Suitable for advanced hornists. Duration, 20
minutes. The orchestral work should be played
on subscription concerts. Versions are available for orchestra, band,
chamber group, and soloist and piano. See orchestration.
See printable documents. See
performances. See publisher
information. See Reviews. See Audio
Samples.
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About "The Glass Bead Game" - a Concerto for Horn and
Orchestra or Band
"The Glass Bead Game" is a Horn Concerto loosely based on the
Herman Hesse novel of the same title. In the first movement, two
main themes dominate. The work opens with a bi-tonal motif based in
Eb Major and A Major. This musical idea is meant to represent Herman
Hesse's existential philosophy about life which is reflected in his
novel. Simply put, Hesse believed that man exists as an individual
in a purposeless universe that is basically hostile. This conflict
between man and his environment is represented by the juxtaposition of the
two keys. His main character of this novel in fact succumbs to the
cold waters of a glacier fed lake at the end of this book. The other
main theme is a leitmotif representing the main character, Joseph Knecht;
and is first stated by the Solo Horn at letter A of the first
movement. The dialogue of this theme between solo horn, flute, and
piccolo was inspired by the introduction of the Music Master in this
novel. Joseph Knecht meets the Music Master, who accepts our main
character into the intellectual society of the elite Castalia.
The
second movement is dedicated to Father Jacobus.
While the first movement leitmotif for Joseph Knecht was based on
5ths going up; Father Jacobus' leitmotif is based on 5ths going down.
The second movement makes much use of sounds sustained into each
other as you would hear in a Great Cathedral.
The movement is meant to reflect the peace that Joseph Knecht felt
with his introduction to history and religion.
The
final movement is the most programmatic.
This movement begins with the opening celebration of Joseph
Knecht's coronation to the post of Magister Ludi.
The celebration is heard at first from a great distance.
Since Joseph Knecht is reticent about his promotion to this high
post, the horn soloist, representing our main character, never plays the
celebration march melody. The
solo horn instead answers this march melody with protest.
This opening section of the final movement grows to a frenzy,
introducing us finally to the Presto Theme featuring the solo horn. The
theme from the second movement is briefly referenced at letter Mm as
Joseph Knecht, now burdened with the responsibilities as
Magister Ludi, reflects on his more tranquil past at the monastery
with Father Jacobus. At the
close of this movement, the drowning sequence is loosely reflected in the
music when the opening themes of the third movement return as our main
character drowns.
Opening
thematic material to the second movement is used as transition to return
us to the original Joseph Knecht leitmotif at Letter Rr in this final
movement. Programmatically
this is referencing the end of this great novel where Joseph Knecht's
student, Tito, is now sitting on the lake's shore in shock over the death
of his teacher, Joseph Knecht. But
our main character lives on in Tito's mind as a wonderful teacher and
mentor.
The
Glass Bead Game
is now available with orchestra, wind ensemble, chamber ensemble written
for piano, harp, and percussion, and a version for piano published by Hal
Leonard Music.
Greg
Hustis, Principal Horn with the Dallas Symphony, has recorded this work
with full orchestra. Kent Leslie, Principal Horn with the Lafayette
Symphony and member of the Indianapolis Chamber Orchestra, has recorded
the chamber
version of this piece, and Rick Graef, Assistant Principal Horn with
the Indianapolis Symphony, has recorded the band
version of this concerto with the DePauw University Band.
String Section
Violin I
Violin II
Viola
Cello
Bass
This work was commissioned by and dedicated to Kent L. Leslie and is
loosely based on the Herman Hesse novel, "The Glass Bead Game".
