List of concert band literature

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This is a list of some of the standards of wind band repertoire.

Contents 1 Original works 1.1 Cornerstone works 1.2 Not quite cornerstone works 1.3 Recent works (At least ten years old) 1.4 New Works (Less than ten years old) 2 Transcriptions 3 Recordings of Concert Band Literature

[edit] Original works

While creating a list of repertoire is subject and involves a certain amount of bias, this is an inclusive list of some of the standard works written specifically for Concert Band or Wind Ensemble.

[edit] Cornerstone works

The following works are some of the most universally respected and established cornerstones of the band repertoire. All have "stood the test of time" through decades of regular performance, and many, either through an innovative use of the medium or by the fame of their composer, helped establish the wind band as a legitimate, serious performing ensemble.

• Samuel Barber:
  • Commando March (1943)
• Robert Russell Bennett:
  • Symphonic Songs (1957)
  • Suite of Old American Dances (1950)
• Howard Cable:
  • Newfoundland Rhapsody (1956)
  • Quebec Folk Fantasy (1953)
  • Snake Fence Country (1954)
• John Barnes Chance:
  • Elegy (1972)
  • Incantation and Dance (1962)
  • Variations on a Korean Folk Song (1966)
• Aaron Copland:
  • Emblems (1964)
• Paul Creston:
  • Celebration Overture (1954/5)
• Ingolf Dahl:
  • Sinfonietta (1961)
• Henry Fillmore:
  • Americans We (1929)
  • His Honor (1933)
  • The Footlifter (1935)
• Vittorio Giannini:
  • Symphony No.3 (1959)
• Percy Grainger:
  • Children's March (Over the Hills and Far Away) (1919)
  • Irish Tune from County Derry (1918),
  • Lincolnshire Posy (1937)
  • Molly on the Shore (1921)
  • Shepherd's Hey (1918)
  • Handel in the Strand (1911)
• Howard Hanson:
  • Chorale and Alleluia (1954)
• Paul Hindemith:
  • Symphony in B♭ (1951)
• Gustav Holst:
  • First Suite in E♭ (1909)
  • Second Suite in F (1911)
  • Hammersmith: Prelude and Scherzo (1930)
• Karel Husa:
  • Music for Prague 1968 (1968)
• Gordon Jacob:
  • An Original Suite (1928)
• Peter Mennin:
  • Canzona (1951)
• Darius Milhaud:
  • Suite Francaise (1944)
• Ron Nelson:
  • Rocky Point Holiday (1969)
• W. Francis McBeth:
  • Masque (1968)
• Vincent Persichetti:
  • Divertimento (1950)
  • Masquerade (1965)
  • Symphony No. 6 For Band (1956)
• Walter Piston:
  • Tunbridge Fair (1950)
• Alfred Reed:
  • Armenian Dances (Part I) (1972)
  • Armenian Dances (Part II) (1976)
  • Russian Christmas Music (1944)
• H. Owen Reed:
  • La Fiesta Mexicana (1949)
• Florent Schmitt:
  • Dionysiaques (1913)
• Arnold Schoenberg:
  • Theme and Variations, Op. 43a (1943)
• William Schuman:
  • George Washington Bridge (1950)
  • New England Triptych (1956)
• John P. Sousa:
  • The Stars and Stripes Forever (1896)
  • The Washington Post (1889)
  • Semper Fidelis (1888)
• Igor Stravinsky:
  • Concerto for Piano and Wind Instruments (1924)
  • Symphonies of Wind Instruments (1920/rev. 1947)
• Ralph Vaughan Williams:
  • English Folk Song Suite (1923),
  • Flourish for Wind Band (1939)
  • Toccata Marziale (1924)

[edit] Not quite cornerstone works

These pieces may not necessarily be quite as universally acknowledged as the above list, but occupy an extremely important place in the repertoire nonetheless. Like the previous works, they have proven themselves through many performances, most over a span of decades.

