Can't agree more. Played it my junior and senior years in highschool, about 2-4 years ago. My senior year, we got 1st in State for small bands. This song was totally rocking. Don't mess with the small schools, because most of the time, small bands sound better than big ones.
I'm first flute and it is SOOO fun. I have the cool solo too :) just the way this all blends together is phenomenal, and the way all the parts come together at the end... :D
This is the song that moved me from being a clarinet to a Contra-Alto clarinet in 8th grade. And then I never looked back. This song was such fun to play, and I compare all other contra-alto parts to how much fun this one was. To answer BJ's question up there, when we played this in our 7th/8th band, we did play it with emotion and it sounded excellent. But our school was and is obsessed with music, and to get anything less than a I is a travesty...we learned young.
played this in high school in the 90s. We made a recording of it. and I played the clarinet. I remember the notes to the song still, that is how much we played it lol.
@PrinnyStarz Same! We are playing it at MPA (Concert Festival/Contest) It's not easy. It's fun, but not hard. From N-R is so awkward, trying to hear the layers, but sound nice while playing quiet enough to hear everything, and still save some volume for the end.
I'm a flute player playing the piece right now. The clarinets/flutes FREAKED out two after N - around 5:05 - to after Q - about 5:30. Other than that, it was good.
Ohh it sounds so much more epic-er than when my band played it. o.o And nice flutes at 6:30 ish. Our temporary first flutes can't take it up an octave like it says, so me and my stand buddy are trying to do that in their stead. Even if we're 2nd flutes and prefer not to take the high parts.
The perfect the fugue. I think it should've introduced the slow section theme somewhere in the mix, thought, instead of using just the main 1st theme. Would've made it a serious delight and challenge 😅
MrTotallyNotClickbait you should see the clarinet part. We had the same thing plus other weird rhythms and stuff that was sometimes almost impossible to perfect
@peterpieqt8 Haha, at first I didn't like this piece much. And then as we practiced it more, I had a lot of fun-- especially because I'm the trombone section. xD
Unfortunately, bassoon is just super rare. If you search Emperata Overture, and see the one with Claude T. Smith on the cover with a castle (from what I remember) behind him, the bassoon(s) AND bass clarinet are a huge presence!
Loved this piece! Very "Star Trek"-y. Flutes really had to step it up for this one, honestly. So many runs.
Can't agree more. Played it my junior and senior years in highschool, about 2-4 years ago. My senior year, we got 1st in State for small bands. This song was totally rocking. Don't mess with the small schools, because most of the time, small bands sound better than big ones.
I like how everyone is saying how hard their part is, but the euphoniums have rests has long as light years expressed in time
Grant Johnson AMEN! 😆
tbh this song was absolutely epic when we played it but the lack of timpani & tom toms in this recording are driving me up a wall
Goodness, we played this my freshman year of high school back in 2001. I can't believe it's been 9 years already. I miss those days.
This was the opener for my second marching season in high school! Ah, memories. I miss marching band. :)
My high school Symphonic Band played this. It was one of my favorites!
My absolute favorite piece to play as a french horn :)
I am in a honors band and we r playing this song I love it!!!
CLARINETS
Haha i remember having the little clarinet solo in this piece back when i played it! Such a great piece of music.
It is something that everyone needs to play. My band director actually had the composer as her allstate director when she was in middle school.
I'm first flute and it is SOOO fun. I have the cool solo too :) just the way this all blends together is phenomenal, and the way all the parts come together at the end... :D
I got accepted into Michigan's Blue Lake international program and this is our opening piece when we go to Europe
I am playing this song at school! >:D
Go clarys!!!!
Oh yeah! This was fun to play. It sounds like a score to some science fiction film.
This is the song that moved me from being a clarinet to a Contra-Alto clarinet in 8th grade. And then I never looked back. This song was such fun to play, and I compare all other contra-alto parts to how much fun this one was. To answer BJ's question up there, when we played this in our 7th/8th band, we did play it with emotion and it sounded excellent. But our school was and is obsessed with music, and to get anything less than a I is a travesty...we learned young.
my band is playing this i love this song im a clairnet player
Does anyone else think that this song sounds like music from Pokemon or is it just me?
ladybug20hippe it’s sounds like Harry Potter to me
ladybug20hippe IT DOES no wonder it sounded familiar.
my all county band is playing this song and we "rock "it, to say the least
Gotta Love any music with a meaty Horn line.....YEAH!
haha isn't it so funny like to sit and listen to it like years later? and you can still remember the sheet music.
Playing this on 2nd Clarinet :) - Sophomore Year
Tympani. Needs a lot more. Please more. Tympani is the best.
Loved playing this song, being a baritone meant you were resting most of the time though 😆
This song was so fun! especially cuz 1st saxes got the fun melody part a lot :)
rip tuba solo
played this in high school in the 90s. We made a recording of it. and I played the clarinet. I remember the notes to the song still, that is how much we played it lol.