Performance Duration 18 minutes
1st
Movement - 7 1/2
2nd Movement - 4 1/2
3rd Movement - 6
Band Instrumentation
Solo Horn |
1 Alto Saxophone |
1 Piccolo |
1 Tenor Saxophone |
2 Flutes |
1 Baritone Saxophone |
1 Oboe |
3 Bb Trumpet |
2 Bassoon |
4 French Horn |
1 Eb Clarinet |
3 Trombone |
3 Bb Clarinet |
1 Baritone |
1 Bass Clarinet |
1 Tuba |
1 Timpani |
3 Percussion |
About "The Glass Bead Game" 
Orchestration
Top
Kent Leslie has performed this work with the following orchestras:
Anderson Symphony (Indiana)
Ball State University
Indianapolis Chamber Orchestra (premiere)
Lafayette Symphony Orchestra
Carmel Symphony Orchestra
Indiana State University
He has also performed the chamber version of the piece on a CD entitled
"The Glass Bead Game". The chamber version is for horn,
harp, piano, and percussion. For a copy of the CD, he can be reached
at lesliekm@hotmail.com.
Mr. Leslie played the Wind Ensemble version of "The Glass Bead Game" with the Purdue
University Band. This version was commissioned by the Purdue Band,
Jay Gephart, music director.
This band version has been recorded by the DePauw University Band with
Rick Graef as soloist. Rick, a member of the Indianapolis Symphony
and a former horn instructor at DePauw, has also performed the work in recital
with piano reduction.
Other Orchestra Performances |
Ensemble |
Soloist |
Year |
Broward Youth |
Jaclyn Perez |
2007 |
El Paso Youth |
|
2011 |
Indianapolis |
Rob Danforth |
2002 |
Lone Tree |
Michael Thornton |
2011 |
Loudoun |
Larry Williams |
2008 |
Music in the Mtns |
Greg Hustis |
2003 |
Prince George's |
Larry Williams |
2010 |
U. of Wisc. Oshkosh |
Bruce Atwell |
2011 |
Ball State |
Gene Berger |
|
St. Olaf |
Ellen Krubsack |
|
East Kentucky Univ. |
|
|
I.U. Student Orch |
Tracy Bass |
|
|
|
|
Other Band Performances |
Ensemble |
Soloist |
Year |
Allegheny College |
Tom Leech |
2002 |
Atlanta Youth |
Jeff Nelsen |
2008 |
Augustana College |
Andrew Vercruysse |
2004 |
Brandywine Wind |
|
2009 |
Capital Wind |
Dinia Yeo |
2012 |
Carnegie Mellon |
|
|
CIM |
|
2012 |
Downers Grove N. HS |
James Burke |
2013 |
Greater Dallas |
Jeff Nelsen |
2007 |
Hartt School of Music |
Jackie DesRosier |
2011 |
Illinois Wesleyan |
|
2012 |
Indiana University |
Jeff Nelsen |
|
Interlochen |
Gene Berger |
2010 |
Ithaca College |
Stephen Peterson |
2002 |
James Madison Univ. |
Ian Zook |
2013 |
Lone Star Youth |
|
|
Mesilla Valley |
Nancy Joy |
2004 |
Metropolitan Wind |
|
2009 |
Northwest College |
Aaron Sundel |
2014 |
Ohlone Wind |
Tyler Moore |
2011 |
Oklahoma WE |
Eldon Matlick |
2008 |
Peabody |
Larry Williams |
2008 |
Seattle Pacific Univ. |
|
2013 |
Star of the North |
Rob Schmitke |
2007 |
U. of Alabama |
Skip Snead |
2009 |
U. of Alberta |
Jeff Nelsen |
|
U. of Calgary |
Alliszon Zaichkowski |
2008 |
U. of Connecticut |
Jeffrey Renshaw |
2008 |
U. of Evansville |
Kristina Crago |
2002 |
U. of Montana |
Jeff Nelsen |
2006 |
U. of North Las Vegas |
|
|
U. of Northern Iowa |
|
|
U. of Oklahoma |
|
|
U. of Ottawa |
Jeff Nelsen |
2006 |
U. of Texas |
Pat Hughes |
2008 |
U. of Washington |
Jeffrey Fair |
2014 |
U. of Wyoming |
Jason Johnson |
2012 |
US Marine Band (DC) |
Douglas Quinzi |
2010 |
US Navy Band (DC) |
Jason Ayoub |
2012 |
Vernon Hills High School |
|
2013 |
Western Kentucky |
Nancy Joy |
2013 |
Wichita State |
|
2011 |
Verle Ormsby, Jr., horn, performed the 1st movement of "The Glass
Bead Game" with the University of Wisconsin, Eau Claire, Symphony
Band on March 13, 2005, Phil Ostrander conducting.