• Warren Benson:
  • The Leaves Are Falling (1963)
  • The Passing Bell (1974)
  • The Solitary Dancer (1966)
• Herbert Bielawa:
  • Spectrum (1966)
• Houston Bright:
  • Prelude and Fugue in F minor (1960)
• Michael Colgrass:
  • Winds of Nagual (1985)
• Norman Dello Joio:
  • Scenes from the Louvre (1966)
  • Satiric Dances: For a Comedy by Aristrophanes (1975)
  • Fantasies on a Theme by Haydn (1968)
• Thomas Duffy:
  • Crystals (1985)
• Henry Fillmore:
  • The Klaxon (1929)
  • Military Escort (1928)
  • Mt.Healthy (1916)
• Morton Gould:
  • Jericho
  • Symphony no. 4 (West Point)
• Percy Grainger:
  • Colonial Song (1928)
  • Country Gardens (1928)
  • The "Gumsuckers" March (1928)
• Gustav Holst:
  • Mars and Jupiter from The Planets
• Karel Husa:
  • Apotheosis of this Earth (1971)
• Robert Jager:
  • Diamond Variations (1967)
  • Third Suite
  • Esprit De Corps
• Joseph Wilcox Jenkins:
  • American Overture for Band (1956)
• Boris Kozhevnikov:
  • Symphony no. 3: Slavyanskaya
• Ronald Lo Presti:
  • Elegy for a Young American (1964)
• Martin Mailman:
  • Liturgical Music for Band (1963)
• David Maslanka:
  • A Child's Garden of Dreams (1981)
• Vaclav Nelhybel:
  • Antiphonale (1972)
  • Trittico (1965)
  • "Symphonic Movement"
• Roger Nixon:
  • Fiesta del Pacifico (1960/66)
• Vincent Persichetti:
  • Pageant (1953)
  • Psalm (1952)
• Sergei Prokofiev:
  • March, Op. 99 (1943/44)
• Alfred Reed:
  • A Festival Prelude (1962)
• Joseph Schwantner:
  • ...and the mountains rising nowhere (1977)
  • From a Dark Millennium (1981)
• John P. Sousa:
  • The Thunderer (1889)
  • The High School Cadets (1890)
• Claude T. Smith:
  • Flight
  • Incidental Suite (1966)
• Fisher Tull:
  • Sketches on a Tudor Psalm (1971)
• Clifton Williams:
  • Festival (1962)
  • Dedicatory Overture (1964)
  • Sinfonians (1960)
  • Caccia and Chorale (1973)
  • Symphonic Dance no. 3: Fiesta (1967)
  • Fanfare and Allegro (1956)
• Haydn Wood:
  • Mannin Veen (1938)
• Guy Woolfenden:
  • Illyrian Dances (1986)
• John Zdechlik:
  • Chorale and Shaker Dance (1971)

[edit] Recent works (At least ten years old)

The following works are rapidly gaining acceptance as standard repertoire. Please note that these are at least ten years old, separating them from the extremely new works in the following category. It takes a while before a piece can be said to have entered the accepted repertoire.

• Mark Camphouse:
  • A Movement for Rosa (1992)
• Michael Colgrass:
  • Urban Requiem (1996)
• Michael Daugherty:
  • Niagara Falls (1997)
• Johan de Meij:
  • Symphony no. 1: Lord of the Rings (1987)
• David Gillingham:
  • Heroes Lost and Fallen (1990)
  • Apocalyptic Dreams (1997)
  • Galactic Empires (1998)
• Adam Gorb:
  • Awayday (1996/rev. 1999)
• Donald Grantham:
  • Southern Harmony (1998)
  • J'ai ete au bal (1995)
• Edward Gregson:
  • Festivo (1985)
• Martin Mailman:
  • for precious friends hid in death's dateless night (1988)
• David Maslanka:
  • Symphony no. 2 (1986)
  • Symphony no. 4 (1994)
• W. Francis McBeth:
  • Of Sailors and Whales (1991)
• Ron Nelson:
  • Passacaglia on BACH (1993)
  • Aspen Jubilee (1988)
• Philip Sparke:
  • Dance Movements (1997)
• Jack Stamp:
  • Gavorkna Fanfare (1990/1)
• Frank Ticheli:
  • Amazing Grace (1994)
  • Blue Shades (1996)
  • Vesuvius (1997)
  • An American Elegy
• Jan Van der Roost:
  • Puszta (1987)
  • Suite Provençale
• Rolf Rudin:
  • The Dream of Oenghus (1994/6)
• Dan Welcher:
  • Zion (1996)
• Dana Wilson:
  • Shortcut Home (1998)
• Charles Rochester Young:
  • Tempered Steel (1997)
• Gregory Youtz:
  • Fireworks (1988)

[edit] New Works (Less than ten years old)

The following new works are currently enjoying frequent performances. Please note that these are not even ten years old, separating them from works with a longer history. It takes a while before a piece can be said to have entered the accepted repertoire, while time can only tell the fate of these pieces, they are relevant to the performance history of today.

