Klarinet Archive - Posting 000778.txt from 2003/05

From: "James O'Briant" <jobriant@-----.com>
Subj: RE: [kl] Mr. Sousa and the Eb Clarinet
Date: Thu, 29 May 2003 14:55:19 -0400

Allen J. Levin wrote, in part:

I seem to recall that there are some 300 Sousa Marches.

Paul Bierley's thoroughly researched book, "The Works of John Philip
Sousa," lists them all, and the list is far more complete than that
contained in Sousa's autobiography, "Marching Along." (Both of these
books are available through the Bayside Music Press website at:

http://www.baysidemusicpress.com

> From time to time there have been announcements of
> intentions to publish all of them- ...

Some remain unpublished to this day. One interesting example is one
titled simply "Circus March," which is now available in Bryan Doughty's
arrangement for Brass Quintet.

> About 40 years ago one of Sousa's drummers
> started to prepare "new" drum parts for many
> of the published marches. It seems that Sousa
> composed 2 sets for the published and/or recorded
> marches. He saved the livelier versions for live
> public performances so that the "real thing"
> really did sound better.

That would be August Helmecke, who was Sousa's bass drummer for many
years. A number of Sousa marches on which Sam Fox Publishing Co. held
the copyrights were re-published in the early 1950's in so-called "new"
editions, with the drum parts edited by Helmecke.

Sousa's performance practices on most of the marches were different from
the written and published parts, but for the most part these deviations
from the printed versions weren't written down. Sousa told the men what
to do and they did it, perhaps with some notations on their own parts.
Sousa's motivation was just what Allen stated -- he wanted a "live"
Sousa Band Concert to sound better than any other band playing the same
music.

Unfortunately, the "Helmecke editions" also contain many inaccuracies,
such as newly-created parts for Alto and Bass Clarinet, that differ
markedly from the original parts used by Sousa, which weren't included
in some early editions.

Several people who know far more about Sousa and his music than I have
told me that for new editions that accurately reflect the Sousa Band's
performance practice, the best are those edited by Bryon or Fennell;
these same folks tell me that they avoid editions by Gore.

Jim O'Briant
Bayside Music Press
Gilroy, CA 95020

http://www.baysidemusicpress.com

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