Winds of Change II - The New Millennium: A Chronicle of the Continuing Evolution of the Contemporary American Wind/Band Ensemble

By Frank L. Battisti

(Meredith Music Resource). This new publication is an extension of The Winds of Change , that traced the development of the American wind band/ensemble in the twentieth century. This book covers all the important conferences, concerts, events, initiatives, and compositions created for wind bands/ensembles during the first decade of the twenty-first century. In gathering information for this book, the author examined hundreds of scores, listened to dozens of recordings, attended conferences, interviewed wind band/ensemble director-conductors, and surveyed numerous professional journals and magazines. The result is a book that provides a panorama view of the American wind band/ensemble scene from 2000-2010.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Hal Leonard LLC
• Release date: Apr 1, 2012
• ISBN: 9781574632040

Book preview

WINDS OF CHANGE II

THE NEW MILLENNIUM

A Chronicle of the Continuing Evolution of

the Contemporary American Wind Band/Ensemble

FRANK L. BATTISTI

Published by

Meredith Music Publications

a division of G.W. Music, Inc.

4899 Lerch Creek Ct., Galesville, MD 20765

http://www.meredithmusic.com

MEREDITH MUSIC PUBLICATIONS and its stylized double M logo are trademarks of

MEREDITH MUSIC PUBLICATIONS, a division of G.W. Music, Inc.

Reproducing or transmitting in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical,

including photocopying, recording, or by any informational storage or retrieval system without permission in writing from the publisher is forbidden.

While every effort has been made to trace copyright holders and obtain permission,

this has not been possible in all cases;

any omissions brought to our attention will be remedied in future editions.

Copyright © 2012 MEREDITH MUSIC PUBLICATIONS

International Copyright Secured • All Rights Reserved

First Edition

April 2012

Cover: Shawn Girsberger

International Standard Book Number: 978-1-57463-204-0

Cataloging-in-Publication Data is on file with the Library of Congress.

Library of Congress Control Number: 2012932142

To my band of brothers,

Jim Croft, Don Hunsberger,

Bob Reynolds and David Whitwell.

CONTENTS

Cover

FOREWORD

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

INTRODUCTION

PART I: CHRONICLE 2000–2010

CHAPTER 1: 2000–2001

2001 Conferences—Program and Repertoire

Repertoire

Representative Compositions

Works for Solo Instrument and Wind Band/Ensemble

Opera Work with Wind Ensemble

Works by Non-American Composers

Wind Chamber Ensembles and Literature

Events/Announcements/Initiatives

Retirement of Wind Band/Ensemble Leaders

CHAPTER 2: 2002–2003

2002–2003 Conferences—Program and Repertoire

Representative Compositions

Transcriptions/Arrangements and Wind Band/Ensemble Versions

Works for Solo Instrument and Wind Band/Ensemble

Works by Non-American Composers

Symphony Orchestra Performances of Wind Works

Events/Announcements/Initiatives

Challenges/Problems Facing High School Bands

Retirements of Wind Band/Ensemble Leaders

Notable Passing

CHAPTER 3: 2004–2005

2004–2005 Conferences—Program and Repertoire

Representative Compositions

Works for Solo Instrument and/or Voice and Wind Band/Ensemble

Events/Announcements/Initiatives

Music Education

Retirement of Wind Band/Ensemble Leader

Notable Passings

CHAPTER 4: 2006–2007

2006–2007 Conferences—Program and Repertoire

Representative Compositions

Works for Solo Instrument and/or Voice and Wind Band/Ensemble

Opera Works with Wind Ensemble

Events/Announcements/Initiatives

CHAPTER 5: 2008, 2009, 2010

2008, 2009, 2010 Conferences—Programs and Repertoire

Representative Compositions

Works for Solo Instruments and Wind Band/Ensemble

Events/Announcements/Initiatives

Notable Passings

PART II: OBSERVATIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS

CHAPTER 6: THE WIND BAND/ENSEMBLE (2000–2010): LITERATURE AND ADVANCEMENT

What it is?

