Playing With Style

demonstration piece for orchestra with narration

With wit and fun, this popular “concerto for conductor” uses engaging music and narration to illustrate the conductor’s role and the basics of crescendo, diminuendo, accelerando, ritardando, legato and staccato. This work is also designed to permit narration by the conductor. Playing With Style works naturally on any program dealing with the role of the conductor or the elements of music.

Russell has composed a variety of narrated pieces appropriate for a broad range of ages. These works have been performed throughout the United States, Canada, and in Europe and Asia.

Commissioned by a consortium of North Carolina orchestras, this work has been performed by the Rochester Philharmonic, Indianapolis Symphony, and dozens of other orchestras across the country.

duration: 10′

(1991)

2/2/2/2   4/2/3/1
timp.   2 perc.   strings   narrator (or conductor narration)

A chamber orchestra version (using different score & parts) has instrumentation as follows:

2/2/2/2   2/2/1/1
timp.   1 perc.  (or timp./perc. 1 player)   strings
narrator (or conductor narration)

Russell Peck, narrator; Greensboro Symphony Orchestra
Stuart Malina, conductor