untitledThe Light Fantastic (2001) for wind ensemble Duration: 26
minutes
Andrew Rindfleisch Manzo Music
Instrumentation Please Note: This is a Transposed Score
3 Flutes (all doubling piccolo) 2 Oboes 2 Clarinets in Bb Bass
Clarinet in Bb 2 Bassoons 2 Horns in F 2 Trumpets in C 2 Trombones
Tuba
Required Ensemble Seating for Performance in Three Rows
Trmb. I Trmb. II Tuba Bsn. II Horn I Horn II Trpt. I Bsn. I Trpt.
II Cl. II Ob. I Ob. II Fl. III Cl. I Fl. II B. Cl Fl. I
Conductor
Do N ot
= ca. 124–128 Picc. 1
Commissioned by the Serge Koussevitzky Foundation and the Library
of Congress
The Light Fantastic I. Squaring Off Andrew Rindfleisch
© 2001 by Andrew Rindfleish. All rights reserved.
Do N ot
RINDFLEISCH: The Light Fantastic
RINDFLEISCH: The Light Fantastic
Tbn. 2
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RINDFLEISCH: The Light Fantastic
RINDFLEISCH: The Light Fantastic
Fl. 3
Fl. 2
Tbn. 1
C Tpt. 2
Bsn. 2
poco poco
Bsn. 1
poco poco
Tbn. 1
C Tpt. 2
C Tpt. 1
F Hn. 2
Ob. 1
Fl. 3
Fl. 2
RINDFLEISCH: The Light Fantastic
RINDFLEISCH: The Light Fantastic
RINDFLEISCH: The Light Fantastic
RINDFLEISCH: The Light Fantastic
RINDFLEISCH: The Light Fantastic
61II. Sarabanding
Tbn. 2
Tbn. 1
C Tpt. 2
C Tpt. 1
F Hn. 2
F Hn. 1
Bsn. 2
Bsn. 1
in B Bass Cl.
B Cl. 2
B Cl. 1
Ob. 2
Ob. 1
Fl. 3
Fl. 2
67
RINDFLEISCH: The Light Fantastic
RINDFLEISCH: The Light Fantastic
64
rit. a tempo—rit. a tempo ( = 60–64) leggiero poco legato
poco rubato e libero rit.
RINDFLEISCH: The Light Fantastic
75
Fl. 1
84 lunga meno = ca. 56 rit. molto a tempo senza vibrato
molto rit. a tempo
RINDFLEISCH: The Light Fantastic
Fl. 1
91 rit. molto a tempo rit. a tempo rit. a tempo rit. a tempo rit. a
tempo rit. a tempo rit.
RINDFLEISCH: The Light Fantastic
cresc. molto
poco
rit.
poco
132
sub. molto
142
Cop y
Program Note The Light Fantastic is a large-scale three movement
work for wind ensemble commissioned by the Serge Koussevitzky
Foundation and the Library of Congress. Its title refers to the
poetic expression "to trip the light fantastic", meaning "to go
dancing". The first movement, Squaring Off, is then a kind of
square dance for winds. After an initial fanfare, three
instrumental "couples" take turns "squaring off": clarinet with
bass clarinet, two trombones, and flute with piccolo. As the
couples take turns, the tonality of the movement modulates.
Eventually, all three couples take center stage together. However,
they do so each in their original tonalities. With encouragement
from the ensemble, they finally find compatibility. There, the
ensemble responds with a brief return to the opening fanfare, then
with one final celebratory whirl around the dance floor.
Sarabanding refers to the Baroque slow dance, the Sarabande. Here,
fragments of Sarabande-like melodic material are presented, then
intensified, overlapped, and transformed. These cascading-like
effects unfold and eventually "fall" into single pitch unisons.
Interspersed, the original material (heard always in the clarinets)
appears each successive time as if in the distance, farther away,
until it disappears altogether at the movement's conclusion. Do the
Hustle is a movement from which the Bass Clarinet explodes as
soloist. Here, the ensemble presents and quickly moves through a
series of ostinato "grooves"(the principal one being referencing
the 1970’s mega disco hit of the same name). As the movement
unfolds, the Bass Clarinet dances around and weaves in and out of
these grooves. Each groove is often quickly concluded by a climax
of sorts, only to be wound back up again and sent in another
direction. With a full blown virtuoso cadenza, the Bass Clarinet
suspends this activity briefly, followed by a final flourish and a
race to the finish.
(A. Rindfleisch)