University Wind Band/Ensemble Leadership Change

Commissioning and Quality Music

Program Content and Programming

Increased Performances of Wind Works by Symphony Orchestras

Wind Band/Ensemble Performances in Important Concert Venues

ASCAP Ruling Compensating Composers of Wind Band/Ensemble Works

CHAPTER 7: THE WIND BAND/ENSEMBLE AND MUSIC EDUCATION (2000–2010): CONSIDERING THE FUTURE

Need for Coordination/Cooperation among Band Associations

Wind Band/Ensemble Conductor Education and Training

Communicating—Technology and Publication

School Bands and Music Education

Scholarly Research and Historical Documentation

APPENDIX 1: CHRONOLOGY OF SELECTED WIND BAND/ENSEMBLE WORKS COMPOSED FROM 2000 THROUGH 2010

APPENDIX 2: SAMPLE PROGRAMS

APPENDIX 3: AN EVALUATION OF COMPOSITIONS FOR WIND BAND ACCORDING TO SPECIFIC CRITERIA OF SERIOUS ARTISTIC MERIT: A SECOND UPDATE BY CLIFF TOWNER

APPENDIX 4: 2000–2010 WIND BAND/ENSEMBLE COMPOSITION AWARDS AND PRIZES

POSTSCRIPT

NOTES

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Back Cover

FOREWORD

Frank Battisti’s career has been—and continues to be—truly amazing. Since his retirement from the New England Conservatory of Music in 1999, his professional life has remained vigorous, hardly one filled with leisure activities. While long active as a writer, he has become a particularly prolific author on the subjects of pedagogy, literature, and history. He has written over five dozen articles and now five books since retiring. Remarkably, he is making plans to start his sixth book as this project is reaching its completion.

There has been surprisingly little written on the history of the band movement of the last fifty years and virtually nothing about the last decade. Battisti’s The Twentieth Century American Wind Band/Ensemble was published in 1994 and represented an important first step in placing the band’s history during the twentieth century into a larger context. Published in 2002, The Winds Of Change: The Evolution of the Contemporary American Wind Band/Ensemble and Its Conductor significantly expanded his earlier work and provided a very thorough detailing of the wind band’s evolution during the 20th century, especially the last half. The band movement changed dramatically after World War II with new directions in repertoire, function, and levels of performance. So too did its place in both K-12 and higher education. The Winds of Change has become one of the most important and widely read sources about these and other developments of the period.

This new volume, Winds of Change II—The New Millennium: A Chronicle of the Continuing Evolution of the Contemporary American Wind Band/Ensemble examines the band/ensemble’s path into the twenty-first century. It chronicles the important conferences, significant events and initiatives, as well as efforts of notable figures. It also provides a listing and extremely thorough discussion of the literature composed during the decade, often in the composers’ own words. The first five chapters represent what is a most meticulous and singular accounting of the band’s developments in this eleven-year period. This alone would make the book incredibly valuable; it will be a very important source for future band historians.

The second section of the book, chapters six and seven, is more succinct but no less worthwhile. With his vision as one of the leaders of the wind ensemble movement, Battisti is able to see both past and recent developments in a context that is both unique and insightful. Using the events of the last sixty years as a framework, he identifies trends and makes recommendations for the future. A series of detailed appendices complete the book.

Battisti spent enormous energy collecting this information. He wrote hundreds, if not thousands, of emails to composers and conductors. He worked tirelessly to collect many programs and conference records. Professional magazines and newsletters were methodically read and digested. Ever the conscientious and serious musician, Battisti studied scores and listened to many recordings. I can speak with some authority that he worked tirelessly to collect, organize, and then write about the band’s direction in the first decade of the twenty-first century. I received emails and calls from Frank starting in the early morning and lasting until late at night over an extended period of time. His work on this book never seemed to pause. I have seldom encountered individuals with such energy and drive. His research in completing this book was most thorough.

If Patrick Sarsfield Gilmore, John Philip Sousa, Albert Austin Harding, and William D. Revelli are our founding fathers, then the Band of Brothers—Frank Battisti, Jim Croft, Donald Hunsberger, H. Robert Reynolds, and David Whitwell—might well be looked upon as the band’s greatest generation. The band/wind ensemble would not have achieved its present form without the pioneering work of these gentlemen.

