Antonin Dvorak / arranged by Jari Villanneva

Ludwig Music, SBS-370 (1996)

Long known as a reservoir of highly skilled musicianship, the Washington D.C. United States Air Force Band has also been blessed with a number of fine arrangers such as Jari Villanueva. This edition of Dvorak’s theme from the New World Symphony is just as well crafted as any military band performance. Only 40 measures in length (apx 3 minutes) the main theme of the largo is completely stated only once with the flowing half-note harmonic progressions serving as bookends to the arrangement. The key center is C major with clearly conservative ranges among all parts. Scoring is standard (2 horn parts which are often unison) while the percussion is limited to timpani. Tastefully written counter lines in the alto saxophones, low clarinets and horns connect each phrase across the barlines throughout the arrangement.

Above and beyond these technical factors this arrangement is very well crafted and carefully designed. I highly recommend it as a warm-up or encore piece to a holiday concert for developing high school or middle school bands in search of quality music for interpretation. In addition to being arranged by an air force band member, this edition was also recently performed in the motion picture "Clear and Present Danger". For more information on the U.S. Air Force Bands view: http://www.af.mil/band/home.htm

Arranged by Albert O. Davis

Ludwig Music, SBS-403 (2000)

Best recognized by wind band conductors as "Irish Tune from County Derry" by Percy Grainger or "Danny Boy" by the general public, "Londonderry Air" will also be familiar to your wind band musicians at every level. The key center of this arrangement is Bflat major while the rhythmic (limited to quarter and half notes) and range challenges are clearly written with elementary band students in mind. Instrumentation includes 2 similar clarinet, cornet, and trombone parts with a single horn part. Percussion parts will keep multiple players engaged with a wide variety of color instruments (eight parts), but not necessarily musically challenged.

A significant question of appropriate application arises in the arrangement, and common fragmentation of the melodic material. The opening melody is voiced in the low reeds with overlapping and alternating brass and upper woodwind statements; all scored to open the opportunity for potential balance problems in most elementary bands. Two fermatas near the end of the work also fragment the musical phrase and give the impression of being inserted as "educational" devices more than a musical variation or a creative alteration. Ranges are conservative although the melodic writing exposes both the trumpet and flute/oboe sections alone at times.