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Rumpelstilzchen: A Fairy Tale for Wind Ensemble
Contents |
General Info
Year: 2009
Duration: c. 17:00
Difficulty: VII (see Ratings for explanation)
Publisher: Manuscript
Cost: Score & Parts - $275.00 |  
Instrumentation
Full Score
Piccolo
Flute I-II
Oboe I-II
Bassoon I-II
Contra Bassoon
Eb Soprano Clarinet
Bb Soprano Clarinet I-II-III
Bb Bass Clarinet
Bb Soprano Saxophone
Eb Alto Saxophone I-II
Bb Tenor Saxophone
Eb Baritone Saxophone
Bb Trumpet I-II-III
Bb Flugelhorn I-II
Horn in F I-II-III-IV
Trombone I-II
Bass Trombone
Euphonium I-II
Tuba
String Bass
Harp
Piano
Timpani
Percussion I-II-III +Mallets, including:
- Bass Drum
- Bell Tree
- Bongos
- Brake Drum
- Cabasa
- Castanets
- Chimes
- Claves
- Crotales (bowed and mallet)
- Cymbals (finger, suspended -medium and high
- Flexatone
- Gong
- Guiro
- Hi-hat
- Marimba
- Orchestra Bells
- Ratchet
- Snare Drum
- Tambourine
- Tam-tam (small and large)
- Temple Blocks
- Tenor Drum
- Tom-toms (Hi, Med hi, Med, Med Lo, Lo)
- Vibraphone
- Vibra-slap
- Water gong
- Whip
- Wood block (high)
- Xylophone
Errata
None discovered thus far.
Program Notes
Of all the fairy tales that I grew up hearing, "Rumpelstilzchen" is the one that most captured my imagination. The image of a creepy little gnome who has the magical power to spin straw into gold was fascinating to me. In fact, one of my first recognizable childhood drawings was a crudely rendered little man furiously whirling himself into oblivion among multicolored scribbles. In addition, I also grew up attending concerts and hearing recordings of the university wind ensemble that my father conducts. So it is only natural that I compose a major work for symphonic winds that takes inspiration from "Rumpelstilzchen."
Rumpelstilzchen is divided into three movements, each depicting a different part of the story. The movement, "Spinning Straw into Gold," paints a portrait of Rumpelstilzchen clattering away at his spinning wheel. You will hear the wooden clicking and rattling of the spinning wheel, Rumpelstilzchen laughing to himself, as well as ominous undertones of his plan to steal the poor maiden's firstborn son. After gradually working himself into a frenzy, the gnome manages to compose himself enough to complete his task before vanishing into thin air. The second movement, "Night (The Maiden's Lament)" is a picture of the maiden's grief upon realizing that she must give up her firstborn son to Rumpelstilzchen in exchange for his spinning services. A long, plaintive melodic line is passed among various solo instruments, gradually culminating in a mournful chorale as the grief-stricken maiden sings her sorrow into the night. The third movement, "Rumpelstilzchen's Furiant (Moto Perpetuo)" describes Rumpelstilzchen's fury after his plot is foiled by the maiden successfully guessing his name. This final movement is a technical tour de force for the entire ensemble as it paints the picture of Rumpelstilzchen's fury and his whirling faster and faster until he flies out of the maiden's window on a cooking ladle, never to be seen again.
I am honored that Rumpelstilzchen was selected as winner of the 2010 Walter Beeler Award for Wind Composition and sincerely hope that every audience that hears it will relive the childhood mystery of this wonderful story.
-Program Notes by Jess Langston Turner
Commercial Discography
None discovered thus far.
State Ratings
None discovered thus far.
Recent Performances
- The Hartt School Wind Ensemble (Glen Adsit, conductor) - 18 December 2009 - Hartford, CT.
- The Hartt School Wind Ensemble (Glen Adsit, conductor) - 30 May 2010 - Carnegie Hall, New York, NY.
- The Prarie Winds (Robert Sheldon, conductor) - 16 June 2010 - Normal, IL
- Furman University Wind Ensemble (Les Hicken, conductor) - 18 November 2010 - in Greenville, SC.
- The Yale University Concert Band (Thomas Duffy, conductor) - 15 April 2011 - New Haven, CT
- Bob Jones University Symphonic Wind Band (Dan Turner, conductor) - December 2011
- The University of North Texas Wind Ensemble - February 2012
Works for Winds by this Composer
Works for Band & Wind Ensemble
- Black Bolt!, for wind ensemble (2012)
- Concertino Caboclo, for flute/piccolo and wind ensemble (2012)
- Ford's Machine, for young band (2011)
- He Who Would Valiant Be (2010)
- Heavy Weather -- Concerto for Tuba and Wind Ensemble (2012)
- Like a River Glorious (2008) for horn solo and wind ensemble
- "Lullaby" from ''Memorial to Silent Voices'' for Alto Voice and Wind Ensemble (2011)
- The Exultant Heart, for young band (2011)
- The King of Love My Shepherd Is (2007)
- The Mountain Whippoorwill, for wind ensemble (2011)
- Rumpelstilzchen: A Fairy Tale for Wind Ensemble (2010)
- Through the Looking Glass (2008)
Chamber Works:
- And Can it Be, for brass sextet (2009)
- Agua Nocturna, for chamber winds and percussion quartet (2010)
- Burning Music for chamber ensemble (2011)
- Last Dances of Prospero, for horn quartet (2009)
- Paens for Brass Quintet (2009)
- Urban Etudes for Double String Quartet and Brass Quintet (2009)
Additional Resources
- Works of Hartt Composer Jess Turner and Chen Yi to Premiere
- Rumpelstilzchen: A Fairy Tale for Wind Ensemble
