Fiktive Tänze (Zweiter Band): Full Scores

Herrmann's approach to wind ensemble writing moves beyond conventional textures by building sophisticated rhythmic and metric relationships that reward careful study. The work's 13-minute span and premiere pedigree (Ensemble Intercontemporain under Susanna Mälkki) signal serious artistic ambition without sacrificing engaging material for your ensemble.

The work pulses with intricate, overlapping rhythmic patterns that create a sense of forward propulsion without relying on traditional harmonic progression. Herrmann's "fiktive dances" (fictional dances) suggest movement and gesture while maintaining an intellectual rigor that unfolds across the work's arc.

This conducting score serves directors leading advanced wind ensembles with the technical skill and interpretive maturity to navigate contemporary compositional techniques. The work demands players comfortable with mixed meters and precise rhythmic independence, making it suitable for college-level, professional, or highly accomplished high school programs.

• Study the metric relationships across sections before rehearsal; the score's multiple layers demand conductor clarity about which rhythms align and which deliberately cross.
• Balance transparency with the tightly woven texture by identifying which instrumental voices carry structural weight at each moment, then adjust voicing dynamics accordingly.
• Use the 108-page score to map section rehearsals efficiently; prepare players to work in smaller instrumental groups before full ensemble runs to build rhythmic independence.

Pair this with other contemporary wind ensemble works to create a concert focused on 21st-century composition, or program it as a centerpiece that demonstrates your ensemble's range and technical sophistication to university recruiters or funding bodies. Its 13-minute duration fits naturally into a mixed program without dominating concert time.

• Coordinating multiple independent metric layers within a single ensemble
• Reading complex rhythmic notation across diverse instrumental sections
• Responding to precise conducting gestures in non-traditional metric contexts
• Balancing individual rhythmic accuracy with collective ensemble sound