"Siegfried's Death And Funeral March" Part Review
Introduction
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Thanks for visiting!

I spent some time this summer transcribing and arranging one of my favorite songs. This was my first attempt arranging anything, and so I don't know if its very good yet. That's why I need some help from people who play other instruments in the band. If the feedback is positive, I might consider submitting it to our music committee.

Source Material

This is an excerpt from Wagner's Gotterdamerung, Act III, Scene II to Scene III. In this section of the original opera, Siegfried, the protagonist has just been killed by his companion. This music accompanies a scene where the rest of the party load Siegfried's body onto a wagon and bring it home. There is no singing during this section, and so the music is verbatim and easily played by a concert orchestra. Wagner himself approved this selection for stand-alone concert performances.

The song jumps between C-major and C-minor, and features two main leitmotifs: Siegfried's major leitmotif, and Siefried's minor leitmotif. Mid-way through the piece, the trumpet plays the minor leitmotif, and it always gives me this shivers.

But the music is not just about these dominant themes. The magic is in the slow and quiet blending of all instruments togeather. This was the biggest challenge in arranging. I couldn't just move parts from one instrument to another, I had to study the chords and do my best to preserve the inversions.

Orchestration was a challenge. Wind ensembles, or concert bands may have saxaphones and euphonium, but it's not a simple matter of moving the cello part to the tenor sax. There were a lot of parts in the original score that are not available to a concert band. These include not just the obvious violin I & II, viola, cello, and bass, but also the four Wagner tubas, bass trumpet, oboe II & III, bassoon II & III, harp I & II, Timpani II, and English horn/Cors Anglais (which cannot be played by our oboe player because the two parts harmonize).

For a reference, I started by typesetting pages 520-534 from the full score available on IMSLP here. As the music concludes, Gutrune starts to sing, so for the last eight measures, I referred to the official extract.

Concert Band Parts

These are the parts. I would love if you could review any parts that you have some expertise in, but anyone is welcome to review any part. I need help with ranges, especially if I have you in an awkward range for a delicate phrase. I'd also like to know if a part doesn't match an instrument very where. For instance, there are lots of trills in the flute/piccolo, but if those trills cross an awkward break-point or you feel some phrases don't match your instrument well, I am open to suggestions.

