Dragons

Composer: David Heuser
Instrumentation: Wind Ensemble: picc, 3 fl (3rd dbl picc), 3 ob (3rd dbl Eh), Eb cl, 3 Bb cl, bass cl, 5 sax (2, 2, 1), 3 bsn (3rd dbl cbsn), 4 hn, 3 tpt, 3 trb, tb, piano, timp, 4 perc
Year Composed: 1987
Duration: 16 minutes (3 movements)
Pages (score): 31

Rental: $100.00
Purchase: $500.00

Movements:
I. Winged Terrors
II. Crawling Lizards with Hell's Flame
III. In the Dragon's Wake

Representative Performances:

Colorado Wind Ensemble, Martha Cox, conductor (April, 1995)
University of Missouri at Kansas City Wind Ensemble, Gary Hill, conductor (September, 1992)
Kent State Wind Ensemble, Wayne Gorder, conductor (March, 1992
University of Illinois Wind Ensemble, William Brooks, conductor (November, 1990)
Youngstown State University Symphonic Wind Ensemble, Les Hicken, conductor (February,
Indiana University Symphonic Band, Ray Cramer, conductor (September, 1989)
Virginia Inter-Collegiate Band, David Heuser, conductor, at the Virgina Band Symposium (February, 1989)

Percussion Required:
3 timpani, vibraphone, glockenspiel, marimba, xylophone, chimes, crotales, large bass drum, small bass drum, 2 sets of 4 tom-toms, snare drum, conga drum, tam-tam, crash cymbal, 4 suspended cymbals, 2 triangles, bell plate, 4 temple blocks, tambourine, wood block, maracas, log drum, guiro, bell tree, bamboo wind chimes, glass wind chimes, 3 almglcken

Program Notes:

Dragons was written from November 1986 to May 1987. It is, to date, my most programmatic work. The first movement, Winged Terrors, depicts the huge, terrifying, flying dragons that, by their mere presence in the sky above, strike fear into all who would stand against them. In the middle section of the movement, we hear the slow wingbeats increase as the dragon nears. The movement ends as it began - with loud confusion. The second movement, Crawling Lizards with Hell's Flame, (which begins with just a bassoon and a bass clarinet) portrays the firedrakes, which have no wings but are just as horrible. The dragon approaches slowly throughout the movement until it is upon us and then lets loose its full fury. As it quickly moves on, we can see the land In the Dragon's Wake: devastated, empty, and turned to ash by the power of the dragons. The three movements are played without pauses.