The works of Poe have been an ever-giving fount of inspiration for my works. Fairy-Land represents the third work I have completed based on the poems of Poe (the other works are The City in the Sea for saxophone ensemble and The Haunted Palace for large wind ensemble). Fairy-Land is one of Poe’s lighter works, but like most of his works displays a hint of the macabre. As a composer, it is a delight to be able to revel in the potential tone colors that a work of Poe can elicit.
This work, completed in April of 2019 was written for the premiere concert of the Zephyrus Wind Ensemble and received its premiere on May 17, 2019. It serves as a companion piece to Mozart’s sublime Gran Partita which uses the same player lineup.
Instrumentation
2 Oboes
Oboe 2 = Alto Oboe
4 Clarinets
Clarinet 1 = E-flat and B-flat Clarinets
Clarinet 2 = B-flat Clarinet
Clarinet 3 = Bass Clarinet
Clarinet 4 = E-flat Tenor and E-flat Great Bass Clarinets
2 Bassoons
Bassoon 2 = Contrabassoon
4 F Horns
Bass
Narrator (optional)