  • Piccolo: PDF MIDI. This part is mostly per the original score, but I tried to make it a little more interesting by giving it a few of the violin accents (such as in the first phrase). I'm sorry that there isn't more. This song is quite low and quiet, and that constrasts with what the piccolo gives us.
  • Flute I PDF MIDI. The original part looked a lot like the piccolo part, but I've extended it to cover a lot of the harp and violin parts. The building tuplets at 36 come from the violin and are not just mindless runs. These are super melodic and contribute to the building of the mood before the trumpet enters in measure 42. The part looks very high to me, but maybe that's normal for a flute. Wagner wrote the original in this range, and the Alfred Music Concert Band guidelines says this should be in range for a Grade 4+ player. Still, it's possible this is too high (though you are ff at this point). Please let me know if it's too high. C looks very hard, but the tempo is very slow. You should be able to do it without panic.
  • Flute II PDF MIDI. Similar to flute I, but I'm less concerned about range. The arpeggio at 34 comes from a harp. I would love if one instrument could play it, but I don't think any single flute has that kind of range. That's why I've split it between flute II and the piccolo.
  • Oboe PDF MIDI. The original score calls for three oboes and an English horn/cor anglais, however band guidelines suggest writing for only one oboe and an optional cor anglais. This guideline makes sense for our band too. I off-loaded the cor anglais part because the best cor anglais phrases overlap with the oboe, and with only one player, I had to give it to a clarinet. The part is very similar to the orchestral first oboe. I am a bit worried about the final phrase at 74 as I brought over a phrase from the cor anglais. Can an oboe go that low? If not I'll need to bump it up the octave. I'm also curious about the sound. When the three oboes play triads, the first oboe often plays the fifth and that is brought over to the band arrangement. It's possible that we'll be lacking in any chord roots. If you think the part seems strange, please let me know.
  • Clarinet I PDF MIDI. The part is mostly per the original version. Measures 22-23 and 48-50 come from the violin 2. 26-29 comes from the viola. I'm most concerned about the range at C, where 54-56 comes from chords that were played by the string bass and harp 2. Other than that, it seems like a pretty full part. My favorite phrase is the first one from 9-12.
  • Clarinet II PDF MIDI. This is very close to the original. The big change is measure 22-25 which comes from the viola, and 26-29 which come from the cello. Don't worry too much about the 32nd notes. The song is very slow, so these are similar to 16ths or 8ths anywhere else. I think this is at the low limit of the clarinet's range, so it's possible that we don't have the required dexterity in this range. If that's an issue, let me know!
  • Clarinet III PDF MIDI. Very similar to clarinet II and very close to the original. The arpeggios at 66 and 70 come from a harp. I would love it if measure 66 could be done in a continuous climb instead of the jump down from the Ab to the C. If that's at all possible on the clarinet, please let me know.
  • Eb Clarinet. I could use some advice here. I don't have anything for it. I was considering using this instrument to cover oboe 2. But I'm also thinking that it can double Clarinet 1. Advice is needed.
  • Bass Clarinet PDF MIDI. This part is pretty critical. The most important parts (9, 37) are per the original. 45-53 comes from the cello, so I'd love to know if there are problems adapting these lines for the bass clarinet. 57-64 is an important section from bassoon 2 that needed adopting. I'm not so confident in the range of the bass clarinet, so please let me know if anything is out of reach (too low or too high).
  • Bassoon PDF MIDI. This is very close to the original. When reviewing ranges, I was worried that the first phrase would be too high to play softly, so I added split voices. If the top voice is possible, please use that and let me know so I can delete the lower one. I'm not as worried about things around measure 44 because that's forte, and not so delicate. 48-50 comes from the string bass part and I think makes a fun addition to the bassoon part.
  • Alto Sax I PDF MIDI. This was a fun part to arrange because it was made from scratch and I'm strangely confident with it. 19-22 is super important as you're the top line of a sax-quartet. 57-63 is meant to be loud and full. The whole band is playing here. But it shouldn't be squeaky. Let me know if this range is too high for the alto sax. I know it's on the limit.
  • Alto Sax II PDF MIDI. Very similar to alto sax 1, but more reasonable with the range.
  • Tenor Sax PDF MIDI. This part takes a lot of its content from the cello. You may feel a little naked before A, but that's because everything is very quiet, and you're introducing the first melodies which start each time you finish a tuplet run. I'm most nervous about the tuplet leading into 19. 19 is a very important sax quartet, but I don't have many instruments that can do the lead into it, so I'm asking the tenor sax to do both. If you need to take a breath before 19, then go ahead. The phrase is more important that the lead-in. But please let me know if this is too awkward.
  • Bari Sax PDF MIDI. This takes a lot of its content from the string-bass, but also fills in many gaps from the loss of bassoon 2, bassoon 3 and the Bb bass tuba (wagner tuba). You, and the tenor sax, are leading in the melodies at 3. I'd love for those phrases to be played down an octave, but I've raised it because I'm worried about dexterity at that low range. If you think it can be done, please let me know. The last few notes are very low. I'm not sure if this is reachable (especially in ppp), so please let me know if I need to raise it.
  • Trumpet I PDF MIDI. If an audience is left with only one memory from this song, it'll either be your parts at B or at C. These are the climax of the piece and really put you in the spotlight. I'm sorry that you aren't kept more busy. The tone of the trumpet is very distinct and would easily dominate other parts in some sections. Your part is very close to the original orchestration. One place where I've added content is at 71. I realize that the harmon mute is best played in the middle of your range, so please let me know if this needs to be brought down. This is a quiet and delicate accent, not a primary melody.