• John Corigliano:
  • Symphony No. 3 (Circus Maximus) (2004)
• Michael Daugherty:
  • Bells for Stokowski (2001)
• David Dzubay:
  • Myaku (1999)
  • Ra! (2002)
  • Shadow Dance (2006)
• Eric Ewazen:
  • Hymn For The Lost And The Living (2002)
• Peter Graham:
  • Harrison's Dream (2001)
• Scott Lindroth:
  • Spin Cycle (2001)
• John Mackey:
  • "Redline Tango" (2004)
  • "Turbine" (2006)
• Steven Reineke:
  • Symphony No.1, New Day Rising (2007)
• Richard Saucedo:
  • Windsprints (2004)
• Noah D. Taylor: The Guide (2007)
  • The Spirit Fanfare (2006)
  • The Glass Prison (2006)
  • The Unexpected Journey (2005)
  • Condition Red (2002)
• Frank Ticheli:
  • Symphony No. 2 (2004)
• Eric Whitacre:
  • October (2000)
  • Cloudburst (2002)

[edit] Transcriptions

There are thousands of transcriptions of pieces from other media (mostly orchestra) available for the concert band; however, some transcriptions are performed so often that they can be said to have achieved a place of the own in the concert band repertoire. Here are some of the most commonly performed:

Note: there are a few pieces, such as the Schuman "New England Triptych", that the composer himself transcribed for band. This list deals only with transcriptions made by others.

• John Adams: Short Ride in a Fast Machine
• Malcolm Arnold / John Paynter:
  • Four Scottish Dances
  • Prelude, Siciliano, and Rondo
  • Tam o'Shanter Overture
• J. S. Bach / Goldman:
  • Fantasia in G Major,
• J. S. Bach / Holst:
  • Fugue a la Gigue
• J. S. Bach / Hindsley, Hunsberger, or Leidzen:
  • Toccata and Fugue in D Minor
• Samuel Barber / Duker:
  • "First Symphony"
• Leonard Bernstein / Clare Grundman:
  • Overture to Candide
• Leonard Bernstein / Paul Lavender:
  • Symphonic Dances from West Side Story
• Johannes Brahms / Mark Hindsley:
  • Academic Festival Overture
  • Haydn Variations
• Emmanuel Chabrier / Lucien Cailliet or Mark Hindsley:
  • España
• John Corigliano: "Gazebo Dances"
• Girolamo Frescobaldi / Slocum:
  • Toccata
• Paul Hindemith / Keith Wilson:
  • Symphonic Metamorphoses on Themes by Carl Maria von Weber
  • March from Symphonic Metamorphoses, Popular as a stand alone piece
• Charles Ives / Elkus:
  • Old Home Days
• Charles Ives / Sinclair:
  • Country Band March
• Charles Ives / William Schuman:
  • Variations on "America"
• Modest Mussorgsky / Schaefer or Mark Hindsley:
  • Night on Bald Mountain
• Modest Mussorgsky / Mark Hindsley:
  • Pictures at an Exhibition
• Emil von Reznicek / Meyers:
  • Overture to Donna Diana
• Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov / Erik Leidzen:
  • Procession of the Nobles from Mlada
• Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov / Mark Hindsley:
  • Scheherazade
• Ottorino Respighi / Yoshihiro Kimura:
  • The Pines of Rome
• Gioacchino Rossini / Lucien Cailliet:
  • Italian in Algiers Overture
• Gioacchino Rossini / Erik Leidzen:
  • William Tell Overture
• Dmitri Shostakovich / Donald Hunsberger:
  • Festive Overture
  • Galop
• Dmitri Shostakovich / H. Robert Reynolds:
  • Folk Dances
• Dmitri Shostakovich / Jay Bocook:
  • Finale from Symphony No. 5
• Jean Sibelius / McAlister & Reed:
  • Finlandia
• Giuseppe Verdi / Mollenhauer:
  • Manzoni Requiem
• Richard Wagner / Lucien Cailliet:
  • Procession to the Cathedral
• Richard Wagner / Mark Hindsley:
  • Introduction to Act III of Lohengrin
• Carl Maria von Weber: Invitation to the Dance

[edit] Recordings of Concert Band Literature

The Klavier Wind Recording Project, begun in 1989 by Eugene Corporon while he was director of bands at the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music, has helped provide recordings of many of the most important and more recent pieces in the wind band literature.