica Gehrman (FG.55011-647-4).

ISBN 9790550116474.

Harr i Wessman's Capriccio for wind ensemble (1989) puts the idea of caprice into practice in various ways. The inspiration for the title comes from the definition of 'capriccio' given by Michael Praetorius (1571-1621): If one attempts to treat a fugue according to his own pleasure and desire, and does not persist long in this, but rather turns soon to another fugue as it come to mind or occurs to him. The ten-minute-long work in three movements is scored for the same instruments as Mozart's Serenades for winds: 2 oboes, 2 clarinets, 2 bassoons, contrabassoon and 2 French horns. The outer movements are extremely folk-musicianly and must be played in a way that makes them brashly temperamental. They are separated by an Andantino, as a cor anglais and oboe dream unfolded on the velvety carpet of the other instruments. It was commissioned and premiered by the wind players of Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra in April 1989.