The Fisherman's Tale
SKU:
CB0046
$125.00
$125.00
per item
By Daniel Bukin
Described by the composer as emotional, tender, dramatic, and magical, The Fisherman's Tale recounts a classic tale of epic proportions. Based loosely on a theme by Debussy, its challenging winds and agile piano feature make it a perfect addition for any advanced-level ensemble!
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Piccolo
Flute 1
Flute 2
Oboe
Clarinet in Bb 1
Clarinet in Bb 2
Clarinet in Bb 3
Bass Clarinet
Bassoon
Alto Sax
Tenor Sax
Baritone Sax
Horn in F 1
Horn in F 2
Horn in F 3
Trumpet in Bb 1
Trumpet in Bb 2
Trumpet in Bb 3
Trombone 1
Trombone 2
Bass Trombone
Euphonium (T.C.)
Euphonium (B.C.)
Tuba
Contrabass
Piano & Celeste
Timpani
Percussion 1:
Xylophone
Wind Chimes
Percussion 2:
Vibraphone
Suspended Cymbal
Percussion 3:
Crash Cymbals
Percussion 4:
Tam-Tam
Glockenspiel
Percussion 5:
Bass Drum
Flute 1
Flute 2
Oboe
Clarinet in Bb 1
Clarinet in Bb 2
Clarinet in Bb 3
Bass Clarinet
Bassoon
Alto Sax
Tenor Sax
Baritone Sax
Horn in F 1
Horn in F 2
Horn in F 3
Trumpet in Bb 1
Trumpet in Bb 2
Trumpet in Bb 3
Trombone 1
Trombone 2
Bass Trombone
Euphonium (T.C.)
Euphonium (B.C.)
Tuba
Contrabass
Piano & Celeste
Timpani
Percussion 1:
Xylophone
Wind Chimes
Percussion 2:
Vibraphone
Suspended Cymbal
Percussion 3:
Crash Cymbals
Percussion 4:
Tam-Tam
Glockenspiel
Percussion 5:
Bass Drum
Our story takes place on a gloomy morning by the shore. The Fisherman prepares to go out to sea so that he and his family may eat. Their crops are dying. Their animals are sick. They are destitute, hungry, and desperate. This is their last chance to bring back home some food. The Fisherman’s children wish him a safe journey; he kisses and embraces his wife one last time, and then shoves his small fishing boat towards the sea.
After the shore fades from view, the Fisherman gets to work. But after hours upon hours, not a single fish was caught on any net nor any reel. Just as the Fisherman throws up his arms and turns the boat around to go home, a storm approaches from the distance. He thinks nothing of it, for his boat normally outpaces any storm...but this is no ordinary storm. Soon, it completely engulfs our Fisherman, and he is powerless to escape. The clouds are black as night and the waves become truly massive. Lightning cracks and thunder roars as the boat is tossed around like a doll. The Fisherman struggles to hang on and stay afloat. But, just as the storm seems to be at its worst, a mysterious fish jumps onto the boat. Even in the darkness of the storm, this fish shines brightly with all the colors of the rainbow, as if light were coming right from its scales. Thinking fast, the Fisherman quickly throws a net on it so that he may come home with something to eat. Soon after, the storm fades and the sea calms again.
The clouds part and the sun shines brightly. Our Fisherman gets his rest. But, soon into his respite, he hears the fish he had just caught begin to speak: “Please! Oh, please sir! Set me free, and I will grant you any wish your heart desires.” Mesmerized now by not only the shining scales but the fact the fish could talk, The Fisherman cautiously approaches and askes, “Any wish?” “Anything!” The Fisherman thought about this for a moment and then said, “I wish for my family to want for naught. I wish for us to have food enough to last the rest of our children’s days and for their children’s days. I wish for our animals and plants to be healthy, and for our home to be a place of happiness and love once again.” The Fisherman cuts the fish loose from the net and throws it into the water. Without a word, the fish swims back out into the sea leaving behind an enchanting trail of light from its multicolored tail.
A little while passes and the Fisherman continues his way home, paddling this time as his sail is beyond repair from the storm. Suddenly, he notices a soft grumble coming from behind him. Hundreds, possibly thousands, of fish emerge from the waters and jump all about his boat. Some larger fish push his boat with incredible speed and force towards the shore. Others fly all around him and land in his nets, enough to feed his family for days to come. He simply cannot believe his eyes. Eventually, he is brought back to shore. He sees his family’s home no longer in distress and disarray, but full of color, light, and love. The animals are healthy and happy, the crops are growing plentifully, and his children and wife rush out to meet him. At dinner that night, the Fisherman recounts his tale to his family about the encounter with the storm and the magical fish. As they offer thanks to the fish, their youngest child asks, “Where do you think that fish is now, Father?” The Fisherman replies, “Very likely far away from here, helping other poor souls in need.”