This was the hardest song in our program but I absolutely loved it because it sounds so cool :)
French Horns FTW. As first chair horn, this was one of my favorite solos to play :)
I remember I had to play the french horn solo for competition, first place baby:)
I'm playing bassoon on this song this year...and 1st Alto for competitions (schedule conflicts with all of our alto players...)
our band is playing this right now!!!!!!!! :)
Played this tonight!!(: love it
I was about to say, "hey wheres the snare?" but then I was like, "oh, yay. ^_^"
this sound like such a small band
5:40 the F horn part that starts there is truly just insane, especially at this that tempo.
What happened to the oboe solo? That was a clarinet ㅠoㅠ
Playing this today with my highschool for band festival...
@PrinnyStarz Same! We are playing it at MPA (Concert Festival/Contest) It's not easy. It's fun, but not hard. From N-R is so awkward, trying to hear the layers, but sound nice while playing quiet enough to hear everything, and still save some volume for the end.
I'm playing this song in band.
Playing this in my high school band!
I enjoyed playing this in college.
Playing this with my band on our Spring Trip to New York City in May :D
slowlived we are too but the trip isn't until April
I'm a flute player playing the piece right now.
The clarinets/flutes FREAKED out two after N - around 5:05 - to after Q - about 5:30.
Other than that, it was good.
I played the marching band arrangement in high school and concert band arrangement in college.
PFFFTT bass clarinet is where it's at. LOW BRASS/LOW WOODWIND FTW!!!
Ohh it sounds so much more epic-er than when my band played it. o.o And nice flutes at 6:30 ish. Our temporary first flutes can't take it up an octave like it says, so me and my stand buddy are trying to do that in their stead. Even if we're 2nd flutes and prefer not to take the high parts.
My band teacher insists that this is a piece that everybody in band at one point MUST play.
Sophomore and in the marching and jazz band. Let's just say it's a lot of fun. 2ND year of the four best.
French Horn and Trombone. What a great song!
Imagine breaking your neck trying to play it at this tempo
Pretty darn good for a high school band.
@peterpieqt8 At first, I really didn't like this piece at all. After performing it multiple times, I actually like it a lot. I'm glad to have played.
clarinet.
+faith Hagins Same.
i love playing this song...i'm a flute
@Hmm8824 I know that feeling-- I was the trombone section for this piece...
Augh! No Timpani!! Thats very important in this song
And no French Horn doing the solo?!
i played bells in 06 in my school's symphonic band
0:29 B
4:59 N
@KitsWillEYourBrains I'll never forget the way that our Clarinet Two's acoustics around 4:30 sounded like a beautiful bagpipe. And that fugue. Sheesh.
The perfect the fugue. I think it should've introduced the slow section theme somewhere in the mix, thought, instead of using just the main 1st theme. Would've made it a serious delight and challenge 😅
Ahhh the Freshmen days. Great year.
Great performance!
Once as a first clarinet, once as the tuba!
I feel like this could be used in a video game. reminds me a little of Masashi Hamauzu's music from Final Fantasy XIII
Omg YES!!!!!!
@KitsWillEYourBrains It's true. And also that pretty mcuh every judge has seen or heard it or played
couldn't hear the tuba or oboe solos, but other than that it was really good. :) i'm playing first clarinet on this at my school.
Percussion represent :D
Playing this in my high school :D I'm mallets and I'm hoping our director doesn't go this fast very soon bc of the fast bit that I have to play
cool song!
@LockhartX99
You know, some schools are lucky even to have those three clarinets, so I wouldn't judge
GO TURUMPETS
The trumpet part at 5:28 was hard as crap
MrTotallyNotClickbait you should see the clarinet part. We had the same thing plus other weird rhythms and stuff that was sometimes almost impossible to perfect
we played this at blue lake fine arts camp. lol
I played this in High School. xD
@Yamahaaltoplayer The horns probably aren't good enough for those exposed parts. We're playing this song, and altos play all horn stuff.
I love this piece, but playing as a clarinet was awful but extremely rewarding at the same time
french horns all day
MOAR TIMPANI. Seriously where is it?
@LockhartX99 wait, there's a clarinet solo in this? Do you mean the beginning part after the fanfare-ish part?
Thumbs up if you were a first clarinet :)
That one cracked note near the end...
@peterpieqt8 Haha, at first I didn't like this piece much. And then as we practiced it more, I had a lot of fun-- especially because I'm the trombone section. xD
BBb Contrabass Clarinet here!!!
Gimme dat bass trombone.
Tumb's up if u were a 3rd clarinet. I love this song
@timmymonsta wood block.
How about that TUBA solo??
@jacobblack18 I played the solo at letter L :)
where are the bassoons??? i hear more tubas and euphs than double lows.... but way good piece!!!!!!!!!
Unfortunately, bassoon is just super rare. If you search Emperata Overture, and see the one with Claude T. Smith on the cover with a castle (from what I remember) behind him, the bassoon(s) AND bass clarinet are a huge presence!
...and where's your performance of the song? Hmm?
@intothesun Haha I hear you there xD
Augh! No Timpani!! Thats very important in this song
I couldn't here the bass for there little bit!!!!!!
Go low reeds!!! i play the bari sax :)
The 7th grade intermediate band I play this
is there no percussion in this version
Lol I think it sounds kinda like the intro to the simpsons
Bari pro
where is the timpani