In 2006, Jeff Nelsen, former
member of The Canadian Brass, performed the band version of "The
Glass Bead Game" with the University of Montana Band and with the
University of Ottawa Wind Ensemble.
Top
"The Glass Bead Game" for piano and horn is published by Hal
Leonard Music. The inventory number for this work is
#841607.
You may order this from several on-line music stores, and among them
are the following two links:
http://www.encoremusic.com/french/1250075.htm
http://www.hornspot.com/1250075.htm
All other versions, including the chamber version,
are available through Jim Beckel.
Top
The Indianapolis Star, Tuesday, November 11, 1997 (Charles Staff)
"In Monday night's concert at Clowes Hall, music director Kirk
Trevor and the Indianapolis Chamber Orchestra demonstrated that the
Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra has a composer in its principal
trombonist, James Beckel.
Kent Leslie, a horn player with the ICO, personally commissioned the
ISO trombonist to write a piece for him and introduced the results, The
Glass Bead Game: Concerto for Horn, to [an] . . obviously pleased
audience.
Beckel has written music specifically for the horn. Wonderfully
well-crafted in form and transparently - often luminously - scored,
the concerto, programmatically based on a Herman Hesse novel, is filled
with melodies that suggest horn calls."
Recording Review (of the
chamber version) in The Horn Call, February 1999
"The outstanding piece of chamber music composed recently by
Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra principal trombonist James Beckel takes as
its program Hermann Hesse's novel by the same title. It is a
tightly-constructed piece, juxtaposing tonal centers of E-flat and A in
representing Hesse's existential philosophy of life: the conflict between
man and his environment. Performers most familiar with the novel
will undoubtedly understand the underlying leitmotif ideas about
characters [Joseph] Knecht, Father Jacobus, and the Music Master.
However, audiences and performers not as familiar with the literary
background to the work will still be struck by the musical content.
The work utilizes rising 5ths, . . . motivic repetition and ostinato,
oscillating figures, many meters, whole-tone scale fragments, and
bitonality. It is in three-movement design and lasts nearly 20
minutes, making this a major work for recital programs. A great
variety of percussion instruments add drive and mood to the work:
piano, harp, xylophone, chimes, glockenspiel, marimba, bell tree,
triangle, timpani, vibraphone, drum set, gong, and wind chimes. A
gamut of moods from the most subtle to powerful and angular keep the
listener's attention throughout. This is a marvelous new work
that deserves to be explored further."
[top]
The following links are for a recording by the U.S Marine
Band™, a performance by "The President's Own™", with Major
Jason Fettig conducting and Douglas Quinzi playing the solo horn.
These tracks are from the U.S. Marine Band™.
Mvt
I - The Call and Awakening
Mvt
2 - Father Jacobus
Mvt
3 - Magister Ludi Coronation and Death
The first three tracks in the player contain one sample of each movement of
"The Glass Bead Game" from a Crystal
Records CD (CD773) with Greg Hustis and the Dallas Philharmonia
performing. The CD is copyright 2005 Crystal Records Inc. and the
tracks are used by permission. Unauthorized duplication is
illegal. You can link to www.crystalrecords.com/horn
for more information.
The last three tracks in the player contain one sample of each movement
from a CD entitled The Glass Bead Game with Kent L. Leslie
performing the chamber version of this work. The CD is copyright
1998 Hard Cor Music, Inc. and the tracks are used by permission. You
can contact Kent Leslie for more
information.
Click the center arrow
or one of the tracks to start listening.
This text will be replaced by the flash music player.