Air & Rigaudon: Concert Band Conductor Score & Parts

Victor López's arrangement captures the lyric beauty of Grieg's originals while writing idiomatically for concert band voices. The pairing of "Air" and "Rigaudon" gives your band a chance to move between introspection and character without the weight of a full five-movement suite, making these two movements valuable building blocks for a program that needs elegance and personality at grade 3.

The "Air" unfolds with the quiet nobility of a prayer or meditation, its gentle contours inviting players to find the singing quality in their lines. The "Rigaudon" pivots into French courtly wit, full of ornament and bounce, with the energy of dancers in period dress moving through structured steps with grace and restraint.

Directors programming concerts or festivals who want substantial, recognized music at a manageable grade level, and bands with players ready to balance technical demands with expressive, song-like playing. These movements work equally well for groups building confidence with Romantic-era literature and ensembles seeking concert repertoire with immediate musical satisfaction.

• Shape the "Air" with a long phrase arc; resist the urge to breathe at obvious bar lines. Let the melody speak as a single utterance across the ABA form, with the B section offering contrast in color rather than a hard reset.
• In the "Rigaudon," keep the rhythmic energy dancing and light. The French baroque character relies on clarity and buoyancy rather than volume; light articulation and precise attacks will serve the style better than weight.
• Balance the melodic material between your first and second instruments carefully. López's arrangement voices these movements across the band, so sectional independence and listening to neighbors will shape the ensemble sound.
• Use the tempo markings to guide your interpretation. The "Air" benefits from a steady, singing pulse; the "Rigaudon" from forward motion and rhythmic vitality without rushing.

Pair these two movements to anchor a concert's middle section, where they bridge more strenuous repertoire with a shift in mood and energy. If your band is preparing other Holberg movements (available separately), consider how these two might sit alongside them in a concert; they can stand alone powerfully or complete the suite if you choose to program all five movements across a season.

• Phrasing across bar lines and formal sections (ABA form)
• Balancing lyrical expression with rhythmic clarity in Baroque-influenced contexts
• Sectional independence and listening to multiple melodic lines
• Articulation and style contrast between slow, singing passages and dance rhythms
• Dynamic control and shaping in music without constant surface activity