Ride of the Valkyries: Concert Band Conductor Score & Parts
By Richard Wagner / arr. Mark Williams
Grade: 2 (Medium Easy)
Item: 00-PK-0001920
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Description
This arrangement of a famous Wagner composition is from the opera Die Walküre and is skillfully presented here for the maturing intermediate concert band. Your brass players will have a great time playing the spectacular melody, while flutes and clarinets add trills and triplet figures that create tension and excitement. Your audience will be highly impressed with this dazzling adaptation of a popular classic. (Grade 3---Medium Easy)
Don't just read it, hear it, play along with it, and watch your students grow with it. In MakeMusic Cloud, Ride of the Valkyries: Concert Band 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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Additional Details
Series:
Growing Band Series
Publisher:
Alfred Music
Page Count:
138
SKU:
00-PK-0001920
More about this title
About the Composer: Richard Wagner
Richard Wagner (1813–1883) was a German composer whose dramatic operas fundamentally reshaped the musical landscape of the 19th century. His innovative use of leitmotif (recurring musical themes tied to characters and ideas) and his expansion of harmonic language made him a towering figure in Romantic music, influencing composers across generations.
Why we love this
Mark Williams captures the raw orchestral power of this iconic Wagner moment and translates it brilliantly for the intermediate band ensemble. The arrangement respects the original's dramatic sweep while giving your brass section a showstopping melodic role and your woodwinds genuinely interesting rhythmic and textural work. This is the kind of piece that reminds your students and audience why they love concert band.
What to expect
This is orchestral spectacle brought within reach of the intermediate band. The famous melody charges forward with Germanic swagger and operatic grandeur, while underneath it surges a relentless rhythmic undercurrent that propels the music toward climactic moments of tremendous impact.
Who it's for
This arrangement suits bands with solid fundamental musicianship but still developing technical facility. Your brass section needs confidence with sustained melodic playing and clean attacks, while your woodwinds benefit from adequate facility with ornamental figures but don't need virtuosic agility.
How to get the most out of it
- Balance the brass melody so it sings clearly over the driving accompaniment in the lower voices; the tune should feel heroic, not buried.
- Shape the flute and clarinet trills with precision and consistent tone quality; they drive the harmonic tension and need to sparkle without sounding thin.
- Build the dynamic intensity gradually through repetitions of the main idea rather than jumping immediately to full fortissimo; let the excitement grow organically.
- Lock the ensemble on the triplet figures and rhythmic patterns; clarity here prevents the texture from becoming muddy as the arrangement thickens.
How to use it
Place this near the finale of a concert where you want to leave a lasting impression. It pairs well with other Romantic or Wagner-inspired works and gives your band a chance to show range beyond traditional band repertoire. The substantial page count and concert/festival designation also make it a natural choice for a full-length spring concert or adjudicated festival performance.
Skills your students will build
- Sustaining lyrical melodic lines over extended phrases
- Blending brass choir sound while maintaining melodic clarity
- Playing ornamental figures (trills, triplet patterns) with rhythmic precision
- Shaping dynamic intensity across an entire section rather than isolated climaxes
- Balancing texture when multiple rhythmic layers exist simultaneously