Recommended pieces for a wind band contest

Concerto for Wind EnsembleKō Shōsui

[All-Japan Band Competition 2018] Tokai University Sugao / From Concerto for Wind Ensemble by Chang Su Koh (Tokyo Band Competition)

“Maestoso” with powerful, celebratory fanfares.

“Pregando,” which contrasts two motifs: a magical, Oriental-sounding opening alto flute solo and an austere, Western-sounding horn solo.

The humorous “Scherzoso,” which uses rhythms from the traditional music of the Korean Peninsula.

“Affettuoso,” in which the woodwinds sing warmly and expansively.

“Festivo,” an integrated movement that weaves in music used in the other movements.

These five movements are intricately interrelated and inseparably bound together.

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Symphony No. 2 “The Passion of Christ”Ferrer Ferran

Symphony No. 2 “The Passion of Christ” / Ferrer Ferran Chubu Gakuin University Wind Orchestra

This piece grandly portrays the arc from Christ’s birth to his crucifixion and execution, and ultimately to the emergence of new hope from his death.

Although its title is “The Passion of Christ,” it could just as well be called “The Life of Christ.” Each movement bears a subtitle: Movement I: “Birth – Massacre of the Innocents – Baptism,” Movement II: “The Three Temptations,” and Movement III: “Arrival at the Temple – The Last Supper – Arrest – Judgment – Crucifixion – Hope.” The entire work is constructed through concrete scene depictions; it is by no means abstract music, but rather crafted in a way that is as accessible as film music.

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Festive OvertureDmitrii Dmitrievich Shostakovich

Festive Overture Op. 96 / Dmitri Dmitriyevich Shostakovich – Ryukoku University Wind Ensemble

Among Shostakovich’s many works, this is a particularly popular masterpiece brimming with a sense of drive.

Composed in 1954 on commission from the Central Committee of the Soviet Communist Party for the celebration of the 37th anniversary of the October Revolution, it is said to have been written in just three days because the commission arrived only a few days before the concert.

The piece contains numerous melodies quoted from Shostakovich’s other works; for example, the opening fanfare is taken from the beginning of No.

7, “Birthday,” of the seven piano miniatures Children’s Notebook.

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The Last Letter from MurdockTarumiya Masanori

The Last Letter from Murdoch / Masanori Tairuya

This song shines a spotlight on Murdoch, the First Officer of the luxury liner Titanic, built in the early 20th century.

Murdoch was one of the crew who bravely helped rescue passengers until the very last moments as the ship went down.

During the voyage, he made a habit of writing letters to his family, always sharing not only updates about himself but also words of care and concern for them.

Set to an Irish-style melody, the song portrays what might have been included in Murdoch’s “final letter”: the bustling scenes on deck filled with passengers, the beautiful views over the Atlantic, the mishaps that foreshadowed the disaster, and his heartfelt thoughts.

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From the opera ‘Turandot’Giacomo Puccini

From the opera 'Turandot' / Saitama Sakae High School

Giacomo Puccini’s final opera.

Prince Calaf of the Tartar kingdom falls in love with the cruel princess Turandot, who poses riddles to her suitors and executes those who fail to answer.

He solves the riddles brilliantly, and in the end, Calaf’s love awakens love in Turandot—an inspiring story.

While preserving the original’s atmosphere—its exotic motifs, graceful melodies, tense harmonies, and sweeping grandeur—this arrangement also showcases the brilliance characteristic of wind band music.

It incorporates famous numbers such as “Is the moon not risen yet?” and “Nessun dorma.”

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Magellan’s Challenge to the Unknown ContinentTarumiya Masanori

Magellan’s Challenge to the Unknown Continent

The theme of this piece is the Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan, who was active during the Age of Discovery.

Although Magellan’s expedition achieved the first circumnavigation of the globe, Magellan himself died during the voyage.

The composition was created with the image of Magellan’s journey, imagining, “What if Magellan’s soul remained in this world and continued the circumnavigation…?” The piece depicts the figure of a tiny human challenging the great force of nature.

Alongside the various faces of the sea—its vastness, warmth, strength, ferocity, and terror—it also expresses Magellan’s pursuit of truth based on his own convictions.

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Three JaponismesMajima Toshio

[Wind Ensemble] Three Japonismes [2005: Kasukabe Kyoei] Les Trois Notes du Japon

This piece is quintessentially Japanese, expressing Japanese themes through Western techniques.

It consists of three movements, each with a subtitle.

Cranes in Flight delicately portrays, in wind ensemble, the courtship dance of the red-crowned crane.

Snow River depicts an ink-wash-like scene of snow falling silently and steadily on a river flowing through a winter valley.

Festival expresses the passionate dances and celebrations held in the Japanese summer.

Each movement features solos, painting a wide variety of landscapes with diverse timbres.

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