Noon Witch, The (Polednice, Op. 108, B. 196) Cover Image

Noon Witch, The (Polednice, Op. 108, B. 196): Full Orchestra, Conductor Score & Parts

$75.00 USD
$75.00 USD
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Noon Witch, The (Polednice, Op. 108, B. 196) Cover Image
Noon Witch, The (Polednice, Op. 108, B. 196): Full Orchestra, Conductor Score & Parts

Noon Witch, The (Polednice, Op. 108, B. 196): Full Orchestra, Conductor Score & Parts

By Antonín Dvorák

Item: 36-A535802
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Noon Witch, The (Polednice, Op. 108, B. 196): Full Orchestra, Conductor Score

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Description
In 1896, soon after his return from America to his Bohemian homeland, Antonín Dvorák wrote a set of four orchestral pieces based on Karel Jaromír Erben's collection of poetry A BOUQUET OF FOLK LEGENDS. Included among these was his tone poem THE NOON WITCH (POLEDNICE), OP. 108, B. 196. It relates the tale of a mother who warns her unruly child that if he doesn't mend his behavior, the Noon Witch will come to snatch him away. When the witch does finally appear, the mother tries to protect him in an effort that results in tragic consequences. The work premiered on June 3, 1896 at the Prague Conservatory under the baton of Antonín Bennewitz. Henry Wood directed the first public performance in London on November 21. Instrumentation: 2+Picc.2.2+BCl.2: 4.2.3.1: Timp.Perc(4): Str (9.8.7.6.5 in set).

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Additional Details
Series: Kalmus Orchestra Library
Publisher: Keiser Productions, Inc.
UPC: 659859125749
SKU: 36-A535802
Instrumentation: 2+Picc.2.2+BCl.2: 4.2.3.1: Timp.Perc(4): Str (9.8.7.6.5 in set)

More about this title

About the Composer: Antonín Dvorák

Antonín Dvorák (1841-1904) stands among the most performed symphonists of the late Romantic era, yet he remains fundamentally a nationalist composer whose music draws its vitality from Czech folk idioms and cultural identity. After establishing himself across Europe, Dvorák spent three years in America (1892-1895) as director of the National Conservatory in New York, an experience that enriched his harmonic palette and orchestration but ultimately drew him back to Bohemia, where he composed some of his most inventive works.

His four orchestral tone poems, written in 1896, represent a peak in his mastery of narrative musical storytelling and orchestral color. Dvorák's ability to evoke atmosphere, drama, and folk sensibility within large orchestral forms made him essential repertoire for conductors seeking works that engage audiences while demanding serious musicianship from players.

Why we love this

This tone poem delivers genuine dramatic impact without requiring an enormous orchestra or unmanageable rehearsal demands. Dvorák's instrumentation is colorful and idiomatically written for each section, making individual parts rewarding to play rather than merely functional, and the narrative arc is so clear that even younger orchestras grasp the musical storytelling immediately.

What to expect

A fairy tale told with complete seriousness. The opening is deceptively gentle, even domestic, but tension accumulates through unsettling instrumental colors and rhythmic distortions as the witch materializes. The final tragedy lands hard because Dvorák grounds it in real maternal anxiety rather than abstract horror.

Who it's for

Conductors leading orchestras at the upper high school, college, or semi-professional level who want a work of genuine artistic substance that sits comfortably within the capabilities of most ensembles. The piece rewards careful preparation and offers real opportunities for teaching orchestral color and dramatic pacing.

How to get the most out of it

  • Establish the mother's character in the opening theme with warmth and stability; this makes the witch's arrival feel genuinely unsettling by contrast rather than merely loud.
  • Balance the witch's music between grotesqueness and genuine menace. The strangeness comes from orchestral color and rhythmic displacement, not from forcing the tempo.
  • Shape the climactic struggle between mother and witch through dynamic control and textural layering rather than relying solely on speed; give the ensemble room to hear the interweaving lines.
  • Reserve full orchestral power for the final tragic resolution. If you've spent the entire climax at maximum volume, you sacrifice the emotional weight of the ending.

How to use it

Program this alongside other late-Romantic tone poems or contemporary Dvorák works to create thematic coherence around nationalism and folklore. It also pairs well with music of similar dramatic intensity and orchestral sophistication, serving as a centerpiece work that demonstrates your ensemble's ability to shape narrative and color at scale.

Skills your students will build

  • Reading and balancing complex orchestral textures with multiple simultaneous melodic lines
  • Executing rhythmic precision in syncopated and asymmetrical passages that support the witch's dissonant character
  • Responding to subtle dynamic and color shifts that convey dramatic tension without sudden tempo changes
  • Sustaining ensemble cohesion during extended climactic passages with rapid harmonic and textural changes

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