Finale from The Firebird Suite: Concert Band Conductor Score & Parts

Michael Story's arrangement strips away none of the Firebird's theatrical brilliance while making it genuinely playable for a Grade 3 ensemble. The percussion writing alone signals that this is no simplified reduction; Story has reconceived the orchestration with modern band voicing in mind, giving your ensemble a major work that feels like a major work. Programming this finale gives students the experience of performing a twentieth-century masterpiece without the technical burden of Stravinsky's original score.

Propulsive and exuberant. The Firebird finale crackles with forward motion and brass fanfares punctuated by brightly orchestrated woodwind passages. There is an infectious sense of celebration and mythic drama throughout; this is music built for a concert stage, not a practice room.

Directors programming a concert band festival or capstone performance and seeking a substantial twentieth-century work at an achievable level. This is ideal for ensembles ready to tackle serious repertoire without the extreme technical demands of advanced Grade 4 or 5 material.

• Establish the rhythmic vitality in sectional rehearsals before bringing the full band together. Stravinsky's metric drive depends on precision in individual parts; small ensemble work pays off immediately.
• Balance the percussion writing carefully. Story's additions are written to support and enliven the band texture, not overpower it. The percussion section needs rehearsal time independent from the full band.
• Shape the melodic lines with linear phrasing rather than chopping phrases into small gestures. Even in a contemporary work, the underlying song carries the movement.
• Attend to articulation clarity across the band. Stravinsky's energy comes from crisp articulation and rhythmic definition; inconsistent tonguing or staccato technique will blur the excitement.

Position this as the climactic major work on a concert program. Its theatrical nature and roughly 5-minute duration make it an excellent centerpiece that can follow lighter openers or smaller character pieces. It also works powerfully as a festival selection or as the finale of a spring concert celebrating the ensemble's growth through the year.

• Reading and executing rhythmic figures with metric shifts and syncopation
• Balancing mixed articulations (staccato, legato, accent) within ensemble textures
• Shaping longer melodic lines across phrase boundaries
• Coordinating rhythmic precision in rapid section passages
• Interpreting twentieth-century harmonic language and orchestral color