And, Frank Battisti was one of the great contributors of the Band of Brothers. His leadership was a central element in changing the direction of the wind band. With The Winds of Change and now Winds of Change II—The New Millennium: A Chronicle of the Continuing Evolution of the Contemporary American Wind Band/Ensemble, he has left a systematic record of the events of the recent past. It is without any doubt whatsoever that these two books are the most complete accounting of the wind band/ensemble’s path over the past half century. As Craig Kirchhoff wrote in the foreword to The Winds of Change, Enjoy the journey as you absorb this magnificent accounting of our past and this potential blueprint for the [future]. May we all meet it head-on with the passion, vision, intensity, and wisdom that has guided the distinguished author. Prof. Kirchhoff’s words continue to be most fitting.

William Berz

October 17, 2011

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Many people assisted me in the writing of Winds of Change II—The New Millennium: A Chronicle of the Continuing Evolution of the Contemporary American Wind Band/Ensemble. The person I’m most indebted to is William Berz. Bill read numerous drafts of the book and provided thoughtful and insightful suggestions that always improved the content, structure and clarity of the book. When I encountered computer technical problems, Bill’s advice always got me through them. Without his valuable assistance, this book would never have been written. Bill is a true professional and I am honored to have him as a friend and colleague.

The resources used in writing this book included concert and conference programs, CD recordings, national/international publications and the World Wide Web. The following conductors provided me with copies of all their concert programs from 2000–2010: Steven Bodner (Williams College Symphonic Winds), Mike Christianson (Gotham Wind Symphony), Eugene Migliaro Corporon (University of North Texas Wind Symphony), Michael Haithcock (University of Michigan Symphony Band), Jerry Junkin (University of Texas Wind Ensemble and Dallas Wind Symphony), Charles Peltz (New England Conservatory Wind Ensemble), Stephen Peterson (Ithaca College Wind Ensemble), H. Robert Reynolds (University of Southern California Wind Ensemble) and Mark Scatterday (Eastman Wind Ensemble). Information pertaining to commissioned works came from Glen Adsit (National Wind Ensemble Consortium Group), Colonel Michael Colburn (U. S. Marine Band), Eugene Migliaro Corporon (University of North Texas), Thomas Everett (Harvard University), Cheryl Floyd (Murchison Middle School, Hill Country Middle School), Gary Green (University of Miami), Frederick Harris (Massachusetts Institute of Technology), Eric Hewitt (Boston Conservatory Wind Ensemble), Jerry Junkin (University of Texas and Dallas Wind Symphony), LTC Jim Keene (United States Military Academy West Point Band), Joseph Missal (Oklahoma State University), Stephen Peterson (Ithaca College), Eric Rombach-Kendall (University of New Mexico) and David Waybright (University of Florida).

Additional information about special projects, conference proceedings, commissioned works and important concerts was generously provided by numerous conductors, composers, librarians, and administrators including Christopher Anderson, Shelly Berg, William Berz, Andrew Boysen, Chris Brubeck, John Carmichael, David Chaitkin, Paula Crider, John N. Culvahouse, John Darling, Steven D. Davis, Jack Delaney, Donald DeRoche, Thomas Duffy, David Dzubay, Eric Ewazen, Mark Fonder, Randall Foster, Thomas Fraschillo, Adam Gorb, Peter Graham, Richard K. Hansen, Gary Hill, Dennis Johnson, Bradley Kent, Craig Kirchhoff, Donald Lefevre, Larry Livingston, John P. Lynch, Scott McAllister, John Michel, Joseph P. Missal, William J. Moody, Myron Moss, Carey Nadeau, Lior Navok, Jonathan Newman, Carter Pann, Nikk Pilato, Paul Popiel, Stephen Pratt, Glenn Price, Joel Puckett, Kenneth Radnofsky, Capt. Michelle A. Rakers, MGySgt Michael Ressler, Timorthy Reynish, Robert Rumbelow, Kathryn Salfelder, Tim Salzman, Robert Schwartz, Kevin Sedatole, Thanapol Setabrahmana, Stephen Steele, Scott A. Stewart, Lawrence Stoffel, Cliff Towner, Jess Turner, William Wakefield, Michael Weinstein, Chris Wiljhelm, John E. Williamson, Dana Wilson, Eric Wilson, Rodney Winther and Richard Wyman.

