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Air$and$Allegro!
Sandy!Feldstein!&!John!OReilly!
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Overview!

Daniel!Scheetz!

Air!and!Allegro!is!a!good!introduction!piece!for!beginning!bands!in!their!first!year!
of!playing!their!instrument.!The!rhythms,!melodies,!and!range!is!easy!enough!for!
them!to!play!with!ease.!The!musical!and!expressive!qualities!while!lacking!allows!
for!the!band!to!focus!on!making!good!sounds!rather!than!on!technical!difficulties.!

Composer:!Sandy!Feldstein!&!John!OReilly!
Grade:!1!
Length:!Minutes!
Band!Set!&!Score:!$40.00!
Publisher:!Alfreds!Yamaha!Band!Series!
Cat.!No.!00H3453!
Website:!
http://www.alfred.com/Products/AirHandH
AllegroHH00H3453.aspx!!
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Heres!a!lovely!concert!piece!that!will!bring!out!the!best!in!your!young!players.!
The!dotted!quarterHeighth!note!rhythmic!pattern!is!tastefully!featured!and!
reinforces!what!has!been!taught!in!the!lesson,!while!the!tempo!change!between!
the!andante!and!allegro!sections!make!this!easy!selection!feel!very!sophisticated.!
Each!section!of!the!band!has!a!chance!to!play!on!its!own,!as!well!as!part!of!the!
full!band.!(Taken&from&Alfreds&Website)!

Instrumentation/!Range!

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Music!Terms!

Flute:!Bb4HBb5!
Oboe:!Bb4HBb5!
Clarinet:!A3HA4!
Alto!Sax:!E4HG5!
Cornet:!C4HC5!
F!Horns:!Bb3HC5!
Low!Brass!&!Woodwinds:!B1HB2/B2HB3!
Bells/Triangle/Woodblock!
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Meter!

4/4!

Bb!Major!

Key!

Tempo!

Andante!
Allegro!

Rhythm!

Suggested!Listening!

See!attached!page!

Sandy!Feldstein:!
Reflections!
Flourish!
Talons!of!Fire!
John!OReilly!
Two!English!Dances!
Northridge!Overture!
Jubilee!Celebration!

Articulation!

Legato!

Dynamics!

mf,!f!

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Air!&!Allegro!

Publishing!Info!

1!

Technical!Considerations!

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Related!Articles!

Musical!Terms!Overview:!
The!terms!listed!above!should!be!comfortable!for!every!student!after!1!year!in!
band.!The!rhythms!may!still!be!difficult!but!shouldnt!take!long!for!a!student!to!
play.!Review!may!be!necessary!but!it!should!all!be!prior!knowledge.!
Instruments!Overview:!
The!range!of!each!instrument!is!well!within!their!playing!ability!after!one!year!of!
band.!The!key!of!Bb!is!confortable!for!most!students!by!this!time.!Clarinets!dont!
play!over!the!break!and!stick!to!their!lower!register.!Percussion!parts!are!very!
limited.!Innovation!on!the!teachers!part!for!percussion!parts!is!necessary.!There!
is!no!snare!or!bass!drum!part!for!percussion.!
!

"Air:!Meaning!of!Air!in!Opera."!Air:&
Meaning&of&Air&in&Opera.!Web.!25!Sept.!
2015.!
<http://www.naxos.com/mainsite/NewDes
ign/fglossary.files/bglossary.files/air.htm>.!!
"Allegro:!Meaning!of!Allegro!in!Opera."!
Allegro:&Meaning&of&Allegro&in&Opera.!Web.!
25!Sept.!2015.!
<http://www.naxos.com/mainsite/NewDes
ign/fglossary.files/bglossary.files/allegro.ht
m>.!!

Stylistic!Considerations!
Playing!style:!!
Dynamic!range!is!limited,!the!conductor!should!be!clear!about!the!dynamic!levels!
at!the!various!changes!in!form!in!the!piece.!Articulation!is!very!limited!to!just!
legato!style.!Notes!should!be!long!with!light!tonging!on!each!note.!
Formal!style:!!
The!piece!is!very!repetitive,!use!the!change!in!instrumentation!to!determine!
dynamic!level.!The!duet!section!can!be!quieter!section,!sort!of!like!a!refrain!to!
provide!contrast.!
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Form!

Measure!
1H8!

Section!
A!

9H16!

A!

17H24!
25H32!

B!
B!

33H44!

B!

45HEnd!

B!

Voicing/Important!Material!
Melody:!Flute,!Oboe,!Clarinet,!Alto!Sax,!Cornet,!Bells!
Accompaniment:!F!Horn,!Low!Brass!&!Woodwinds!
9H12!Flute/Oboe!&!Clarinet!play!a!duet!
13H16!return!of!melody!from!m.5H8!
Melody:!Clarinet,!Cornet!
Same!Melody!as!17H24!
Melody:!Flute,!Oboe,!Clarinet,!Alto!Sax,!Cornet!
Accompaniment:!F!Horn,!Low!Brass!&!Woodwinds,!
Woodblock,!Triangle!
Duet!between!Flute/Oboe/Clarinet!and!Alto!Sax/Cornet!
Accompaniment:!F!Horn,!Low!Brass,!Woodwinds!
Literally!the!same!as!25H32!

Air!&!Allegro!

2!

Air
Air (= Italian: aria) appearing sometimes with the earlier English spelling ayre, means a tune or
melody, for voice or instrument.
"Air:Meaning of Air in Opera." Air:Meaning of Air in Opera. Web. 25 Sept. 2015.
<http://www.naxos.com/mainsite/NewDesign/fglossary.files/bglossary.files/air.htm>.

Allegro
Allegro (Italian: cheerful, lively) is generally taken as fast, although not as fast as vivace or presto.
Allegretto is a diminutive, meaning slightly slower than allegro. These indications of speed or
tempo are used as general titles for pieces of music headed by instructions of this kind. The first
movement of a classical sonata, for example, is often 'an Allegro', just as the slow movement is
often 'an Adagio'.
"Allegro:Meaning of Allegro in Opera." Allegro:Meaning of Allegro in Opera. Web. 25 Sept. 2015.
<http://www.naxos.com/mainsite/NewDesign/fglossary.files/bglossary.files/allegro.htm>.

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