Luca Wind Band

Programme:

• L. Bernstein: Suite On the water front
• J. Williams: Symphonic Marches
• G . Holst: Suite nr. 1 en 2 for military band in Eb Major
• J. B. Arban: Carnaval de Venise
• Rodrigo Fernandes Marques: Portugese Rapsodie

Part of the repertoire of just about every wind band are the two Suites for Military Band by Gustav Holst (1874-1934). The first Suite in E-flat Major (1909) consists of three movements, each with its own identity. The theme, which consists of eight measures, is unmistakably reminiscent of a folk song, but was indeed by Holst himself. The second Suite (1911), in F Major, which he wrote a few years later, also contains references to folk music. No fewer than seven traditional, English folk melodies are incorporated in the four-movement suite.

Leonard Bernstein (1918-1990) wrote the symphonic suite On the Waterfront (1954) in response to Eliza Kazan's film of the same name. The composition confronts the charged political background of the time, which immediately resonates in the film: dockworker Terry Malloy tries to expose the malfeasance of a corrupt union leader. Although Bernstein was up to his test piece here with this film score, it would not stop there. By all accounts, On the Waterfront proved the ideal preparation for his later West Side Story, with which he achieved international fame. The influence from jazz and blues is noticeable in both works.

Carnival de Venise by the lesser-known composer Jean-Baptiste Arban (1825-1889) was written with the Venetian carnival in mind, a grand celebration just before Easter with the necessary disguises and the most diverse costumes. Arban was one of the pioneers of repertoire for cornet. He wrote a large number of works for this instrument, in which technical virtuosity was often central. In Carnaval de Venise, a theme is developed into several variations, which provide challenges for the trumpet soloist.