Hymns And Dances II
by J. Slothouwer
Concert Band - Sheet Music

Concert Band - Grade 5

SKU: ML.012099070-S

Composed by J. Slothouwer. The Best Original Pieces for Concert Band. Molenaar Band Music. Recorded on Masterpieces for Band 4 (ML.311017720). Score only. Duration 11 minutes, 54 seconds. Molenaar Edition #012099070-S. Published by Molenaar Edition (ML.012099070-S).

In 1987 Jochem Slothouwer composed 'Concert Variations' for piano and band and in 1990 Hymns and Dances II. This work for symphonic band and harp (ad libitum) is based on 'Hymns and Dances I' for piano, mixed choir and percussion. The composition is based on the contrast between hymnlike melodies and dance music episodes. The work, in five connected parts, seems to look for a reconciliation of both melodic and rhythmical elements. The initial theme with the horns and the answer of the band form the base of the first part. The second part, characterized by a vigorous dance rhythm, is dominated by the percussion and syncopated motifs with the brass. A melody with the euphoniums almost imperceptibly slips into the ensemble and gradually gets to the foreground. The dance and the hymn reach a real climax, interrupted by a short and dark intermezzo (part three). The clear sonority of part four, a fiery tarantella with many small but virtuoso solos, is a new contrast. The final adagio reuses the previously developed ideas of part one and ends in sheer ecstasy.