  • Trumpet II PDF MIDI. This piece is almost untouched from the original orchestral part. Trumpet 1 gets most of the glory, but you're able to share that at C: the climax of the piece. I hope this makes it worth-it. If trumpet 1 needs to play 70-71 down an octave, then we'll need to lower this part too, to prevent any chord inversions from sounding funny. If you don't have a Harmon mute, then it's better to avoid playing 70-71. I hope the phrase at C makes up for the large number of rests.
  • Trumpet III PDF MIDI. This part is mostly per the original orchestration. At 71, I've given you a part to play with a harmon mute, but you're also busy until 70. This gives you only 4-5 seconds to insert the mute. Let me know if that isn't enough time. I would love to give you more, but that D->C is important.
  • Horn 1 PDF MIDI. This only section of this part that is not per Wagner's original are measures 67-69. These come from the Tenor Tuba 1 (Wagner tuba). This is really a horn song, so I didn't have to do much for this part. My main concern is the first phrase. The part is written way above any band guidelines I've found, to the point where I'm not sure it's really possible, especially at p and pp volume. Please let me know if you need me to drop it an octave. Horn 2 is already playing down an octave, so I'd also like to know if you think I can drop Horn 2 another octave to maintain that interval. It's important to use stop-mutes at 71. If its uncommon for horns to carry stop-mutes, please let me know, and I'll rewrite to make sure the trumpets can cover the whole chord with harmon mutes.
  • Horn 2 PDF MIDI. This part is almost entirely per the original orchestration, so I'm not too worried about it. Horn1 may have a problem with the first phrase, and so we may need to drop it an octave. If we do, then I'll need to drop this phrase an octave, but that seems outragously low. I know the horn can play lower than I would expect, so is that even possible?
  • Horn 3 PDF MIDI. This part is also almost entirely per the original orchestration. Like Horn 1, I am worried about the first phrase. Wagner thought it was possible, but maybe horns were different in the 1870s. Please let me know if I need to bring it down. Measure 67-69 were taken from the bass tuba 1 (wagner tuba) and given to you to help fill in some chords with a compatible tone.
  • Horn 4 PDF MIDI. This part is similar to horn 2 and is very close to the original. Horns are a star of this piece, so I hope you enjoy it!
  • Trombone 1 PDF MIDI. The original part had lots of holes in it. But with the need to move the wagner tubas to other instruments, you've gotten quite busy. I know a lot of it seems quite high so please let me know if it's at an unreasonable level. I know you can reach those notes, but sustaining that range at piano dynamics might get tough. Would it be easier to read I moved it to tenor clef? The original parts are in tenor clef. Measures 26-30, 48-50 and 54-56 are from the Tenor Tuba 1. 37-40 comes from bassoon 2. The trombone part often has you playing the 5th of a triad. If we don't have trombones 2+3, this might sound a little weird.
  • Trombone 2 PDF MIDI. This is mostly from the original. There are a few spots where I ported some nice brass parts from the tenor or bass tubas, but those sections are less demanding than your native part, so I'm not too concerned about this part.
  • Trombone 3 / Bass Trombone PDF MIDI. The lowest note is a low F, so I think this could be played by a tenor trombone or a bass trombone. The part assumes some of the content from bassoon 3 or bass tuba 2 which aren't in the band. Otherwise, it's pretty original, and I'm not too concerned about it.
  • Euphonium PDF (B.C.) PDF (T.C.) MIDI. The two parts here are identical. The TC part is transposed into Bb treble cleff. This part was made from scratch, and the euphonium is the perfect target for the orphaned wagner tuba parts. I also used the euphonium for bass trumpet parts or trombone 4 parts. I'm pretty happy with this part, as you got the first choice on a lot of other content. I don't think this will be a problem.
  • Tuba PDF MIDI. The tuba was a main target for the lost string bass parts (shared with the bari sax). I'm pretty comfortable with it.
  • Timpani PDF MIDI. This was the first part I put togeather. The original score calls for two sets of timpani with the main conflicts being around 51-53. These were roll/accent conflicts instead of pitch conflicts, so I did my best to resolve them, and I was able to simply merge the rest. If there are any note changes that are too difficult (especially from C to D), or if you have suggestions on the best way to notate which head should be tuned to what note at what time, I would love feedback.
  • Percussion PDF This is one of the parts I'm most nervous about. I couldn't find a way to make these fit nicely on one staff, so I split them up. If there's one play per staff, then I think this probably works nicely anyways, but I would love to know what a real percussionist thinks. Wagner marked rolls with a "tr", but I'd like to know if you think tremelo notation would be better. The wind chimes weren't in the original score, and are used to replace some of the harp runs. I hope I've notated it clearly (climbs vs descents). If not, I am very open to hearing how it could be best notated. Sorry there is no midi. I couldn't find the right sounds, and trills aren't really supported well. Also, I do apologize that the part is a little small, and that there's no mallet percussion.
Concert Band Scores

Here are the full scores, and some reduced scores that contain specific sections. It's sometimes easier to listen to only woodwinds when looking for problems. MIDI in particular is limited because it only supports 15 simultaneous notes and we need a lot more than that.

Feedback

Thanks so much for helping me out. If you have feedback, please email it to me at ferguson.stewart@gmail.com.