Overture To Taras Bulba (arr. Jeremy Martin): Concert Band Conductor Score & Parts
By Mykola Lysenko / Arranged by Jeremy Martin
Grade: 4
Item: 35-PK01513552
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Description
This is an outstanding overture, little heard and played in the western world, as with much Ukrainian music. The composer was embraced by Tchaikovsky, who particularly loved the opera.
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Additional Details
Publisher:
Hal Leonard
SKU:
35-PK01513552
More about this title
About the Composer: Mykola Lysenko
Mykola Lysenko (1842–1912) stands as the founding figure of Ukrainian classical music, creating a distinct national voice during a period of cultural suppression. His operas, symphonies, and choral works drew directly from Ukrainian folk traditions, establishing musical idioms that later composers would build upon. Tchaikovsky's admiration for Lysenko's work reflects the composer's genuine originality and the power of his melodies, which root themselves in the Ukrainian landscape and spirit.
Why we love this
This overture offers Grade 4 bands a sophisticated entry point into Ukrainian musical language without requiring heroic technical demands. The arrangement by Jeremy Martin preserves the opera's melodic richness while remaining accessible, and you'll find yourself with a genuinely unfamiliar work that still feels inevitable once your students have played it. Programming this piece signals to your audience that there's repertoire beyond the usual canon, and your band will play with the particular energy that comes from discovering something new.
What to expect
Lyrical and stately, with a distinctly Eastern European character that emerges through modal harmonies and folk-inflected melodies. The overture unfolds with dramatic restraint, building from intimate moments to fuller orchestration while maintaining an essential dignity throughout.
Who it's for
High school and advanced middle school bands looking to expand beyond Western European traditions. Directors preparing students to encounter non-standard repertoire with confidence and curiosity.
How to get the most out of it
- Shape the primary melody with vocal legit, allowing the long lines to breathe naturally rather than pushing through them mechanically.
- Balance inner voices carefully in the thicker ensemble passages so that the characteristic Ukrainian harmonic coloring remains audible beneath the surface.
- Attend to the sectional entrances in the opening material; clarity there establishes the overture's architectural foundation.
- Let the tempo settle into its natural pulse before rehearsal begins so that the rhythm section can anchor the broader phrasing.
How to use it
Pair this with other national school overtures to create a program celebrating how composers drew from their own musical traditions. It works equally well as a concert opener that signals something different ahead, or as the centerpiece of a thematic program exploring music beyond the standard wind band repertoire.
Skills your students will build
- Sustaining long melodic phrases with consistent tone and shape
- Balancing ensemble voices in dense harmonic writing
- Recognizing and responding to non-standard harmonic progressions
- Sectional clarity and precision in staggered entrances
- Maintaining musical focus during extended passages without strong rhythmic pulse