Richard Valone, Head of Public Services at New England Conservatory’s Spaulding Library, was my special go to person. Whenever I needed some information and had exhausted all possible resources, I called on Rick who always found what I needed. Bravo, Rick, and many thanks.

Finally, a special thank you goes to my wife, Charlotte Battisti, for her constant love, support and encouragement during the writing of this book.

Frank Battisti

October 10, 2011

INTRODUCTION

Winds of Change II—The New Millennium is an extension of The Winds of Change which traced the development of the wind band/ensemble in the twentieth century. In the early 1900s the band was an organization that primarily provided music/entertainment at civic, educational and social events. By the end of the century it had evolved into an expressive musical medium with its own original literature. Unlike The Winds of Change, which is a history, Winds of Change II is a chronicle—a narrative record of American wind band/ensemble activity and development during a very concise period of time, namely the first 10 years of the 21st century. Due to the limitation of space, I had to make choices about what to include. For events, initiatives and happenings, I chose those that, in my opinion, advanced the overall development of the wind band/ensemble. For compositions, I chose pieces that were representative of the various styles of music created for the medium during the past 10 years. Since all are recently composed pieces, I render no critical judgment on these works. Attempting to evaluate their artistic merit from such a short perspective would be premature.

I gathered material and information needed to write this book through personal correspondence with many composers and wind band/ensemble conductors. Among the hundreds of wind band/ensemble concert programs I collected were all those performed between January 1, 2000 and December 31, 2010 by the Eastman Wind Ensemble, Dallas Wind Symphony, Ithaca College Concert Band, New England Conservatory Wind Ensemble, United States Marine Band, Ridgewood Concert Band, University of Michigan Symphony Band, University of North Texas Wind Symphony, University of Southern California Wind Ensemble and University of Texas Wind Ensemble. I studied many scores, listened to dozens of recordings, attended conferences or read reports on those I could not attend, interviewed and solicited information from numerous wind band/ensemble conductors/leaders, read professional journals, magazines, newspapers, newsletters and referenced many sources available on the World Wide Web (Note: all website links cited in this book were valid as of July, 2011).

This book contains seven chapters and four appendixes. Each of the first 4 chapters covers 2 year periods of the decade: Chapter 1: 2000–2001, Chapter 2: 2002–2003, Chapter 3: 2004–2005, Chapter 4: 2006–2007; Chapter 5, the final 3 years: 2008–2010. Included in each is information about new works; the conferences of the College Band Director National Association (CBDNA), American Bandmasters Association (ABA), World Association of Symphonic Bands and Ensembles (WASBE), National Band Association (NBA) and important events, announcements and initiatives. In Chapters 6 and 7 (Observations and Recommendations,) I summarize what transpired between 2000–2010 and offer suggestions for the future. The book’s four Appendixes include a Chronology of Selected Wind Band/Ensemble Works Composed from 2000–2010 (Appendix 1), Sample Programs (Appendix 2), a report on Cliff Towner’s replication of Acton Ostling’s 1973–1978 study: "An Evaluation of Compositions for Wind Band According to Specific Criteria of Serious Artistic Merit" (Appendix 3) and a list of the 2000–2010 Wind Band/Ensemble Composition Awards and Prizes (Appendix 4). The retirements of influential wind band/ensemble conductor-teachers and the passing of important composers and leaders are also included.

The body of wind band/ensemble literature was greatly increased and expanded during the first decade of the new millennium. I list 315 new works in the Chronology of Selected Wind Band/Ensemble Works Composed from 2000 through 2010 (Appendix 1). I also include numerous quotes by composers throughout the book which provide valuable insights and information about their works.

