España Rhapsody (Band Gr. 5)

España Rhapsody, perhaps Chabrier’s most famous orchestral work, will take audiences and players on an exciting musical tour through Spain in this masterful transcription for wind ensemble by Josh Byrd.

Genre: Band | # of Players: Standard
Series: The Diamond Series
Level: 5 | Duration: 6:35

Instrumentation
Piccolo
Flute 1
Flute 2
Flute 3
Flute 4
Oboe 1
Oboe 2
Bassoon 1
Bassoon 2
E-flat Clarinet [optional]
B-flat Clarinet 1-2
B-flat Clarinet 3-4
B-flat Clarinet 5-6
B-flat Clarinet 7-8
B-flat Bass Clarinet
B-flat Contrabass Clarinet/Bass Saxophone [optional]
Alto Saxophone
Tenor Saxophone
Baritone Saxophone

F Horn 1
F Horn 2
F Horn 3
F Horn 4
B-flat Trumpet 1
B-flat Trumpet 2
B-flat Trumpet 3
B-flat Trumpet 4
Trombone 1
Trombone 2
Trombone 3
Euphonium 1
Euphonium 2
B-flat Baritone T.C. 1
B-flat Baritone T.C. 2
Tuba 1
Tuba 2
String Bass [optional]

Timpani [2 drums]
Triangle, Tambourine
Suspended Cymbal, Crash Cymbals, Bass Drum
Marimba [4 of 5-octave]
Marimba [optional 5-octave]

Program Notes
Emmanuel Chabrier composed España after taking an extensive tour of Spain in 1882. The piece began in January of 1883 as a piano duet—originally titled 'Jota'—but evolved into a full orchestral rhapsody by October of that same year. España premiered on November 4, 1883 under the baton of Charles Lamoureux, where it was wildly successful and well received by audiences and critics alike. The energy of the piece can be seen through the orchestration alone, particularly through Chabrier’s incorporation and approach to percussion.

This edition retains the original brass and percussion parts in an effort to save as much of the composer’s original orchestration as possible but also includes extensive oboe and bassoon cues throughout. Two marimba parts have been added to replace the harp, though the original part is available in the public domain if you wish to incorporate it. If harp is used, the marimbas can either add support or be omitted, save for measure 281 where the backs of the mallets help to create the col legno effect found in the orchestral version.