Wave: Full Orchestra, Conductor Score & Parts

Mike Lewis's orchestration brings Jobim's harmonic depth into vivid color while keeping the work accessible at Grade 3.5. The full instrumentation (including guitar, piano, and jazz bass alongside traditional strings and winds) creates an authentic Brazilian sound that feels fresh in a concert setting. Directors who program this find their orchestras engaged by music that swings, surprises, and rewards careful listening.

Warm, sophisticated, and gently syncopated. The orchestration glows with the interplay between traditional orchestral voices and the jazz-influenced rhythm section, creating a sound that feels both timeless and contemporary. There is elegance here without pretension.

Orchestras at the intermediate level looking to expand beyond European classical tradition into music that teaches harmonic listening and Latin rhythm. Teachers seeking a piece that excites advanced middle school or high school musicians while remaining within their technical reach.

• Balance the rhythm section (guitar, piano, jazz bass, drums) so the groove sits cleanly under the melodic lines without overwhelming the strings or winds.
• Let the harmonic progressions breathe; Jobim's chord changes reward slightly relaxed, conversational tempos that allow the ensemble to hear the sophistication underneath.
• Bring out the percussion and drum set part as a textural partner, not just timekeeping. This arrangement depends on rhythmic color to achieve its full character.
• Shape phrases with the natural lilt of the Brazilian idiom; avoid conducting these sections with the rigidity you might use for classical works.

Position this as a bridge between classical repertoire and world music studies, or use it to open a pops concert with sophistication. It pairs well alongside other Latin American works or as a striking contrast to Romantic-era symphonic music.

• Reading and balancing jazz-influenced harmony within a full orchestra texture
• Playing with swing feel and syncopation alongside traditional rhythm section musicians
• Listening for and executing the rhythmic lift characteristic of Brazilian music
• Responding to harmonic surprises and unconventional voice leading in a scored context