Xerxes: Largo Cover Image

Xerxes: Largo: Concert Band Conductor Score & Parts

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Xerxes: Largo Cover Image
Xerxes: Largo: Concert Band Conductor Score & Parts

Xerxes: Largo: Concert Band Conductor Score & Parts

By George Frideric Handel / arr. Gary Fagan

Grade: 2

Item: 36-20160535
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Description
One of the most beautiful and best loved melodies of the Baroque era scored for solo with band accompaniment. Fagan has scored this masterpiece with the option of solo parts for oboe, clarinet, horn or saxophone. An excellent number to display a student's or guest soloist's tone quality and musicianship.

Don't just read it, hear it, play along with it, and watch your students grow with it. In MakeMusic Cloud, Xerxes: Largo: 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: Great Works Publishing - LudwigMasters
Publisher: Keiser Productions, Inc.
UPC: 660355036651
SKU: 36-20160535
Instrumentation: Band

More about this title

About the Composer: George Frideric Handel

George Frideric Handel (1685-1759) stands as one of the Baroque era's most prolific and commercially successful composers. Born in Halle, Germany, he spent much of his career in England, where he became a master of opera, oratorio, and instrumental music. His gift for melody remains unmatched; audiences have sung and played his tunes for nearly 300 years.

Handel's music reached people across all social classes during his lifetime, from royal courts to public theaters. This accessibility, combined with his structural clarity and emotional directness, makes his work ideal for education. Teachers and conductors return to Handel repeatedly because his melodies teach musicianship naturally.

Why we love this

This arrangement taps into one of the most immediately beautiful melodies in Western music history while creating a genuine solo spotlight. The Grade 2 accessibility means your ensemble can actually serve the soloist rather than fight the arrangement, and the multiple solo options (oboe, clarinet, horn, or saxophone) let you feature whoever in your program needs the stage time and confidence boost.

What to expect

Serene and noble. The Largo unfolds with unhurried dignity, asking both soloist and ensemble to find beauty in restraint. There's no urgency here, only the sustained warmth of a melody that invites listeners into a moment of genuine repose.

Who it's for

This works perfectly for any conductor seeking a showpiece that features a solo voice without overwhelming the ensemble. It suits concert or festival programming where a student or guest soloist needs a vehicle that lets musicianship shine. Even strong Grade 2 bands will sound polished and mature playing it.

How to get the most out of it

  • Choose your soloist based on who needs the musical responsibility and tone-building opportunity, not just who plays it best technically. This piece rewards singers more than showoffs.
  • Shape the accompaniment as a true support system. The band should breathe with the soloist, never push ahead or settle into a mechanical pulse.
  • Balance the solo line so it can breathe without forcing. Handel's melody does the work; the band's job is to frame it, not fill space around it.

How to use it

Program this as a concert centerpiece that slows the pace and showcases artistry. It pairs well alongside faster, brasher concert band repertoire, giving your audience a chance to hear what careful, lyrical playing sounds like. Consider it also for honor band festivals or solo competition accompaniment.

Skills your students will build

  • Sustaining legit tone without vibrato or artificial coloring
  • Following and supporting a solo line with rhythmic precision and sensitivity
  • Balancing ensemble sound in lower dynamics (pp-p range typical of Grade 2 Baroque arrangements)
  • Phrasing music without text or program notes to guide emotional shape

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