Fugal Concerto, A (Holst)

Originally written for flute, oboe & string orchestra by Holst, Geoffrey Brand has done an excellent job scoring A Fugal Concerto for band.

Genre: Solo Flute & Oboe with Band | # of Players: Standard + 2
Level: 5 | Duration: 8:05

Instrumentation
Solo Flute
Solo Oboe

1st Flute
2nd Flute
1st Oboe
2nd Oboe
1st Bb Clarinet
2nd Bb Clarinet
3rd Bb Clarinet
Bb Bass Clarinet
1st Bassoon
2nd Bassoon
1st Eb Alto Saxophone
2nd Eb Alto Saxophone
Bb Tenor Saxophone

1st Bb trumpet
2nd Bb Trumpet
1st F Horn
2nd F Horn
Euphonium
Tuba

String Bass

Program Notes
This work was originally written for flute, oboe (or two violins) and String Orchestra in 1923. This arrangement was premiered by the Stockholm Symphonic Winds in September 1993, conducted by the arranger.

The style of A Fugal Concerto is very much neo-classical - all the rage at the time, although whether Holst had heard Stravinsky's examples is not known. In so far as the work is fugal, the adjective applies more to the texture than the form, although the second movement is canonic. The contrapuntal texture is not straightforward as phrases are displaced across barlines and cross rhythms are a feature. Nothing is allowed to settle until the folk tune is introduced toward the end. Yet, within this musical web, fascinating patterns and cross references reveal themselves.