Superman Returns: Viola
Featuring: Power of the Sun / You’re Not One of Them / Superman Theme / Can You Read My Mind?
Arr. Bob Cerulli
Grade: 3
Item: 00-PC-0015668_VA1
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Description
A super hit! The excitement, rhythmic drive and harmonic color of the original score are maintained throughout this arrangement of blockbuster, iconic melodies. Featuring "Power of the Sun," "You're Not One of Them," "Superman Theme," and "Can You Read My Mind? (Love Theme from Superman)." 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, Superman Returns: Viola 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:
Pop Intermediate Full Orchestra
Publisher:
Alfred Music
Page Count:
208
SKU:
00-PC-0015668_VA1
More about this title
About the Arranger: Bob Cerulli
Bob Cerulli's career spans performance, composition, and education. A double bass specialist trained at the Curtis Institute of Music, he held principal positions with the Greater Trenton Symphony, the New Jersey Capital Philharmonic Orchestra, and the Delaware Valley Philharmonic Orchestra, and performed with the Buffalo Philharmonic. His freelance work in Philadelphia and Atlantic City brought him into collaboration with renowned composers including Henry Mancini, Bill Conte, Michel LeGrand, and Marvin Hamlisch, as well as with major recording artists.
Cerulli's creative output includes orchestral works such as Celebration, which was performed by the Philadelphia Orchestra, and Romance in D Major for cello and piano, commissioned for Philadelphia Orchestra Principal Cellist William Stokking. He taught public school music for 29 years and currently serves as Senior Adjunct Professor at Rowan College at Burlington County, where he continues to conduct orchestral reading sessions and festival performances.
Why we love this
Cerulli captures the heroic sweep and propulsive energy of the original score while respecting the capabilities of Grade 3 orchestras. The arrangement preserves the memorable melodic hooks that audiences recognize instantly, so students feel the satisfaction of playing music that lands with real impact. Directors appreciate how the harmonic color and rhythmic drive remain sophisticated without demanding virtuosic chops.
What to expect
Heroic and propulsive, with blockbuster film score grandeur scaled for student musicians. The four themes weave between moments of thunderous unison strength and soaring lyrical passages, all delivered with the harmonic richness and rhythmic vitality that made the original instantly iconic.
Who it's for
This arrangement works for intermediate orchestras ready to tackle a full instrumentation with serious scoring but without extreme technical demands. It's ideal for conductors who want their ensemble to experience contemporary orchestral literature with real structural sophistication and audience appeal.
How to get the most out of it
- Balance the brass section carefully during the "Superman Theme" statement; the trumpets should project but never overwhelm the strings carrying counter-melody.
- Lock the rhythmic drive with your percussion and low strings. This score thrives on forward momentum, so establish a strong pulse through the bass line and timpani.
- Shape the "Can You Read My Mind?" love theme with lyrical phrasing in the winds and strings; resist the urge to rush despite the slower tempo marking.
- Use the tutti moments to build dramatic peaks. The full orchestra statements need weight and precision, so rehearse dynamics and entrance alignments separately before running full sections.
How to use it
Program this as a concert closer or featured opening number, depending on your programming arc. It pairs well with other contemporary film music arrangements at the intermediate level, or stand alone as the highlight of a "Hollywood" themed concert that draws family audiences.
Skills your students will build
- Balancing independent melodic lines within a full orchestral texture
- Executing rhythmic precision across multiple instrumental sections
- Shaping extended lyrical phrases without losing forward momentum
- Reading and responding to conductor gesture cues in score with multiple simultaneous ideas
- Dynamic control in both soft sustained passages and powerful tutti climaxes