A “Basic” Repertoire List?
When I entered the University of Missouri-Kansas City’s Conservatory of Music as a viola performance major it was known to the orchestra conductor there that I wanted to be a conductor. As a matter of fact, one of the major reasons I went to UMKC was because Dr. Glenn Block allowed me to study conducting with him as an undergraduate.
I will never forget those first days at my private lessons. Within the first few lessons, Dr. Block handed me what he termed as a “basic repertoire and reading list” for conductors. The list included all of the standard repertoire one can think of for conductors and was followed by a “recommended reading” list that was full of amazing books.
20 years later this has got me to wondering. What is a “basic” repertoire list for conductors? I am talking about the beginner who is excited to become a conductor but doesn’t know where to begin in terms of repertoire.
What are some factors at play? Well, I think pretty much anything that is on the list should be available by Dover publications. I am not saying that Dover has the final word on authoritative editions, because some of their editions have serious flaws; but I am saying that we should assume young conductors don’t have unlimited funds at their disposal. However, I do think we should insist that all of our young conducting students purchase and own their own scores. (We should train them to build their own library!) Now, that being said, not every score listed below is available from Dover.
So, here’s a list that I compiled recently. It’s open to amendment, and I would love to hear your suggestions!
- Bach Orchestral Suites and Brandenburg Concertos
- Beethoven Symphonies, Violin Concerto, Piano Concerto No. 5
- Berlioz Symphonie Fantastique
- Bizet Carmen Suites
- Borodin Symphony No. 2, In the Steppes of Central Asia
- Brahms Symphonies, Double Concerto, Haydn Variations
- Copland Billy the Kid, Appalachian Spring (13 instruments version)
- Debussy La Mer
- Dvorak Symphonies No. 8 and 9
- Haydn Symphonies 99-104
- Mahler Symphony No. 1
- Mendelssohn Symphonies No. 4 and 5, Violin Concerto, Hebrides Overture
- Mozart Symphonies 35-41, Magic Flute Overture
- Prokofiev Symphonies No. 1 and 5, Piano Concerto No. 3, Peter and the Wolf
- Rachmaninov Piano Concertos No. 2 and 3
- Ravel La Valse, Bolero, Daphnis and Chloe Suite No. 2
- Rimsky-Korsakov Scheherazade, Russian Easter Overture, Capriccio Espagnol
- Saint-Saens Symphony No. 3 “Organ”
- Schubert Symphony No. 8, Octet
- Schumann Symphonies 1 – 4
- Shostakovich Symphony No. 5
- Sibelius Symphony No. 2, Finlandia
- Strauss Til Eulenspiegel, Don Quixote,
- Stravinsky Firebird, Petrouchka, Rite of Spring
- Tchaikovsky Symphonies 4-6, Violin Concerto, Nutcracker Ballet
- Verdi Forza del Destino Overture, Nabucco Overture
- Wagner Tristan und Isolde Prelude, Die Meistersingers Overture
Your thoughts are appreciated! What else do you think should make the list?
Jacob Harrison
brianstjohn
Nice list. I was surprised to see for Richard Strauss you included Don Quixotte rather than the seemingly more ubiquitous Don Juan, however.
Brian,
Really great post. I have a few of additions. Some are because I just like the works, some are because they are works that a student conductor who is just starting out might have more success putting together than a full Brahms Symphony, and some are works I had to prepare for graduate conducting program auditions.
Mozart and Beethoven overtures are all great access points to the style of those composers. And often they are more accessible than the full symphonies for a young conductor in front of a group early in their life/career.
Stravinsky’s Soldier’s Tale has been on numerous auditions for conducting programs. Especially the Royal March.
Barber – Knoxville Summer 1915, adagio for strings, 1st essay, 1st symphony (okay not available in Dover editions)
Mozart – Middle Symphonies 25, 29, 31 (All of Mozart’s symphonies are available in 3 Dover volumes)
Mahler – Songs of a Wayfarer – find lots of parts from his 1st symphony there.
Ravel – Pavane for a dead princess
Wagner – Reinzi, Flying Dutchman Overtures, and Siegfried idyll
Suppe – The three big overtures – Poet and Peasant; Morning, Noon, and Night, Light Cavalry
Like I said, great post and list!
Hi Guys,
What a great starting point for the conductor (or composer) for that matter. I have several thoughts on this.
From an economic standpoint, I can’t recommend Dover editions enough…do some of them leave something to be desired in terms of accuracy? Of course, but as a basic reference tool, they can’t be beat, and most of the time you have the added benefit of buying multiple works in one volume.
On that note: it may be worth mentioning that both Ricordi and Boosey have done similar things with some of their older stuff. Ricordi publishes a lovely full size edition of the big Respighi works (Fountains, Pines, and Feste Romane), and I’m sure they do the same with others. Boosey also publishes a lot of Copland the same way, my personal favorite contains the Clarinet Concerto, Danzon Cubano, Quiet City and a couple of others. As I recall, both of these ran about $30, slightly more than you’d pay for Dover, but still a bargain compared to buying them all separately, and compared to what a single work by a living composer (ie Torke or Adams) costs in an even smaller size.
As a young conductor, you might not be doing these pieces right out of the gate, but all of them are excellent resources for great orchestration technique!!!
Also, the new Shosti editions are worth checking out…newly typeset, newly edited with an eye to DSCH’s intentions, they are really good looking AND hard-bound. I’m not sure where you might be able to get your hands on them in the states, but I got my copies of Symph’s 5&6 through a friend in Europe…they ran about 30 euros a piece.
The IMSLP is a great source for pieces that are now public domain. Just be sure to read the information to see if it is legal to have in your country.
http://imslp.org/wiki/Main_Page
Thanks for all the replies to this thread!
I put Don Quixote rather than Don Juan on the list only for one reason: I have conducted Don Q but not Don Juan. I love Don Juan and I think it is definitely a valuable piece for a young (or beginning) conductor to see.
Andrew’s point about the Shostakovich editions and the Boosey and Hawkes editions is well made. The B&H editions offer a fantastic price for some great repertoire that used to be terribly expensive. And, these are great editions!
I think Jacob makes a great point about the Beethoven and Mozart overtures, as well as the earlier Mozart symphonies. A young conductor generally hasn’t developed the skill needed to read a score, much less conduct it, and these pieces are a great gateway to score reading.
Everybody has made some great points. Keep ‘em coming!
Brian St. John
Hello! I’m also a beginner-conductor, and I’ve found that conducting Tchaikovsky’s “Romeo & Juliet” Fantasy Overture gives me a good feel for syncopated rhythms.
Hi Alex,
Funny you should mention that piece! I have been working on it currently with an orchestra. It is a great piece to study and learn from. Tchaikovsky’s Nutcracker Ballet (not just the suite) has so many twists and turns that I think it should be “required repertoire” for someone in their master’s degree as an orchestral conductor. And, now that Dover has published it, it is affordable for the student conductor.
Brian
Would you care to publish also this “amazing books” list?
J. – I think that’s a great idea! Will do so in an post very soon!
Thanks! I’m looking forward to it.
No doubt, it will be of a great help to anyone who wishes to deepen his understanding of this profession and/or become a professional conductor (i.e. myself 
).