Grand Russian Fantasia: Concert Band Conductor Score

David Marlatt's arrangement transforms a cornet showpiece into a fully realized concert band work without diminishing the soloist's moment. The integration of "Kalinka" and the newly composed break strains give your ensemble genuinely interesting material to play, not just accompanimental padding, while keeping the cornet front and center where it belongs.

The piece sparkles with the virtuosic character of 19th-century brass solo writing while staying grounded in Russian melodic tradition. The new composed sections feel organic alongside the original fantasia material, creating a coherent musical journey rather than a patchwork of stylistic moments.

Directors programming concert band music at the Grade 3 level who want a solo feature with genuine orchestral weight behind it. Cornet players seeking a work that demands technical facility but rewards musical storytelling will find this both challenging and gratifying.

• Establish a clear leadership structure between your cornet soloist and the ensemble during the new break strains. These composed sections need the same rhythmic precision as the original material, so rehearse them as you would any tutti passage.
• Balance the folk melody "Kalinka" when it appears in the lower voices or secondary parts. The audience should hear it as an enriching harmonic element beneath the cornet line, not competing for attention.
• Give your cornet soloist multiple sectional rehearsals separate from full band. The technical demands are considerable, and the musician will benefit from focused work on the fast passagework and leaps.
• Shape the dynamics of the accompaniment to support rather than overshadow. The new parts are substantial, but they should breathe with the cornet's phrasing, not operate independently.

This works beautifully in the second half of a concert, after establishing your ensemble's ensemble sound with stronger unison pieces. The cornet spotlight and the familiar melodic appeal of "Kalinka" make it an effective audience connector while demonstrating your band's solo capabilities.

• Accompanying a featured soloist with independence and sensitivity
• Balancing secondary melodic material with a primary line
• Technical cornet playing including extended range and fast scalar passages
• Ensemble coordination across newly composed and traditional material
• Reading from a full conductor score with complex part textures