This story is loosely based on the Brothers Grimm fairy tale “The Fisherman and His Wife.” I first composed this piece in Ochsenhausen, Germany as part of the International Summer Academy of Music (ISAM). Our challenge for the workshop was to take snippets of themes from various pieces by Claude Debussy and turn them into our own compositions. I used a portion of the harmonic sequence used in La cathédrale engloutie (The Sunken Cathedral) as the basis for this piece. “The Fisherman’s Tale” was originally written for violin, cello, piano/celeste, and percussion, but I quickly found out that even with some very skilled professional musicians, it was too large in scale for only four players. Eventually, I arranged this piece for concert band, and I believe it works so much better in this setting. It’s emotional, dramatic, tender, and magical. A healthy challenge for any concert band, and an excellent story to be told for the audience.
After the shore fades from view, the Fisherman gets to work. But after hours upon hours, not a single fish was caught on any net nor any reel. Just as the Fisherman throws up his arms and turns the boat around to go home, a storm approaches from the distance. He thinks nothing of it, for his boat normally outpaces any storm...but this is no ordinary storm. Soon, it completely engulfs our Fisherman, and he is powerless to escape. The clouds are black as night and the waves become truly massive. Lightning cracks and thunder roars as the boat is tossed around like a doll. The Fisherman struggles to hang on and stay afloat. But, just as the storm seems to be at its worst, a mysterious fish jumps onto the boat. Even in the darkness of the storm, this fish shines brightly with all the colors of the rainbow, as if light were coming right from its scales. Thinking fast, the Fisherman quickly throws a net on it so that he may come home with something to eat. Soon after, the storm fades and the sea calms again.
The clouds part and the sun shines brightly. Our Fisherman gets his rest. But, soon into his respite, he hears the fish he had just caught begin to speak: “Please! Oh, please sir! Set me free, and I will grant you any wish your heart desires.” Mesmerized now by not only the shining scales but the fact the fish could talk, The Fisherman cautiously approaches and askes, “Any wish?” “Anything!” The Fisherman thought about this for a moment and then said, “I wish for my family to want for naught. I wish for us to have food enough to last the rest of our children’s days and for their children’s days. I wish for our animals and plants to be healthy, and for our home to be a place of happiness and love once again.” The Fisherman cuts the fish loose from the net and throws it into the water. Without a word, the fish swims back out into the sea leaving behind an enchanting trail of light from its multicolored tail.
A little while passes and the Fisherman continues his way home, paddling this time as his sail is beyond repair from the storm. Suddenly, he notices a soft grumble coming from behind him. Hundreds, possibly thousands, of fish emerge from the waters and jump all about his boat. Some larger fish push his boat with incredible speed and force towards the shore. Others fly all around him and land in his nets, enough to feed his family for days to come. He simply cannot believe his eyes. Eventually, he is brought back to shore. He sees his family’s home no longer in distress and disarray, but full of color, light, and love. The animals are healthy and happy, the crops are growing plentifully, and his children and wife rush out to meet him. At dinner that night, the Fisherman recounts his tale to his family about the encounter with the storm and the magical fish. As they offer thanks to the fish, their youngest child asks, “Where do you think that fish is now, Father?” The Fisherman replies, “Very likely far away from here, helping other poor souls in need.”
This story is loosely based on the Brothers Grimm fairy tale “The Fisherman and His Wife.” I first composed this piece in Ochsenhausen, Germany as part of the International Summer Academy of Music (ISAM). Our challenge for the workshop was to take snippets of themes from various pieces by Claude Debussy and turn them into our own compositions. I used a portion of the harmonic sequence used in La cathédrale engloutie (The Sunken Cathedral) as the basis for this piece. “The Fisherman’s Tale” was originally written for violin, cello, piano/celeste, and percussion, but I quickly found out that even with some very skilled professional musicians, it was too large in scale for only four players. Eventually, I arranged this piece for concert band, and I believe it works so much better in this setting. It’s emotional, dramatic, tender, and magical. A healthy challenge for any concert band, and an excellent story to be told for the audience.
