Played bass clarinet part for this when I was in high school, and I just LOVE how most of the song didn't consist of resting for us. WE GOT TO PLAY :P and there are even bass clarinet solos lol. This will always be one of my favorite pieces.
the Euphonium part to this takes MONTHS of woodshedding if you're not a professional player. hell, I've heard stories that the USAF band was kinda baffled after first getting this music, after commissioning Claude to compose "something hard". they definitely got what they wanted. this song is a grade 6+ lol
+Montario Benjamin It was actually commissioned because the director of the USAF band was tired of them not practicing, so he got Claude to compose this just for them. And he made the horn solo nearly impossible because that horn player, when he commissioned it, beat out Claude for first chair and this was his way of getting revenge.
It was the French horn part -- a personal vendetta (of sorts) by Claude. When we played it back in the 1990s, we rotated through Fr. Horn I to IV, because the young players' chops couldn't endure several hours of practice.
sskoog The hilarious thing about this composition is all 4 parts are a serious workout. At the beginning the high unison B natural is in all 4 parts. Later after the slow soloistic section all 4 parts ascend up to a C two lines above the staff. Pretty strenuous writing for a horn section without a doubt.
So cool to find this. Played French horn in symphonic band in high school in Northern VA. We played this at regional festival one year. Took us months to get it to sound decent. Was awesome and definitely the most challenging piece we ever did. This is Mount Everest for French horn players. 😬
I heard about this piece during my freshman year in high school. Now it's my senior year and were playing it. When I first looked at the French horn part I look at my director with a WTF IS THIS LOOK.
Story goes that Claude Smith was jilted by a would-be girlfriend, who spurned his advances and went with the principal hornist -- Smith, in a fit of 50% creative inspiration and 50% indignant fury, composed this part to get back at the guy. I have heard the tale confirmed by three different sources which I trust (though I guess we could all be hearing the same rumor).
My high school band played this for contest in spring, 1998. Just not as fast. I was third part clarinet and was just as difficult as first! I always liked this, but it was SO stressful to play - and to stress out that the other big parts, like the French horn line would sound good - the fast tonguing part. They couldn’t quite all get that - just one player. Our top clarinetists went on to be professionals in orchestras/symphonies. Edmond, Oklahoma was very well known for their clarinetists, during those times 😉
Story goes that Claude Smith was jilted by a would-be girlfriend, who spurned his advances and went with the principal hornist -- Smith, in a fit of 50% creative inspiration and 50% indignant fury, composed this part to get back at the guy. I have heard the tale confirmed by three different sources which I trust (though I guess we could all be hearing the same rumor).
played tube for this my junior year of high school and gosh did it spoiler me, not just because of the solos but just how clear and interesting the low parts actually were. they stick out yet blend so well the rest of the piece, just an amazing experience to preform
@MrDTJK Yes, this was recorded in 1998 with Arnald D. Gabriel as conductor. I don't think it's "misalignments" so much as different interpretation, especially considering the conductor.
The Georgia all state band did great on this piece. Every year they sight read the music and prepare a concert with only 10 hours of rehearsal, all grade six pieces and then ridiculously hard stuff like Festival Variations and Carnival Overture, which I played this year at all state in Georgia.
OMFG. Once again, i fuckin love tokyo kosei wind Orcehstra. Who can do stuff like this and do it SO WELL other than them. Awesome job; btw, i love the french horn part from 1:38 - 1:50
The Kosei Winds is a SUPER BAND with all kinds of recordings that are great to super.I love the Girls Band for their superior playing at all times.I just love them.What else can I say about a great group of girls from across the ocean.I've heard three different accounts of the same beautiful piece of music.That's OK. Loved it anyway.
@@cat-dk3ql waiiiit that's funny! hahahah. i mean...many probably can play their parts, but to sound very articulate and tally with the whole orchestra, it probably takes like about a year for a normal high school band to play a piece like this 'clean'. i'm itching to play the clarinet parts, though my high school band never even bought this piece as they all think this song is just impossible to take to orchestra tournament.
Tokyo Kosei? Mmmm....i'm not so really sure. There are some strange things that Tokyo Kosei musicians never do...not in a recorded track like this. Some like intonation, misalignments, scratched and not so clear notes...Anyway, it is an other very good wind orchestra...
+Joel Neo The theme introduced in the horn at the very beginning is the "Festival" theme. Everything that happens after that is a variation. Listen closely, it's all over the place.
