General Information

• Length: ±9 minutes
• Instrumentation: Symphony Orchestra: 3(III=picc).2.4(III=EbC, IV=BC).5(I,II,III,IV=ASax, V=TSax).1 - 3.3.3.3(I,II=euph) - timp.perc(2) - strings

These Four Promenades were commissioned by the West-Brabants Symfonieorkest and Muziekvereniging Roosendaal. It is dedicated to the late Harry Kirkels, who played the clarinet in these orchestras for over 40 years. It explores and develops the theme of the Scherzo movement of Robert Schumann's third symphony, often referred to as the Rhenish Symphony, which was his favourite piece. As it involves the combination of a symphony orchestra and a concert band, the instrumentation is somewhat particular with the inclusion of saxophones and euphoniums.

The first movement, written for brass and percussion, starts in a slow and gloomy fashion before slowly building up to the climax in a series of metric modulations while never truly resolving the underlying tension. The slow second movement for strings recontextualises the theme in an octatonic context and explores the contrast between soloists and the rest of the section. Lush parallel chords are juxtaposed to a figure reminiscent of a heartbeat resulting in a rich and warm sound. A magical Scherzo makes up the third movement, in which woodwinds present a more thoroughly processed theme with harmonies resembling figures such as Gershwin and Bernstein. The last movement combines elements of these three reinterpretations and finally involves the entire orchestra, with a massive buildup and dissonance resolving into a rich and pure C major chord. An exact quote from Schumann's Scherzo serves as the epilogue.

Sheet Music

Sheet music is available by request.