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Suggestions: CMP Committee List of Top Ten Orchestra Pieces
(Strings and Full) - May 2002 |
Leyla Sanyer (Oregon High School; Oregon, WI)
The following pieces for strings are usually listed at different
technical levels or grades, butall are so well constructed that
I feel even the strongest high school string students appreciate
studying all of them.
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Holst, Gustav/ St. Paul Suite
Here is a piece in which each movement works well on it's own
or if the orchestra is very strong can be performed together.
The last movement is an 8-bar dance tune used in variations
and juxtaposed with “Green sleeves” 6/8 against 3/4. Students
can discuss the meaning of variation and extending a short melody
to a full form.
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Ewazen, Eric/ Four Royal Dances
Written for young orchestra this well constructed 4 movement
work mimics the Renaissance style. The composer has written
each movement in a different meter. Each movement is descriptive
of a different member of the royal court; the lord, the lady,
the jester and the knight. Student can experience the ambiguity
between major and minor tonalities.
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Dello Joio, Norman/ Choreography for String
Orchestra
This 3 movement piece is an excellent study in rhythm. The first
movement is energetic and full of textural changes. The second
movement is somber with a 20th century style ground bass and
lyrical melody over the top. The third movement is complex rhythmically
and demands aggressive technique. This piece is a strong representative
of 20th century compositional practice.
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Britten, Benjamin/ Simple Symphony
Britten's best work for high school strings can be learned along
with many compositions from the Classical period, such as Mozart's
Eine Kleine Nachtmusik, as a way to study sonata form. He plays
with key relationships, themes and form in much the same way.
The pizzicato movement is unusual and although difficult, gives
students a tool with which to study phrasing and dynamic contrast.
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Balakrishnan, David/ Skylife
This work by one the Turtle Island String Quartet violinists
is an excellent opportunity to bring improvisation into the
orchestra classroom in small doses. Rhythmically very complex,
the students can use their aural skills as well as learning
to read highly syncopated material. Blues for Oaktown by Darrel
Anger is another arrangement in the series that works well for
high school strings.
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Warlock, Peter/ Capriol Suite
Warlock has written this early 20th century work in the style
of a Renaissance dance suite. There are many areas of interest
with changes in tempo, meter, key and mode, voicing and texture.
All sections (including the basses) are challenge technically.
Study can be done on the historical importance of the dances.
Students will also need to understand bowing style to achieve
the contrasts in feeling.
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Corigliano, John/ Voyage for Strings
This complex work by the New York composer who also wrote the
music for the movie, “The Red Violin”, is much more musically
than technically difficult. Students must negotiate the concepts
of tension and release and, in so doing, increase their bow
control and distribution skills. The poem this piece is based
on, L'Invitation du Voyage” by the French poet, Charles Baudelaire
(Wilbur translation) can be studied for richness of metaphor.
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Hofeldt, William/ The Gift
Very simply composed but beautifully put together, this work
can be used to to teach compositional techniques such as contrast,
unity and tension and release. The composer has an extremely
good ear for a melody. Most of his pieces for strings contain
strong melodies. The harmonic structure is also often somewhat
complex but fun to dissect.
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Hindemith, Paul/ Eight Pieces for Strings
OR Five Pieces for Strings
As a composer, Hindemith was unique in how he negotiated key
center. Often leaving the listener/player in the dark until
the final chord. The movements are short but excellent examples
of Hindemith's work. The students must understand how to use
dynamics to balance the lines of melody. There are good examples
of textural change with a violin solo in one of the movements
of the 5 Pieces.
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Leyden, Norman/ Serenade for Strings
A great tool to teach composition, this piece is constructed
so that the important thematic material in the first three movements
returns in the final dance movement. There is a prelude, nocturne,
fugue and cakewalk. Students enjoy this composition and are
challenged by the 5/4 meter, structure of a fugue, syncopated
combinations of meter, hemiola and richness of harmonic structure.
Kathy Punwar (Sennett Middle School; Madison, WI)
These pieces are all strong works for study for middle school string
orchestra.
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Meyer, Richard/ Fables
Programmatic pieces using a wide variety of compositional devices.
Stories include: The Tortoise and the Hare, The Boy Who Cried
Wolf and City Mouse and Country Mouse.
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Telemann, Georg Phillip/ Telemann Sinfonia
Very stylistic, using form, articulation, melodic sequence that
is characteristic of time period and composer. A minor--uses
variety of accidentals--but very accessible.
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Stephen, Richard/ Fanfare and Frippery
Two contrasting pieces. Fanfare-- uses more of a rhythmic motif
and mixed meter to drive piece as well as sections that feature
interestingly accented passages. Frippery-- a lighter piece
that is more melodic in nature. Two melodies entwine, and layered
after a melody is set to two and then three part canon.
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Hofeldt, William/ Twilight Ceremonial
Programmatic in nature. Through composed, though there is some
melodic repetition within each distinct section. Some mixed
meter, and tempo/mood changes throughout.
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Shelby, William (arr. Steinberg)/ English
Fugue
Captures the style of the baroque fugue very well. All parts
equally challenged, though 1st violins get their share of third
position.
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Bach, J.S. (arr. Isaac)/ Brandenburg Concerto
No. 5
A classic baroque piece, arranged with integrity. Teaches Bach's
use of compositional devices, especially use of motif and sequence.
Detache and baroque style required.
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Hultgren, Ralph/ Australian Folk Song Suite
A higher level piece, but it has great cultural and historical
wealth as well and finely arranged folk songs that challenge
all sections. Pieces include: Waltzing Matilda, One Sunday Morning
(Moreton Bay) and Bound for South Australia.
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Gilmore, Patrick (arr. Richard Stephen)/
When Johnny Comes Marching Home
Similar variations as in Gould's “American Salute”. Good study
of theme and variations as well as historical relevance.
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Del Borgo, Elliot/ The Gypsy Rover
English folk song. Melody well distributed amongst sections.
Good study of compositional devices and how to vary melody and
accompaniment to accommodate a strophic piece of music. Good
study of folk songs and culture/history as well.
Wendy Buehl (LaFollette High School; Madison, WI)
The following pieces are great for middle school level string orchestras
and some might also work well for ninth grade groups.
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McQuilken, Terry/ An English Folksong
Beautiful arrangement with the melody being given to different
instruments throughout the piece.
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Williams, John (arr. Calvin Custer)/ Theme
from 'Schindler's List'
A solo violin with orchestra arrangement which follows the original
very closely. The accompaniment can be handled by a middle school
orchestra but the solo part is difficult.
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Tchaikovsky, Peter (arr. Sandra Dackow)/
1812 Overture
A good arrangement of large portions of this piece. The added
percussion parts add enormously to the piece.
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Hofeldt, William/ Toccatina
An energetic piece with great parts for everyone. I have yet
to find a student who doesn't enjoy this piece, which is written
in D minor.
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Dackow, Sandra/ Ukrainian Folk Song Suite
This suite can be played by 6th graders but is arranged very
creatively. One of the folk songs was used by Stravinsky in
Pulcinella.
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Bach, J.S. (arr. Vernon Leidig)/ Fantasy
on 'Sleepers, Wake'
This arrangement contains two movements from the Cantata No.
140: one homophonic choral and a chorale
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