National band associations and individual college and university wind band/ensemble directors have taken a renewed interest in school music programs and bands. Reports on their concerns are included in Chapters 1, 2 and 3. Information concerning Stephen Budiansky’s controversial presentation at the 2009 WASBE Conference about the quality of music used in school music programs is included in Chapter 5.

Many new initiatives and projects were undertaken in the past decade. The selective list, below, reveals their diversity:

1. The establishment of the Young Composer and Young Conductor Mentor Projects by the National Band Association (see Chapter 1, 3).

2. The inauguration of BandQuest, a series of compositions for young bands, commissioned by the American Composers Forum (see Chapter 1).

3. The creation of urtext editions of Wind Band Masterpieces and the reprinting of the autographed score of Mozart’s Serenade No. 10, K. 361 supported by the American Bandmasters Association (see Chapter 2, 5).

4. The creation of the Wind Repertory Project by Nikk Pilato (see Chapter 4).

5. The founding of the Gotham Wind Symphony by Michael Christianson (see Chapter 2).

6. Naxos’ Wind Classics Series of Compact Discs (see Chapter 4).

7. The broadcasting of wind band/ensemble segments of the Composers Datebook on National Public Radio, a collaboration between CBDNA and the American Composers Forum (see Chapter 5).

8. Cliff Towner’s replication of Acton Ostling’s 1973–1978 research study: An Evaluation of Compositions for Wind Band According to Specific Criteria of Serious Artistic Merit: A Second Update (see Appendix 3).

It is important that wind band/ensemble conductors in the United States know the history of the American Wind Band/Ensemble. It will deepen their appreciation of the legacy they inherit. It will also provide a foundation for the extension of that legacy and the advancement of the wind band/ensemble in the 21st century.

Frank L. Battisti

Leverett, MA

October 10, 2011

Part I

Chronicle 2000–2010

Chapter 1

2000–2001

2000–2001 Conferences: Program and Repertoire

Representative Compositions

Works for Solo Instrument and Wind Band/Ensemble

Opera Work with Wind Ensemble

Works by Non-American Composers

Wind Chamber Ensembles and Literature

Events/Announcements/Initiatives

Retirements of Wind Band/Ensemble Leaders

Notable Passing

2001 Conferences—Program and Repertoire

The 31st CBDNA National Conference took place at the University of North Texas from February 19–24, 2001. The following wind bands/ensembles/symphonies performed concerts at the conference:

Dallas Wind Symphony, Jerry Junkin, conductor

Illinois State University Wind Symphony, Stephen K. Steele, conductor

Keystone Wind Ensemble, Jack Stamp, conductor

National Small College Intercollegiate Band, Allan McMurray, conductor

Northwestern University Symphonic Wind Ensemble, Mallory Thompson, conductor

Oklahoma State University Wind Ensemble, Joseph Missal, conductor

River City Brass Band, Denis Colwell, conductor

Texas Tech University Symphonic Wind Ensemble, John Cody Birdwell, conductor

United States Air Force Band, Col. Lowell Graham, conductor

University of Calgary Wind Ensemble, Glenn Price, conductor

University of Georgia Wind Ensemble, Dwight Satterwhite, conductor

University of North Texas Wind Symphony, Eugene Migliaro Corporon, conductor

University of Texas at Arlington Wind Ensemble, Ray Lichtenwalter, conductor

Fourteen new compositions were premiered by these ensembles. (Note: Composers and Works in Bold type are commented upon below)

Sinfonia XXI by Timothy Broege (b. 1947) was premiered by the Keystone Wind Ensemble (his first Sinfonia dates from 1971). Broege states that in writing the piece he attempted …to mediate between the forms, gestures, and language of Baroque music and those of the present day.… He rejected using …a completely non-tonal/non-metrical language [and]…chose to let the musical materials range far and wide while at the same time maintaining fairly traditional structural processes in each movement.…¹

Downtown Diversions for trombone and wind ensemble by UK composer Adam Gorb (b. 1958) was premiered by the Texas Tech University Symphonic Wind Ensemble, John Cody Birdwell, conductor. Timothy Reynish, UK conductor and wind-music critic, writes the following about the piece,

