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Title	First Suite in Eb For Military Band (1909)
Article no.	9247700
Category	Concert/wind/brass band
Subcategory	Suite
Instrumentation	Ha (concert/wind band)
Format	PrtStm (full score and parts)
Country of publication	United Kingdom (uk)
Publisher *	Boosey & Hawkes
Publisher's article no. *	BHI 6101436
Delivery publisher *	Schott Music Distribution
Series title	British Band Classics
No. in series	501
EAN (GTIN) *	9790060052538
ISMN *	979-0-06005253-8
ISMN-10 *	M-06005253-8
Price	click here
Composer	Holst, Gustav
Arranger	Matthews, Colin
Opus no.	Op.28/1, H.105
Difficulty level	4
Evaluation level of countries	A3 (Austrian C level); C4 (Swiss 1st class); D4 (German upper level)
Duration	10:30
Additional info/contents	This suite is probably the most-played wind piece in the area of e-music worldwide. Therefore it belongs to the standard works of wind orchestra literature more than any other composition. Prt PicFlt Flt Ob 1,2 (opt.) Fag 1,(2 opt.) EsClr 1,(2 opt.) Clr Solo + 1,2,3 BClr ASax TSax BSax (opt.) BsSax (opt.) Cnt in Bb Solo + 1,2 Trp in Bb 1,2 (opt.) Hrn in F 1,2,(3,4 opt.) Trb 1,3,(2 opt.) Euph (BC+TC) Tub KB (opt.) Tmp (opt.) Perc (2-3 players): -BD -Cym (crash and suspended) -SD -Tmb -Trng

No.	Track title	Duration	Sound sample
1	Chaconne	4:35
2	Intermezzo	2:55
3	March	3:00

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Programme notes *: In the notebook in which he kept a record of his compositions from 1895 until his death, Holst entered the 1st Suite for Military Band Op.28A on the page for 1909. This is the only evidence we have of the work's origins, for there is no certain record of any performance before 1920 (although parts seem to have been copied before 1918), nor is there any evidence of for whom the work was written. The same anomaly appears with the Second Suite, composed in 1911 but not performed until 1922. It is strange that these two masterpieces of band writing should not have entered the repertoire at once: there has certainly been no lack of performances in the years since 1920. The First Suite was published in 1921 by Boosey & Co. in the form of a set of parts with a reduction for piano-conductor. A full score was not published until 1948, and this incorporated additional parts, which had been added to make the work more suitable for American bands. It also included numerous misprints, since the score was compiled from the parts without reference to the original manuscript. Since the composition of military bands and wind bands in general has changed since 1909, this new edition of the score does not attempt to go back wholly to the original manuscript (now in the British Library, London, Add. MS 47824). The second pair of trumpets and the baritone have been omitted entirely, while the added baritone and bass saxophones have been retained (with some emendations). The additional parts for alto and contrabass clarinets and flugelhorns have been omitted; but for the sake of convenience they remain (again with some emendations) in the printed set of parts. The conductor should exercise his discretion as to their use. The omission of the baritone has allowed the euphonium part to be expanded, most notably in the "Intermezzo" after letter D, and at the beginning of the Finale, where it doubles the first cornet at the lower octave. Holst's concern to allow the work to be played by a small ensemble has been respected, and many parts remain ad lib. (It is possible for the "First Suite" to be played in this edition by as few as 19 players plus percussion.) Particular care has been taken to "cover" ad lib parts. Since in the original manuscript all the trumpets were ad lib, the omission of the second pair has not left any serious gaps: indeed the opportunity has been taken to fill one or two that Holst himself left (in the Finale at letter C, for example). Three cornets are essential, but the parts have been adjusted, since Holst, when writing for cornets in three parts tended to write for two second cornets (at the end of the first movement and the Finale the fourth cornet is optional). In the same way he was occasionally careless about the disposition of his four horn parts, and these are now organised so that the third and fourth may safely be omitted. The only important places where an ad lib instrument must be replaced by another are: the string bass, cued into the bass part at bar 16 of the "Chaconne", the oboe, cued into the 2nd clarinet after letter C of the "Chaconne", and the second Eb clarinet cued into the first clarinet for much of the "Intermezzo". Quelle/Source: Boosey & Hawkes Information: Boosey & Hawkes Wind Repertory Project

	Format
	First Suite in Eb For Military Band (1909) (concert/wind band), full score and parts
	First Suite in Eb For Military Band (1909) (concert/wind band), full score
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