This suite contains "The Flight of the Bumblebee" as
the third movement, arranged not as a typical solo or
soli with accompaniment, but for full ensemble as in
the orchestra, with ample cues so everyone can give it
a go for a few bars. The other movements are complete
as in the original concert suite Korsakoff drew from
the opera. The brass band displays the composer's
harmonic genius particularly well; while the work is
certainly romantic overall, the harmony does look
forward to the 20th centu...(+)
This suite contains "The Flight of the Bumblebee" as
the third movement, arranged not as a typical solo or
soli with accompaniment, but for full ensemble as in
the orchestra, with ample cues so everyone can give it
a go for a few bars. The other movements are complete
as in the original concert suite Korsakoff drew from
the opera. The brass band displays the composer's
harmonic genius particularly well; while the work is
certainly romantic overall, the harmony does look
forward to the 20th century, the opera being composed
at its cusp, e.g. the long pedal sequences in the
second movement. Korsakoff the bandmaster shines
through in several places in this, his diatonic opera
(Le Coq d'Or his chromatic one), and the arrangement
preserves the voicing, and spirit, of the original as
much as possible. Alternate parts available on request.