The first movement begins with a cadenza for trombone, accompanied by percussion and clapping, before opening out into a brilliant up-tempo allegro reminiscent of Awayday and its homage to the American musical. The last continues this restless energy, with mixed meters and an un-academic jazz fugue. The ballad which these two sections enclose could have become sentimental, but for me is lyrical without being hackneyed.²

David Maslanka’s 35-minute Symphony No. 5 was commissioned by a consortium of wind bands/ensembles organized by Stephen K. Steele who conducted the premiere of the piece with the Illinois State University Wind Symphony. Maslanka (b. 1943) in his program note writes that the work is

…composed around three well-known Chorale melodies: Durch Adams Fall (Through Adam’s Fall) in the first movement, O Lamm Gottes, Unschuldig’ (O Lamb of God Without Blame) in the second, and Christ Lag in Todesbanden (Christ Lay in the Bonds of Death) in the third and fourth. The third is a meditation on the theme of Christ entombed, and the fourth is a full-blown fantasia on the Christ Lag melody. Much of the music of this Symphony is urgent and insistent. I have used the words aggravated, angry, and overwhelming by way of description. But for all its blunt and assertive force, the Symphony is not tragic. It is filled with a bright and hopeful energy. The music does not try to illustrate the story of the Mass, but rather continually speaks to the theme of transformation–the transformation of tears into power, and the victory of life over death.³

In 2000 Cindy McTee (b. 1953) was commissioned by a consortium of college/university ensembles to create a wind version of her orchestral piece, Timepiece. Originally written for the Dallas Symphony Orchestra’s 100th Anniversary Season, it is a bold and elegantly crafted piece that is dedicated to the memory of Martin Mailman, McTee’s friend and colleague for many years at the University of North Texas. McTee titled her piece, Timepiece, because of its connection to the celebration of special events marking the Dallas Symphony Orchestra’s 100th Anniversary and the beginning of a new millennium,…also for the manner in which musical time shapes the work.⁴ The wind version of Timepiece was premiered by the University of North Texas Wind Symphony, Eugene Migliaro Corporon, conductor.

Joan Tower’s Fascinating Ribbons was the most anticipated premiere at the 2001 CBDNA Conference. Tower (b. 1938) is the recipient of many honors and awards including the prestigious Grawemeyer Composition Prize in 1990 and a Grammy Award in 2008. Fascinating Ribbons was commissioned by thirty-one CBDNA member bands and is Tower’s first (and only) piece for wind band, The work is sophisticated, colorful and rhythmically energetic. It was premiered at the Conference by the Keystone Wind Ensemble with the dedicatee of the piece, Jack Stamp, conducting. Tower writes the following about her work:

I am happy to finally be entering the band world—a generous and hardworking one, that has generated so many excellent wind, brass and percussion players. It seems also to be a place of people that actually love living composers! In naming the piece, I noticed that there were many contours of motives that are shaped in curved ribbon patterns. I immediately thought of the word fascinating, and the dotted-rhythm reminded me of Gershwin’s Fascinating Rhythm—hence the title. I hope that my piece will live long enough for me to get to know this world a lot better.⁵

George Walker’s Canvas, composed in 2000, is a large, deeply felt work in three movements (called Extracts) for five narrators, wind ensemble and chorus. It is dedicated to the composer’s parents and was premiered by the University of North Texas Wind Symphony, Eugene Migliaro Corporon, conductor, the North Texas A Cappella Choir, Jerry McCoy, conductor and narrators Lynn Eustis, Jeffrey Snider, Aaron Logan, Richard Novak and Gregory Wascoe. Walker (b. 1922) received the Pulitzer Prize for Music in 1996 for Lilacs, a work for voice and orchestra which was commissioned by the Boston Symphony Orchestra. He was the first African-American composer to receive the Prize. The composer provides the following note about the piece:

The first Extract, subtitled Landscape, is a purely instrumental movement that is arch-like in its formal construction.…The second Extract, Commentary, introduces a conversational element that ranges from the philosophical, through points of whimsy, to a declaration of social awareness from the five speaking voices employed. It concludes with a musical quote from the