Minotaur: String Orchestra Conductor Score & Parts

$62.00 USD

Minotaur: String Orchestra Conductor Score & Parts

Name: Minotaur: String Orchestra Conductor Score & Parts
Brand: Alfred Music
SKU: 00-40474
Price: 62.00 USD
Availability: InStock

By Richard Meyer

Grade: 4

Item: 00-40474

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The myth of the minotaur---half-man, half-bull---has haunted generations since it was first told centuries ago. This colorful tone painting will give your advanced high school orchestra a real workout and challenge every section as they tell the story of the warrior Theseus' descent into the mysterious labyrinth and his heroic struggle with the terrible monster within. An outstanding opportunity for cross-curricular studies, this epic piece is sure to become a favorite of your students and your audience. This title is available in MakeMusic Cloud.

Don't just read it, hear it, play along with it, and watch your students grow with it. In MakeMusic Cloud, Minotaur: String Orchestra Conductor Score & Parts comes alive with professional accompaniment, adjustable tempo, and built-in practice tools that turn solo practice into real progress.

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Series: Highland/Etling String Orchestra

Publisher: Alfred Music

Page Count: 124

UPC: 038081454320

SKU: 00-40474

More about this title

About the Composer: Richard Meyer

Richard Meyer spent 35 years teaching strings across elementary, middle, and high school levels in California public schools. At Oak Avenue Intermediate School in Temple City, he transformed a program of 29 students into one that reached 200, while simultaneously overseeing the district's elementary string curriculum. His work earned national recognition, particularly through the "Giving Bach" program he launched in 2009, which uses interactive concerts to connect special needs and underserved students with live music.

Beyond the classroom, Meyer has guest-conducted All-State and Honor Orchestras in multiple states and served as music director of the Pasadena Youth Symphony Orchestra for 16 years, taking them on tours throughout North America, Europe, and Australia. His compositional output exceeds 190 works, and he spent 16 years as string editor for Alfred Publishing Company. He co-authored the String Explorer Series and Sight-read It for Strings, making him a defining voice in string pedagogy.

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Why we love this

Meyer writes for the orchestras he knows intimately. The piece demands serious technical chops without ever feeling like it's showing off; the storytelling stays central. Every section gets moments to shine, which keeps rehearsals engaging and gives students real agency in shaping the narrative arc.

What to expect

The music evokes the suffocating mystery of the labyrinth, building from uneasy stillness into moments of brutal confrontation. Theseus' heroic struggle comes alive through shifting instrumental colors, tension-and-release phrasing, and a finale that resolves the ancient conflict with genuine musical satisfaction.

Who it's for

Advanced high school orchestras ready for a piece that challenges every section technically and musically. The Grade 4 difficulty demands mature intonation, consistent articulation, and rhythmic precision, making it ideal for orchestras with two or more years of strong ensemble experience.

How to get the most out of it

Build the dynamic arc intentionally across the full piece. Meyer's layering of instrumental voices rewards sustained ensemble discipline; rushing the climactic moments wastes their dramatic power.
Let the lower strings anchor the labyrinth atmosphere early on. Their rhythmic and harmonic foundation supports the upper strings' more exposed writing later.
Mark clear sectional checkpoints during rehearsal so students understand where Theseus is in his journey. The structure becomes transparent once they can map the story to the music.
Record a run-through before contest or performance. Hearing themselves reveals balance issues and ensemble unity problems that are harder to catch in the room.

How to use it

Pair this on a spring concert with lighter works to showcase your program's full range and technical maturity. Its programmatic nature also makes it a natural anchor for an interdisciplinary assembly or special concert tied to humanities curriculum.

Skills your students will build

Executing precise attacks and releases across multiple instrumental sections
Shaping long-line phrasing that serves narrative arc rather than simple melodic interest
Reading complex rhythmic figures while maintaining ensemble cohesion
Sustaining consistent intonation during extended passages with minimal rhythmic motion
Balancing transparent orchestration so inner voices project without overpowering soloists
Interpreting programmatic content through dynamic and timbral choices