Prelude to Act 3 from 'Lohengrin' (Wagner)

The Prelude to Act 3 from 'Lohengrin' is music of enormous excitement and expectation - marked "very animated" - with brass blazing a powerful call against a tingling triplet figure in support. In Wagner's own words - "awaken the mute lines of this score to bright surrounding life."

Genre: Band | # of Players: Standard
Level: 5 | Duration: 3:00

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

1st Bb Cornet
2nd Bb Cornet
3rd Bb Cornet
1st Bb Trumpet
2nd Bb Trumpet
1st F Horn
2nd F Horn
3rd F Horn
4th F Horn
1st Trombone
2nd Trombone
3rd Trombone
Euphonium
(TC Baritone)
Tuba

String Bass*

Timpani
Triangle
Cymbals/Tambourine

Parts marked with as asterisk (*) are NOT ESSENTIAL, although their presence will obviously enable a fuller realization of the composer's intentions to be achieved.

Program Notes
In a letter addressed to "My dear Liszt," dated May 1852, Richard Wagner writes: "It was you who awakened the mute lines of this score to bright surrounding life." He was referring to a performance of his opera Lohengrin which Franz Liszt conducted at the Weirner Court Theatre on August 28, 1850. The letter was sent from Zurich, since Wagner was exiled from Germany at this time. He had completed his romantic opera, 'Lohengrin,' some five years earlier but doubted whether he would ever hear it performed.

The action takes place in Antwerp in the first half of the 10th century. Elsa and Lohengrin are to be married and the 3rd Act opens as they proceed in great splendour, accompanied by their respective noblewomen and noblemen, to the cathedral. As a Prelude to the curtain rising Wagner unleashed music of enormous excitement and expectation - marked "very animated" - with brass blazing a powerful call against a tingling triplet figure in support. In the opera this magnificent Prelude leads directly into the Bridal Scene as Elsa and Lohengrin make their way solemnly to the betrothal ceremony. Wagner achieves this change of mood and atmosphere most skillfully.

In arranging the Prelude for concert performance the challenge was to provide an ending which provides a satisfactory climax to Wagner's blaze of instrumental colour, without proceeding to the solemn betrothal music. This was resolved by using the composer's own mighty flourish to end Act I of his opera. Now, the gauntlet is thrown down to all who perform it to - in Wagner's own words - "awaken the mute lines of this score to bright surrounding life."