Dance of the Hours: Full Orchestra Conductor Score & Parts

$59.00 USD

Dance of the Hours: Full Orchestra Conductor Score & Parts

Name: Dance of the Hours: Full Orchestra Conductor Score & Parts
Brand: Alfred Music
SKU: 00-45891
Price: 59.00 USD
Availability: InStock

From La Guiconda

By Amilcare Ponchielli / arr. Richard Meyer

Grade: 2.5

Item: 00-45891

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Your orchestra will love the chance to play these ever-popular tunes from Ponchielli's opera La Gioconda, as arranged by Richard Meyer. Instantly recognizable to any audience, this arrangement retains the sound of the original and gives students a chance to develop the variety of techniques needed to perform two very different styles of dance music. The key has been changed (from E major to G major) and the time signature simplified (from 4/8 to 4/4), but none of the fun is missing! (3:20)

Don't just read it, hear it, play along with it, and watch your students grow with it. In MakeMusic Cloud, Dance of the Hours: Full Orchestra Conductor Score & Parts comes alive with professional accompaniment, adjustable tempo, and built-in practice tools that turn solo practice into real progress.

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Series: Highland/Etling First Philharmonic

Publisher: Alfred Music

Page Count: 208

ISBN10: 1-4706-6110-1

ISBN13: 978-1-4706-6110-6

UPC: 038081526515

SKU: 00-45891

More about this title

About the Composer: Amilcare Ponchielli

Amilcare Ponchielli (1834-1886) composed during Italy's golden age of opera, creating works that balanced dramatic storytelling with instrumental brilliance. His most enduring opera, La Gioconda, premiered in 1876 and remains a staple of opera houses worldwide, valued for its memorable melodies and orchestral color.

The "Dance of the Hours" from La Gioconda showcases Ponchielli's gift for writing dance music that is both elegant and immediately engaging. The piece has transcended its operatic origins to become a concert favorite, familiar to audiences through countless arrangements and popular culture appearances.

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Why we love this

Richard Meyer's arrangement strips away nothing essential while making the work genuinely playable for a Grade 2.5 ensemble. The transposition to G major and the shift to common time preserve the character of Ponchielli's original while removing unnecessary complications, leaving your students to focus on the conducting and musical demands that actually matter.

What to expect

The first section sparkles with ballroom elegance and light-footed rhythmic precision. The second dance enters with pageantry and stately grace, transforming the mood while keeping the same essential melodic DNA. Together, they showcase the spectrum of orchestral color available at this level.

Who it's for

Orchestra directors programming a concert or festival performance who need a piece that audiences recognize instantly and that students find genuinely rewarding to play. The Grade 2.5 level makes this accessible to developing orchestras without sacrificing orchestral color or musical substance.

How to get the most out of it

Balance the contrasting characters of the two dances by clarifying the structural break between them; the first has a buoyant waltz quality while the second is more stately and processional.
Shape the melodic lines with intention rather than playing through them mechanically; even at this level, careful phrase direction transforms this piece from pleasant to compelling.
Lock your rhythm section (timpani, bass, cello) early in rehearsal so the dancers have a stable foundation; this frees your upper voices to breathe and ornament the melody.

How to use it

Program this as a concert opener or closer to provide immediate audience connection, or pair it with more substantial contemporary works to demonstrate the range your orchestra can command. It also works beautifully in a pop classics or light music context that celebrates orchestral music beyond the concert hall.