WINGERT-JONES PUBLICATIONS

A wonderful transcription taken from "The Slippers", the only comic opera written by Tchaikovsky. Opening with a short and stately fanfare, the music then bursts into a flurry of rhythmic activity that depicts the boundless energy displayed by a troupe of Ukrainian dancers. A programming jewel for accomplished bands.

Also titled Aria With Diverse Variations, this monumental opus for harpsichord was composed and published late in Bach's career. The composition represents a unique blend of complexity, beauty, and massive scope. In this setting, the aria and all 30 variations are presented in different combinations of instruments making it the perfect vehicle for featuring various chamber ensembles within the larger performing group. It is a singularly massive contribution to the list of serious repertoire for wind bands.

Joseph F. Lamb is rightfully regarded as one of the "Big Three" composers of classic ragtime music, the other two being Scott Joplin and James Scott. Lamb, who was of Irish descent, was the only non-African American of the group. Unlike Joplin and Scott, Joseph Lamb's fame outlived the era of classic ragtime, and he along with Eubie Blake were the only personalities from the original ragtime era that took part in the ragtime revival of the late 1950s. Ragtime Nightingale is a "heavy rag" and displays Lamb's individual style, delightful syncopations and jaunty spirit that appear so pleasingly throughout the piece. A new dimension to concert programming.

 

Ignacio Cervantes (1847-1905) was a Cuban pianist and composer who achieved fame and recognition in his native country. Cervantes is best known for his considerable influence in blending various aspects of creole musical culture with those of Cuban music for a totally unique and appealing sound tableau. Four of Cervantes' colorful dances are included in this brilliant setting for wind band. They are Danzas Nos. 1 and 2, the melancholy Soledad, the lively Picatazos, and a reprise of Soledad.

"Parsifal", written in 1882, was the final opera by composer Richard Wagner (1813-1883). The prelude is a miniature masterpiece consisting of only 116 measures. The form of the prelude is similar to that of the classical three-movement overture and consists of four musical motives: the mystical realm of the Holy Grail; the Grail itself in the Dresden Amen; Faith, represented by the brass chorale; and the Agony of Amfortas. This transcription by John R. Bourgeois faithfully adheres to Wagner's intent both in key relationships and orchestration.

This esteemed Russian composer is universally recognized as both a master orchestrator and a master of ballet music. His music remains popular not only in the ballets themselves but also in the many dances and suites drawn from the scores. Tchaikovsky's signature on the march form is found in many march settings, including this from "The Sleeping Beauty."  As the ballet opens, this resplendent march provides the grand entrance music into the regal court of King Florestan.

Charles Gounod's opera "Faust," loosely based on the Faustian legend and the play by Goethe, was premiered in August 1859 and remains one of the most frequently performed grand operas in the repertory. One of the more memorable melodies in Gounod's score occurs in Act IV when an on-stage band marches in as Valentin and the soldiers returning from war sing the rousing Soldiers' Chorus. This march, along with the marches from Wagner's "Tannhauser" and Verdi's "Aida," are among the most beloved of operatic marches.

An accomplished composer and conductor in his day, Julius Fucik wrote more than 400 marches, polkas and waltzes. Even one hundred years after his death, the patriotic themes in his music remain popular in the Czech Republic as well as throughout Europe and the U.S. Fanfare Sounds represents the highest standards of the Austrian regimental march with its stylishly dignified tempo, crisp articulations, and, as an added feature, resplendent trumpeting fanfares that are brilliantly displayed throughout the piece.

A contemporary (and, some would say, rival) of Johann Strauss I in 19th-century Vienna, Joseph Lanner was, for a time, more popular and widely performed than his associate. After a much-publicized separation of the two musical giants, Lanner was appointed to the coveted post of Musik-Direktor of the Redoutensale in the Habsburg Imperial Palace. Lanner's ballet was written in September of 1841; this superb Bourgeois edition brings the work to the wind ensemble repertoire. It is an outstanding example of the Austrian march genre.

 

A resplendent example of Tchaikovsky's remarkable grasp of symphonic writing, these dances are among the very best of his dance sequences. Transcribed for band, they are  taken from the opera "The Oprichnik," which means "guardsman." The oprichniki were the personal bodyguards of Tsar Ivan the Terrible. The opening dance features various woodwind solo passages that display a hauntingly poignant Slavic flavor. The second dance begins vigorously and surges forward with ever-increasing accelerandi that surge to the fiery conclusion.

Composer Semeon Alexanderovich Chernetsky was born in 1881 and died in 1950. A trombonist and a composition student of Alexander Glazunov, he was also a prominent military bandmaster. He was named Director of the Band of the Soviet Army in 1932, and in 1935 he founded the Band of the Ministry of Defense. He composed over 70 marches including March of the Tankmen, which he wrote in 1946, as well as other works for band. The stately manner of this stirring march displays a profound sense of loyalty and national pride that is unmistakable.

Pursuing his interest in the Turkish peoples, the composer created this work for orchestra in 1930. It is a richly melodic suite notable for its characteristically oriental turns of phrase. This work is presented in four movements: Caravan, which depicts a steady journey over rolling sand dunes; At Rest, alternately tranquil and spirited; Night, serene in nature with a slight touch of mystery; and Festival, a dance-like finale with unyielding exuberance. All the movements use material from folk music of the region combined with a wonderful pallet of wind-instrumental colors. An exotic and colorful Turkish fabric in music.

In his compositional craft, Verdi was not reluctant to display some of his most powerful and dramatic music in his overtures, preludes and ballet scenes.  His preludes before individual acts of the operas were shorter than his overtures, but they do foreshadow the mood and intense drama of the ensuing scenes.  Paired together in this transcription are preludes from Ernani and Atilla, his fifth and ninth of 26 operatic works.

