''New England Triptych'' is an
orchestral composition by American composer
William Schuman, based on works of
William Billings.
The work lasts about 16 minutes, and is written for an
orchestra comprising three
flutes (3rd doubling
piccolo
The piccolo ( ; Italian for 'small') is a half-size flute and a member of the woodwind family of musical instruments. Sometimes referred to as a "baby flute" the modern piccolo has similar fingerings as the standard transverse flute, but the so ...
), two
oboes,
English horn
The cor anglais (, or original ; plural: ''cors anglais''), or English horn in North America, is a double-reed woodwind instrument in the oboe family. It is approximately one and a half times the length of an oboe, making it essentially an alto ...
,
E-flat clarinet
The E-flat (E) clarinet is a member of the clarinet family, smaller than the more common B clarinet and pitched a perfect fourth higher. It is typically considered the sopranino or piccolo member of the clarinet family and is a transposing inst ...
, two
clarinets,
bass clarinet
The bass clarinet is a musical instrument of the clarinet family. Like the more common soprano B clarinet, it is usually pitched in B (meaning it is a transposing instrument on which a written C sounds as B), but it plays notes an octave bel ...
, two
bassoons
The bassoon is a woodwind instrument in the double reed family, which plays in the tenor and bass ranges. It is composed of six pieces, and is usually made of wood. It is known for its distinctive tone color, wide range, versatility, and virtuos ...
, four
horns, three
trumpets, three
trombones,
tuba,
timpani, percussion (
bass drum
The bass drum is a large drum that produces a note of low definite or indefinite pitch. The instrument is typically cylindrical, with the drum's diameter much greater than the drum's depth, with a struck head at both ends of the cylinder. Th ...
,
cymbals,
snare drum
The snare (or side drum) is a percussion instrument that produces a sharp staccato sound when the head is struck with a drum stick, due to the use of a series of stiff wires held under tension against the lower skin. Snare drums are often used ...
,
tenor drum), and
strings.
Overview
Subtitled "Three Pieces for Orchestra After William Billings", ''New England Triptych'' is basically an expansion of Schuman's 1943 ''William Billings Overture'' (premiered by
Artur Rodziński and the
New York Philharmonic in 1944 but never published, and since withdrawn by the composer). ''New England Triptych'' was written in 1956 and premiered on October 28 of that year by the Orchestra of the
University of Miami under the direction of
Andre Kostelanetz, who had commissioned it.
Schuman prefaced his score with this note (and reprinted the pertinent texts for each hymn):
The first movement, "Be Glad then, America", is built on these lines from Billings' text:
After a short introduction by solo timpani, the strings develop music that suggests the "Halleluyah" of the end. Trombones and trumpets start the main section in a varied setting of the words "Be Glad then, America, Shout and Rejoice." The solo timpani returns, leading to a fugal section based on the words "And Ye Shall Be Satisfied." The music gains momentum as combined themes lead to a climax, followed by a free adaptation of Billings' "Halleluyah" music and a final reference to the "Shout and Rejoice" music.
The second movement, "When Jesus Wept", begins with a solo by bassoon and soon the bassoon is accompanied by oboe. "When Jesus Wept" is a round and uses Billings' music in its original form. .
The third movement, "
Chester
Chester is a cathedral city and the county town of Cheshire, England. It is located on the River Dee, close to the English–Welsh border. With a population of 79,645 in 2011,"2011 Census results: People and Population Profile: Chester Loca ...
", is perhaps Billings' best known tune. Originally a church hymn, it was adopted by the Continental Army as a marching song. The orchestral piece derives both from the spirit of the hymn and the marching song:
''New England Triptych'' has become one of the works most indelibly associated with William Schuman. It also exists in an arrangement by the composer for concert band although the "Chester" movement was revised and lengthened.
Recordings
Antal Doráti recorded New England Tripych for London Records (OS 26442) with the National Symphony Washington DC on 23-26 & 30 April 1975 and it was released in December 1976 on LP, in the US only. A CD issue has been published by The Doráti Edition (ADE 050).
[Antal Doráti and his Recorded Legacy by Richard Chlupaty, 2013]
References
External links
Presser Perusal Score(at Issuu.com) (with preface)
{{Portal bar, Classical Music, Music
Compositions by William Schuman
Compositions for symphony orchestra
Concert band pieces
Orchestral suites
1956 compositions