Orchestra suggested repertoire

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Contents 1 Introduction 1.1 Do 1.2 Don't 2 Bernstein 2.1 Candide Overture 3 Bizet 3.1 Carmen suite 4 Brahms 4.1 Symphony No. 2 4.1.1 Committee response 4.2 Academic festival overture 4.2.1 Committee response 5 Bruch 5.1 Kol Nidrei, Adagio for Cello and Orchestra 6 Elgar 6.1 Cello concerto 6.1.1 Committee response 6.2 Three Bavarian Dances 6.3 Pomp and Circumstance March No 1 7 Grieg 7.1 Peer Gynt: Suite No. 1, Op. 46 8 Khachaturian 8.1 Masquerade Suite 9 Rimsky Korsakov 9.1 Scheherazade 10 Smetana 10.1 My Country No. 2: The Moldau (Vlatava) 11 Shostakovich 12 Vaughan Williams 12.1 Symphony No 3 12.2 Symphony No 5 12.3 Fantasia on a Theme by Thomas Tallis 13 Verdi 13.1 Nabucco Overture 14 Suggestions September 2009 14.1 Catriona 14.2 Tessa

Introduction

The committee welcomes suggestions for pieces we might consider playing at future concerts. However, unless you have been involved in such discussions before, you may not appreciate how difficult it is to put together a programme for an orchestra concert. Any programme has to

• add up to about 40 - 50 minutes of music, to make a one hour concert.
• Each piece must use roughly the same size of orchestra so people are not having to sit around too much. The size of this orchestra must roughly match the size we currently are.
• The parts, and the way they go together as a whole, must not be too difficult for the ability level of the orchestra;
• but the pieces must be sufficiently interesting that we want to rehearse them for weeks.
• The program as a whole must make sense musically.

Generally, the committee considers the programme for the following calendar year over the summer (see the committee's plan for the year, so spring is a good time to make suggestions. However, you are welcome to make suggestions at any time.

As you can see, any suggestion requires a lot of research to decide whether it is suitable (and, even if it is, it may not fit into an appropriate programme). So please do make suggestions, but it will be easier for the committee to consider them (and so they will be more likely to be taken up) if you follow these guidelines:

Do

• Find out the orchestration of any pieces you propose. (http://lucksmusic.com/ is a useful resource for this).
• Find out the approximate running time of the piece.
• Find out if the parts are available for purchase and/or hire, and get an rough idea of the cost. (Music written in the last 70 years or so tends to be only available for hire, and expensive, because it is still covered by copyright.)
• Make comments like "I (Tim Hunt) played this with ... orchestra, and I think it would be suitable for us because ...". (You can comment on any of the suggestions here, your own, or other's.)
• Talk about your suggestion with other orchestra members and get them to submit their comments, particularly if they have played it before.
• Provide information about where we (or others) can get hold of a score to investigate in more detail - for example, if you know the score is available in a local library, or if you can lend a copy, say so.
• Provide tips on how to find it quickly in the Naxos or Classical Music library databases, so people can easily hear a recording.

Don't

• Expect other people to do your research for you.
• Expect an immediate response.

You may also like to review the List of works we have already performed.

The suggestions follow.

Bernstein

Candide Overture

• Instrumentation: 2+1,2,2+1+Eb,2+1/4231 TIMP PERC HRP STR
• Duration: 4:00
• Score: $ 37.00
• Rental Price: $ 175.00 http://lucksmusic.com/cat-symph/showdetailMain.asp?CatalogNo=09099
• Recommende by Brian C "very challenging" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3qDBaFXp9hM&feature=related, Summer 2009.

Bizet

Carmen suite

• Instrumentation: 2D1,2D1,2,2/4230 TIMP PERC HRP STR
• String Count: 4.4.3.2.2
• Duration: 11:00
• Suggested: October 2007

Tim: MKMS symphony orchestra did this a few years ago, and it worked quite well. I think it would suit us.

Brahms

Symphony No. 2

• Orchestration: 2222/4231 TIMP STR
• Running time: 42:00
• Suggested by: Tim Hunt, summer 2007

The orchestra considered this for the May 2008 concert. We played through it several times, and in the end, narrowly preferred Dvorak 8, partly because Brahms 2 is quite hard.

