Ouvertüre in Es-Dur

Stephan Jaeggi (1903 – 1957)

for Wind Band

Overture in classic-romantic style • 1954 (orch. 2023)
Grade 5 (difficult) • 09:30 • FC Music Publishing

Instrumentation : Picc, 2Fl, Ob, EH, 2Bsn, Cbsn(opt), EbCl, 3Cl, ACl, BCl, CbCl(opt), 2ASax, TSax, BSax, 3Tpt, 2Cnt, 4Hn, 3Tbn, Euph, Tba, DBs(opt), Harp(opt) // 3Perc (2Timp, Tri, SD, BD, CrashCymb.)

CStephan Jaeggi was a Swiss composer and conductor and was born into a large family in Fulenbach in 1903. He began playing the clarinet at the age of 13, studied music at the Basel Conservatory and graduated from the Swiss military music. After graduating, he was the conductor of several wind orchestras. In this, but also in the role as a composer, Stephan Jaeggi was able to celebrate many successes. His early death in 1957 put an early end to Stephan Jaeggi's creative life. All the more reason why his work lives on with unbroken power to this day. Stephan Jaeggi Foundation

As part of the year 2023, dedicated to Swiss composers, the Swiss Wind Band Association has commissioned me to write a new orchestration of the Overture in E flat by Stephan Jaeggi. Indeed, an update of the instrumentation was necessary for the interpretation of these works with our modern orchestras. For example, the original orchestration (dating from 1954) contained a brass register composed of 3 parts of trumpets, 1 part of cornet, 3 parts of flugelhorn, 3 parts of Tenorhorn (!), 1 voice of Euphonium, without counting trombones, tubas, horns and other "Melodie-Althorn". Let someone introduce me to a band, in Switzerland or in the world, that can boast of having such an instrumentation!

Thus, the orchestration that I propose, and that I wanted to be faithful to the original while meeting current idiomatic standards, will allow our current orchestras to be able to interpret this work of classical-romantic inspiration which will add a refreshing touch to your concert program!