Expert: Pat G - 5/26/2009

Question
QUESTION: Hello Pat G.
Please excuse my lack of knowledge of technical phrasing. Could you please help me regarding the mentioned piece. I am researching for a fictional book and I needed a description of the piece from a conductor's point of view. I.E. when it begins with the English Horn and how each each instrument comes in at which point. which bar?, etc. Or if you could tell me how I could find out this descriptive information. I have tried listening to it and I'm afraid that as much as I love the piece, I am unable to deciphere the instruments in accordance with the score. Thankyou. John.

ANSWER: Hi, john,

Now that's an intriguing question! Unfortunately, I don't have a copy of the score. I see what you are getting at. In order to be able to answer your question, I'd have to obtain a copy of the score and look at it. How fast do you need this? If I were to go to the music library in my copious spare time and take a look, would that be soon enough? Let me know!

I have a son who does some conducting. It would probably be impossible to get him involved, however, because he's so busy. Not that I couldn't do it, but it would be interesting to see how he would describe the same sequence of conducting it.

You might want to do some research on the web and see if anybody has written a REVIEW of a performance. That might help. The most I did right now was look at Wikipedia:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Tell_Overture

It's often a good place to start.

Are you interested only in the last part, or in all four parts of the overture?

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Thanks for your quick response and in-depth answer. That's pleasing. What I could do is obtain the score for you and then you could do your stuff. There's no hurry mate. I was originally thinking of using the Strauss march instead, but after seeing Riccardo Muti conducting the overture, I think it fits better in the book. What I have, is an drunken amateur trying to conduct the overture in his front room, using inanimate objects as his orchestra, and I wanted to go through the piece with the reader as it unfolded; obviously using technical terms and such, in accordance with the music. It's hard to do, but makes excellent reading I think. Your answers and expertise would help me, greatly. What do you think?
John

Answer
John,

Since I didn't hear from you, even though you read my message, I just wanted to let you know that I'm not insisting that you buy my art or anything. And I hope I didn't offend you in any way. I have been thinking about your question anyway, and I'm not really sure I even need a score; I can try writing from just the recording. And I have been thinking about the scenario you gave me, and sort of writing the scene in my head. So let me know what you would like for me to do.

Thanks!

G'day, John,

I'm guessing you are from Oz. :)

It would be expensive for you to provide me from a score if that is the case. I live in the States.

I took a look here:

http://www.sheetmusicplus.com/search?q=William+Tell+Overture

There are a lot of different versions available. One of these might work:

http://www.sheetmusicplus.com/title/Guillaume-Tell-Overture-William-Tell/5805181
http://www.sheetmusicplus.com/title/William-Tell-Overture/5875553
http://www.sheetmusicplus.com/title/William-Tell-Overture/3657739

With seven pages of listings, I can probably come up with something.

Rather than exchange personal information, I do have another idea. If I pay for the cost of the score, you could reimburse me by buying a little of my art. :) Let me know if you'd like to do it that way. Here is my major gallery: http://patgoltz.deviantart.com/ If you would prefer another arrangement, let me know. I also do provide art through a couple of online stores in Oz, if that might work better, because shipping from here to you might also be expensive. I don't have nearly the selection; however, if you see something you particularly like in my other gallery, I can upload it to one of those sites if necessary. My favorite store is Red Bubble. Here:

http://www.redbubble.com/people/patgoltz

Anyway, let me know what you think! And thanks for the VERY intriguing question!