The music in Sunflower Slow Drag is full of brightness and levity, having the light, upbeat character found in many of Joplin's happiest compositions. After a brief introductory passage, the jaunty main theme appears in all its ragtime cheer, typical of Joplin's works. The closing is especially reminiscent of the ending of his more famous The Entertainer and while not as well known, this cheerful four minute works deserves the same fame and popularity. Originally scored for chamber winds, optional parts have been included for larger ensembles.

This delightful stop-time two-step dance was first published in 1902, and its appeal is as widespread today as it was then. A new sense of vibrancy and optimism is reflected in this early 20th century dance that features the wild "new" rhythms of ragtime which substantially changed the nature of dance. Lively and rhythmic, this work displays all the features that made the style so popular and shows the composer to be a true master of the genre, earning him the title "The King of Ragtime." Syncopated, bright, and energetic, it's an entertaining addition to concert programs. Members of the band become a part of the act by rhythmically stomping along with the music.

This fine addition to the Bourgeois Editions is from Tchaikovsky's grand opera, The Maid of Orleans. Based on the story of Joan of Arc, the three movements can be performed together, or the first and last dances can stand alone in performance as well. Movements include: Dance of the Bohemians - a bright and lively display of virtuosity; Dance of the Pages - an elegant minuet scored for chamber winds; and Dance of the Actors - a fiery and robust finale ideal for any performance. It's a brilliant showcase for upper-level ensembles.

This ragtime masterpiece was composed in 1907 and is named after the beautiful variegated southern flower. What makes this particular work stand out from other ragtime pieces is the oddity of its structure, rhythm, and melody, which could be the result of the collaboration of these two composers. The first two strains were written by Louis Chauvin, a brilliant young pianist from St. Louis, and the last two strains were composed by the master, Scott Joplin.  A truly unique and appealing ragtime work.  

Jacques Offenbach was a product of the Paris Conservatory, becoming a professional cellist. However, today he is best known as the composer of light opera, including "Ballet Parisien," "La Belle Helene" and "Orpheus in the Underworld." This galop is a spirited and lighthearted work containing the origins of what we know today as the Marines' Hymn. This scoring by John Bourgeois is sure to become a standard.

Taken from the patriotic-heroic opera "A Life for the Tsar," in which Glinka presents a tableau of four Polish dances. One of them, Krakoviak, is a fast, syncopated imitation of horses. Well-loved in the Krakow region for military as well as civilian use, the horses' steps are mimicked by a large on-stage band. This fiery dance is an important part of this popular piece of the Russian operatic repertory.

Franz von Suppe was born Francesco Ezechiele Ermenegildo Cavaliere di Suppe-Demielli on April 18, 1819. His father and grandfather were both civil servants, and he was distant relative of Gaetano Donizetti. He displayed his talent at an early age when he began to compose music as a young boy, but despite this he received no encouragement from his father to pursue a career in music. He went on to compose many operas, most of which remain relatively obscure; however, the overtures to "Poet and Peasant" and "Light Cavalry" are well known and have been quite popular in transcriptions for concert band and widely used in movies and cartoons. Highly exuberant and spirited, Vienna Jubilation Overture contains all the thrilling elements that are evident in all of von Suppe's remarkable overtures.

Jacques Offenbach's operetta Voyage to the Moon tells the enchanting story of a prince that sets out on an adventure to travel to the moon. Premiered in Paris in October of 1875, the production was loosely based on the popular Jules Verne novel From the Earth to the Moon and spared no expense in making it a major theatrical event. This lively and exuberant overture contains various themes from the operetta including a beautifully lyric horn solo before concluding with a brilliant cancan-like presto that Offenbach is famous for. The musical flair and dance-like exuberance brilliantly reflect the grand spectacle of the stage presentation.

This four-movement suite was written in 1909, just before the Sousa Band's world tour. The movements are titled: The Champagnes; The Rhine Wines; The Whiskies - Scotch, Irish, Bourbon, and Rye; and Convention of the Cordials. Each movement reflects the country or region from which the various drinks are derived and can also be performed as separate works. The suite was later revised for orchestra but was never published for band until now. An historically important and welcome addition to the band repertoire!

In 1911 Johan Halvorsen composed incidental music for a production of Ludvig Holberg's play "The Lying-in Room" and later arranged the music into his "Suite Ancienne Op. 31." The suite in five movements contains some of Halvorsen's most descriptive musical output. In harmony and instrumentation, he bursts the bounds of his baroque canvas, imbuing his music with the unmistakable stamp of Neoclassicism. The five movements consists of: 1. Intrada, 2. Air con variations, 3. Gigue, 4. Sarabande, and 5. Bouree. The arranger, Colonel John Bourgeois, has also arranged Halvorsen's In Memoriam, Op.30 and the four-movement "Little Masquerade Suite." He notes that the "Suite Ancienne" may be played as a complete entity or each of the movements may be performed individually.

In 1922 Halvorsen was commissioned to write incidental music for the bicentennial performance of a comedy written by Norwegian playwright Ludvig Holberg. Masquerade calls for a diverse pallet of music depicting ballet and dance scenes filled with silly play and gaiety. As a result, the music is graceful, as found in Cotillion, playful as in the Bacchanale, and burlesque for the Rooster and Grotesque dances. The original Masquerade Suite for orchestra consisted of eight dances; this arrangement for concert band comprises the first, third, fifth and sixth movements of Halvosen's original suite. A delightful programing selection displaying humor, wit and elegance in the four brief movements.