Furioso: String Orchestra Conductor Score & Parts

Smith writes with genuine understanding of what beginning string orchestras can achieve, and Furioso captures that energy without resorting to gimmicks or oversimplification. The built-in teaching notes give you insight into his compositional choices, making this piece as valuable in rehearsal as it is in performance. This is music that will genuinely excite your students and motivate the practice hours they need to master it.

Furioso crackles with the restless energy of musicians discovering what their instruments can do. The music pulses forward with relentless drive, punctuated by moments where intensity peaks and settles, giving your students the chance to experience dynamic shaping at a fundamental level.

This piece is written for Grade 2.5 string orchestras at the earliest stages of their musical training. It works especially well for groups preparing for contest or festival performance, since it's designed to showcase genuine musicianship and growing technical facility without overwhelming students.

• Emphasize the dynamic contrasts throughout; Smith uses shifts in volume to sustain momentum, so ensure your ensemble commits fully to both the intense passages and the brief moments of restraint.
• Work the rhythm section (violas and cellos) first in isolation to lock the foundational pulse before layering in the melodic lines, since the piece's energy depends on rock-solid harmonic support.
• Balance the parts so that principal melodic voices cut through without drowning out inner voices; at this level, students often struggle to hear their own part in a full texture.
• Use the composer's notes in the score as a teaching tool during rehearsals; they explain his intent and help students understand why certain technical demands are placed on them.

Position this as a centerpiece in an early-season concert or festival appearance; it's compact enough to work alongside lighter pieces but substantial enough to anchor a program. The 1:26 duration makes it ideal for festival competitions where time slots are limited and impact matters.

• Dynamic control and sustaining intensity through phrase-long passages
• Rhythmic precision in unison and divisi textures
• Balancing independent string parts within an ensemble texture
• Reading articulation markings and translating them into bow control
• Responding to tempo and character direction from a conductor