Reviewer: Krista M.

Reeder

REPERTOIRE EVALUATION FORM

Title: American Salute

Composer / Arranger: Morton Gould
arr. Douglas E. Wagner

Publisher: Belwin Band (Alfred)

Date of Publication: 1943
2009 this particular arrangement

Price: $75 Band Set & Score; $10 Extra Score

Ensemble Type: Full Concert Band

Description/Genre: Patriotic; Civil War; Fantasia on a Theme

Duration: 4:45-5:15

Difculty: V. Easy ! Easy ! Mod. ! Diff. ! V. Diff. !

Score: Full Score ! Reduced Score ! / Transposed ! C-Score !

Instrumentation:
Picc ! Fl1 ! Fl2 ! Fl3 ! Alto Fl ! Bass Fl !
Ob1 ! Ob2 ! EHn ! Bsn1 ! Bsn2 ! CBsn !
EbCl! Cl1 ! Cl2 ! Cl 3 ! Alto Cl ! Bass Cl !
CAltoCl ! CBCl ! SSax! ASax 1 ! ASax2 ! TSax !
BarSax ! BassSax !

Cor1 ! Cor2 ! Cor3 ! Trp1 ! Trp2 ! Trp3 !
Hn1 ! Hn2 ! Hn3 ! Hn4 ! Flg1 ! Flg2 !
Tbn1 ! Tbn2 ! Tbn3 ! BTbn ! BarTC ! BarBC !
Euph1 ! Euph2 ! Tuba1 ! Tuba2 ! StBass !

Harp ! Celeste! Glock. ! Xylo ! Mar. ! Vibes !
Piano ! Synth ! Chimes ! Crotales ! Timp ! Bass Dr. !
Snare ! Toms ! CrCym ! SusCym ! Tam ! Tri. !
Other Perc:

Vln 1 ! Vln. 2 ! Vla. ! VCello ! CBass !

Unusual Instrumentation/Usage:
World Parts available for download from the website

Other Considerations:
Highest Pitch Trumpet: A5 Highest Pitch Clarinet: C6

Clarinet Crosses Break?: Yes ! No ! N/A !

Other Range Concerns: Low 3rd Cl part

Technical Concerns: ACCIDENTALS!!
6/8 Patterns
Passing rhythms; intertwined melody & harmony
Constantly changing and emerging structures
Triplets AND dotted eighth-sixteenth
Attacks and aligning entrances

Articulations/Bowings: Very punctuated
Slurs only in passing or as a stylistic measure

Meter(s): 6/8
4/4

Rhythmic Complexities: Entrances on 3, 5, and 6
Transition 6/8 division into 4/4 and back
(Triple to duple and back)

Key(s): Ambiguous? Notated in C (Am?)
Modulates to F signature - ends in Dm

Harmonic Concerns: Ambiguous key(s) - use of accidentals

Primary Texture(s): Polyphonic - layered

Featured Instrument(s)/Solo(s): Every voice at some point

Compositional Techniques: Theme & Variations/Fantasy on a Theme

Form: Fantasia?

Program Notes:
Morton Gould, a well-known American composer, arranger, performer, and conductor, made it his life's
work to create music with a weaving of distinctly American fabric. American Salute is based on the Civil
War tune "When Johnny Comes Marching Home" and takes on a fantasy of the sounds and highs and
lows of battles won and battles lost.

Similar Pieces (Title/Composer):
Although not similar, I think any Shenandoah or Spiritual could couple nicely. Deep River Suite...?

Additional Comments:

What is at the heart of this piece?
I think it is a fantastic way to teach contextual understanding and musical concepts through a captivating
and exciting piece of music.

I would play this piece with: Upper level high school or lower level college

I would recommend this piece: Yes! No !