 | | | First Suite In E Flat For Military Band | |
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When you ask any band director to name the most important works for concert band, Holst's "First Suite In E Flat" will be on just about every single list. From the opening low brass melodies, to the delightful woodwind flourishes, this piece is a true gem that every band should perform regularly.
About the extra score: The extra score includes a CD featuring the United States Marine Band under the direction of Dr. Frederick Fennell and was recorded April 24, 1997. A CD is not included with the band set, only with the purchase of the extra score.
Technical Notes: In the notebook in which he kept a record of his compositions from 1895 until his death, Holst entered the "1st Suite for Military Band Op. 28A" on the page for 1909. This is the only evidence we have of the work's origins, for there is no certain record of any performance before 1920 (although parts seem to have been copied before 1918), nor is there any evidence of for whom the work was written. The same anomaly appears with the "Second Suite", composed in 1911 but not performed until 1922. It is strange that these two masterpieces of band writing should not have entered the repertoire at once - there has certainly been no lack of performances in the years since 1920.
The "First Suite" was published in 1921 by Boosey & Co. in the form of a set of parts with a reduction for piano-conductor. A full score was not published until 1948, and this incorporated additional parts which had been added to make the work more suitable for American bands. It also included numerous misprints, since the score was compiled from the parts without reference to the original manuscript.
Since the composition of military bands and wind bands in general has changed since 1909, this new edition of the score does not attempt to go back wholly to the original manuscript. The second pair of trumpets and the baritone have been omitted entirely, while the added baritone and bass saxophones have been retained (with some emendations). The additional parts for alto and contrabass clarinets and flugelhorns have been omitted, but for the sake of convenience they remain (again with some emendations) in the printed set of parts. The conductor should exercise his discretion as to their use. The omission of the baritone has allowed the euphonium part to be expanded, most notably in the "Intermezzo" after letter D, and at the beginning of the Finale, where it doubles the 1st cornet at the lower octave.
Holst's concern to alllow the work to be played by a small ensemble has been respected, and many parts remain ad lib. (It is possible for the "First Suite" to be played in this edition by as few as 19 players plus percussion). Particular care has been taken to 'cover' ad lib parts. Since in the original manuscript all the trumpets were ad lib., the omission of the second pair has not left any serious gaps: indeed the opportunity has been taken to fill one or two that Holst himself left (in the Finale at letter C, for example). Three cornets are essential, but the parts have been adjusted, since Holst, when writing for cornets in three parts tended to write for two second cornets. In the same way he was occasionally careless about the disposition of his four horn parts, and there are now organized so that the third and fourth may safely be omitted.
The only important places where an ad lib instrument must be replaced by another are: the string bass, cued into the bass part at bar 16 of the "Chaconne"; the oboe, cued into the 2nd clarinet after letter C of the "Chaconne"; and the 2nd E flat clarinet cued into the 1st clarinet for much of the "Intermezzo".
Estimated Performance Time: 10:00
Composed By: "First Suite In E Flat For Military Band" was composed by Gustav Holst.
Edited By: "First Suite In E Flat For Military Band" was edited by Colin Matthews.
Published By: "First Suite In E Flat For Military Band" was published by Boosey & Hawkes.
Series: This piece is part of the series "Boosey & Hawkes British Band Classics Series".
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| Instrumentation | | 1 | - | Full Score | | 8 | - | Flute/Piccolo | | 2 | - | 1st & 2nd Oboes | | 2 | - | 1st And 2nd Bassoons | | 2 | - | E Flat Soprano Clarinet | | 4 | - | Solo B Flat Clarinet | | 4 | - | 1st B Flat Clarinet | | 4 | - | 2nd B Flat Clarinet | | 4 | - | 3rd B Flat Clarinet | | 2 | - | B Flat Bass Clarinet | | 2 | - | E Flat Alto Saxophone | | 2 | - | B Flat Tenor Saxophone | | 1 | - | E Flat Baritone Saxophone | | 1 | - | B Flat Bass Saxophone | | 4 | - | 1st B Flat Trumpet | | 4 | - | 2nd B Flat Trumpet | | 4 | - | 1st B Flat Cornet | | 3 | - | 2nd B Flat Cornet | | 4 | - | 1st Horn In F | | 4 | - | 2nd Horn In F | | 4 | - | 3rd Horn In F | | 4 | - | 4th Horn In F | | 2 | - | 1st Trombone | | 2 | - | 2nd Trombone | | 2 | - | 3rd Trombone | | 1 | - | Baritone T.C. | | 2 | - | Baritone B.C. | | 4 | - | Tuba | | 1 | - | String Bass | | 4 | - | Percussion | | 1 | - | Timpani |
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| | Other Pictures | | Front Cover | | Conductor Score | | Instrumentation | | Descriptive Page |
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 Difficulty 5 on a scale of 1 to 6 with 6 being the hardest.
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