Dragonfly: String Orchestra Conductor Score & Parts

$49.00 USD

Dragonfly: String Orchestra Conductor Score & Parts

Name: Dragonfly: String Orchestra Conductor Score & Parts
Brand: Alfred Music
SKU: 00-40472
Price: 49.00 USD
Availability: InStock

By Doug Spata

Grade: 2.5

Item: 00-40472

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Sixteenth-note runs dart across shifting meters, passing between parts before landing firmly in 3/4 time in this exciting piece in G minor for intermediate to advanced groups. As the accompaniment buzzes with intensity, dark themes emerge from the low voices, reaching down to the C strings of the cellos and violas, settling into a languid glide, and back again into a furious conclusion. Precision, musicianship, and ensemble playing skills are at the forefront of this exciting piece, which is sure to dazzle audiences and young musicians alike. This title is available in MakeMusic Cloud.

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Series: Highland/Etling String Orchestra

Publisher: Alfred Music

Page Count: 124

UPC: 038081454283

SKU: 00-40472

More about this title

About the Composer: Doug Spata

Doug Spata came to composition through his work as an orchestra educator, and that classroom experience shaped his voice as a writer. A clarinetist by training, he discovered that strings became his primary focus, resulting in music that teachers and students genuinely want to play. His works have earned recognition across the country and internationally, and his catalog extends well beyond the student repertoire into opera, ballet, symphonies, and chamber music for ensembles of every size.

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Why we love this

Spata writes with genuine understanding of what intermediate-advanced orchestras can accomplish, and Dragonfly proves it. The shifting meters and rapid sixteenth-note figures demand precision without sacrificing the joy of playing something that feels genuinely virtuosic, and the dark sonorities in the lower voices give the piece real dramatic weight that audiences respond to immediately.

What to expect

Restless energy fueled by fast sixteenth-note patterns that create a sense of movement and flight. Underneath the activity sits something darker and more introspective, especially when the cellos and violas settle into that languid section, before everything ignites again with renewed intensity.

Who it's for

Intermediate to advanced string orchestras ready for rhythmic complexity and ensemble coordination challenges. This works beautifully for groups seeking contest or concert repertoire with genuine musical substance and audience appeal.

How to get the most out of it

Establish the meter shifts early in rehearsal by isolating passages where the meter changes occur; have sections count independently before locking the ensemble together so the transitions feel inevitable rather than disruptive.
Balance the accompanimental buzzing against the thematic material emerging from violas and cellos; those dark voices need to sing through the texture, not disappear under the rhythmic activity above.
Mark a clear distinction between the furious sections and the languid glide passage by adjusting bow weight and vibrato intensity; the contrast makes both sections land harder when they return.

How to use it

Schedule this as a showcase piece mid-concert where its virtuosic demands and dramatic arc command full attention. It pairs well alongside contrasting slower works and gives orchestras a chance to demonstrate both rhythmic sophistication and expressive range in a single program.