Committee response

(Jan 2008) A lovely symphony that it would be great to do one day, but the orchestra is not quite ready for it.

UPDATE - a sign of how this wonderful orchestra is developing. This work was performed very successfully in the May 2011 concert

Academic festival overture

• Orchestration: 2+1,2,2,2+1/4331 TIMP PERC STR
• Running time: 10:00
• Availability: Set of parts available from Lucks Music for $80.
• Suggested by: Mike Britton, autumn 2007

The orchestra considered this for the May 2008 concert, and played through it once. In the end, the Brahms Hungarian Dances were selected instead.

Committee response

(March 2008) Could be worth considering again in future.

Bruch

Kol Nidrei, Adagio for Cello and Orchestra

• Instrumentation: 2.2.2.2/4.2.3.0,timp,hp,str,cello solo
• String Count: 4.4.3.2.2
• Solo: Cello
• Duration: 10:00
• Score: $ 20.00
• Set: $ 65.00 http://lucksmusic.com/cat-symph/showdetailMain.asp?CatalogNo=00601
• Recommended by: Mike B "Another idea for Timo to play with us (assuming he would like to)". Summer 2009.

Elgar

Cello concerto

• Suggested: 2007

Committee response

(Feb 2008) Probably not right for our orchestra. For a lot of the time the orchestra is used rather sparingly.

Three Bavarian Dances

• Instrumentation: 2222/4231, timp, PERC STR
• String Count: 4.4.3.2.2
• Duration: 13:00
• Score: $ 50.00
• Set: $ 100.00 From Lucks music
• Suggested by: Tine Summer 2009.
• Is in http://open.naxosmusiclibrary.com.libezproxy.open.ac.uk/

Pomp and Circumstance March No 1

• Instrumentation: 2+1,2,2+1,2+1/4,2+2,3,1 TIMP PERC 2 HRP ORG STR
• String Count: 4.4.3.2.2
• Duration: 6:00
• Score: $ 20.00
• Set: $ 90.00 http://lucksmusic.com/cat-symph/showdetailMain.asp?CatalogNo=05460
• Suggested by: Brian C, Summer 2009.

Brian says that this needs strong trumpts. We played this one time at Midsummer Players, so it ought to be doable by OU Orchestra.

Grieg

Peer Gynt: Suite No. 1, Op. 46

(Morning Mood, Ase's Death, Anitra's Dance, In the Hall of the Mountain King)

• Instrumentation: 2+1,2,2,2/4231 TIMP PERC STR
• String Count: 4.4.3.2.2
• Duration: 15:00
• Comments: ; trans: CL 1&2, HN 1-4, TPT 1&2, TBN 1&2
• Score: $ 25.00
• Set: $ 110.00
• Suggested by: David H "One of my team who was there on Friday asked if we could play 'In the hall of the mountain king" (actually, she asked if we could do the Alton Towers ad music!)." Summer 2009

I played this with the Hill's Symphony Orchestra in Perth, possibly in an arrangement, and it was doable and quite fun, although some people are tacet in the middle movements.

Khachaturian

Masquerade Suite

(Waltz, Nocturne, Mazurka, Romance, Galop)

• Instrumentation: 2D1,2,2,2/4231 TIMP PERC STR
• Duration: 16:00
• Brian C recommended the Waltz (4 minutes, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KNSDJoSNH-g) Summer 2009.

Rimsky Korsakov

Scheherazade

• Instrumentation: 2D1+1.2D1.2.2/4.2.3.1,timp,5 perc,hp,str
• String Count: 4.4.3.2.2
• Duration: 42:00
• Score: $ 125.00
• Set: $ 290.00 http://lucksmusic.com/cat-symph/showdetailMain.asp?CatalogNo=12361
• Suggested by: Brian C, Summer 2009.

I (Tim) would guess that the full version is a bit too hard, and it is also a rather large orchestra. With the Hills Symphony Orchestra we did a rather good arrangement that was shorter. I'll try to find out the details.

Smetana

My Country No. 2: The Moldau (Vlatava)

• Orchestration: 2+1,2,2,2/4331 TIMP PERC HRP STR
• Running time: 13:00
• Availability: Set of parts available from Lucks Music for $120.
• Suggested by: Tim Hunt, Tessa Holden, February 2008.

MKMS symphony orchestra did this a few years ago, and it worked quite well. I (Tim) think it is well worth considering for us in a future concert.

