Pavane (Pour Une Infante Defunte): Concert Band Conductor Score & Parts

Robert W. Smith's band arrangement captures Ravel's harmonic sophistication without overwhelming developing musicians. The interplay between the delicate percussion effects and the wind chorale creates a piece that sounds far more advanced than its Grade 2 rating suggests, making it ideal for concert programming that doesn't sacrifice artistry for accessibility.

The piece unfolds like a procession, spare and reverent. Bells and triangle shimmer overhead while the winds carry a solemn, singing melody through soft dynamic shifts. There's an elegance to the restraint, a sense of music that knows its own beauty without needing to shout.

Young bands working at Grade 2 who want to program something musically substantial. Directors preparing students for contests, festivals, or concert performances will find this piece rewarding to teach because it demands sensitivity and control without excessive technical demand.

• Balance the triangle and bells gently against the wind voices; these percussion colors define the arrangement's character and shouldn't be buried under the band's full sound.
• Shape the wind lines with long, connected phrasing that mirrors vocal music. Think of each section as singing through the harmonic progression rather than hitting individual chords.
• Take time to rehearse the dynamics carefully. The gradual rise and fall that Smith writes into the wind parts is what gives the piece its emotional arc.
• Let the ensemble sit with the opening chorale at a moderate tempo before moving forward. Stillness here sets up the entire performance.

Open a concert with this as a contrasting choice to typical Grade 2 fare, letting the audience settle into listening. Pair it with one or two more energetic selections to showcase range, or use it as the poignant midpoint of a mixed program that moves from lighter to darker material.

• Sustained phrasing and breath control in slow tempos
• Dynamic shaping and ensemble balance in soft passages
• Sensitivity to percussion color and texture blending
• Harmonic listening and intonation within impressionistic harmony
• Counting and ensemble precision through longer, less rhythmically active passages