Shostakovich

• Orchestration: 2+1,2,2+Eb,3D1/4331 TIMP PERC 2 HRP PF CEL STR
• Duration: 50:00
• Suggested by: Heather, Summer 2009

Lucks Music does not offer parts. Duration seems a bit long for a lunctime concert.--Tim. Requires full string sound, sometimes high passages in violins

Vaughan Williams

Symphony No 3

• Suggest May 2007 by Gary Spruce (in conversation with Tessa)

Symphony No 5

• Suggested May 2007 by Tessa

Fantasia on a Theme by Thomas Tallis

• Instrumentation: SOLO STR QRT DOUBLE STR ORCH
• Duration: 15:00
• Suggested by: Clifford Peat Summer 2009.

Strings only, so not good for the orchestra.

Verdi

Nabucco Overture

• Instrumentation: 2D1.2.2.2/4.2.3.1,timp,perc,str
• String Count: 4.4.3.2.2
• Duration: 8:00
• Tried autumn 2009. Could suit us.

Suggestions September 2009

I am working on this now. At the moment I have just copied and pasted lots of stuff below. I will be cleaning this up shortly.--TimHunt 16:40, 16 September 2009 (UTC)

I have done a lot now, but more to do--TimHunt 17:38, 18 September 2009 (UTC)

Catriona

How about some Malcolm Arnold dances? Scottish, English and Cornish are all really nice (each set of dances is about 8-10 mins). The brass feature quite strongly, and given that some of the best moments in our previous concerts have been (for me) when the brass come through, I think these could be really effective concert pieces for us. (But maybe we would require back-up if there's too much reliance on brass??) I'm not sure how difficult they are to play, but they don't sound too demanding.

One piece which I would love to do is Respighi's The Pines of the Appian Way. We heard the Philharmonia play this a couple of weeks ago and it completely blew us away - an amazing piece! It is quite heavy with brass though, so might require back-up. It also requires a piano and the percussion section were quite busy too. So maybe it's a non-starter. :-(

Tessa

American/ South American music thoughts

Too expensive or not easily obtainable:

Villa Lobos - The little train of the Caipira (Bachianas Brasileiras No 2 toccata) Ginastera - Dances from Estancia

We need music that is easily available and playable. There is a lead time of about 6 to 8 weeks on hiring library music through the inter-library loan scheme (which we use because it is cheap), so we need to borrow some sooner - MK Music Service/ Wolverton Light/ ?Bedford We don't have an unlimited budget, so we have tended to steer clear of expensive music still in copyright.

We have also considered these (ditto) http://www.open.ac.uk/wikis/ouocmc/Orchestra_suggested_repertoire I have thought about Shostakovitch 5 having played it as a teenager, but pehaps in a couple of years time because it is rather heavy for lunchtime, and we are gathering audience who don't usually go to classical music concerts, so I would like to build that for a little while. The Vaughan Williams symphonies are interesting if we didn't want to go lighter - but may only use 2 horns (which are very prominent in 5).

Here are some ideas for a trans-atlantic themed lighter concert. It would be quite good to have some classical content along with lighter items and at least one bit of film music if possible. How to make a programme not too bitty. Music marked * is owned by Wolverton Light o MK Music Service:

Copland - Hoe down* from Rodeo and maybe more of Rodeo - may have to use Clavinova or check out OU upright piano Other Copland? Bernstein - West Side Story suite - don't have to do all of it - which arrangement? Or other Bernstein? Custer - Salute to the Big Apple* Villa Lobos - can't remember which Bachianas Brasilera is is from but the Toccatina - Little Train of the Caipira (played in Youth orchestra) Ginastera ? Sure I did something in a Youth orchestra. Don't think there is any orchestra Piazzola sadly Gershwin? Could do Rhapsody (need to plead with treasurer as it costs a fortune to get Steinway moved, and get a pianist lined up quickly so not really practical) - or something Ives/ Souza marches - perhaps Stars and Stripes*? Barber? Morricone - Gabriel's Oboe from the Mission* Laurence's list also includes Anderson -Belle of the Ball*, Benjamin - Jamaican Rumba* and Pirate of the Caribbean* (sorry Graham) Other film music? Western themed? Steve Reich? Probably too expensive. Anything John Williams American themed?