Rundel Video: Lignum | Media center

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Eine deutsche Rhapsodie
If you look up the Latin word “Lignum” in a dictionary, you find the word “wood”. But there is also another, more poetic meaning: the tree. The tree has always been a symbol of life, it is a manifestation of strength, tradition, growth and continuity. Those features also go for many wind bands, their musicians giving their free time to music, and also in an exemplary way for the commissioner of this composition, the Symphonic Band of the town Witten “BloW”. “Lignum” was written on the occasion of the band’s 10th anniversary and should be a look back on the exciting first years, the steady development and the progressive growth of this still young group. From the musical view, “Lignum” leads us “back to the roots” as it is based on two German folk songs. It was important for me to present those songs in their well-known form, but also to handle them compositionally with my own musical trademark. Most musicians rooted in band music might know “Das Lieben bringt groß’ Freud” (Loving brings great joy) from the popular same-named march. Reason enough for me to integrate that march in form of a small quote. Both “Das Lieben bringt groß’ Freud” and the second folk song “Ich weiß nicht, was soll es bedeuten” (I don’t know what this shall mean) deal with love and have catchy melodic lines. At first sight, the songs may be very different, but in fact they match wonderfully. There is hardly any other social group but the (community) band where people of totally different musical origins, of different professions and different ages meet. I hope in “Lignum” I could find a language that offers a common basis to all the different musical preferences and will give joy to both musicians and listeners.

Thiemo Kraas

Quoted folk tunes

1. "Das Lieben bringt groß' Freud"
Music & lyrics: Friedrich Silcher (1827)

2. "Ich weiß nicht was soll es bedeuten" (Lorelai)
Music: Friedrich Silcher (1838) & Lyrics: Heinrich Heine (1823)




Grade Level GB: 6-7
Grade Level USA: 4 (Advanced)
Composer: Kraas, Thiemo
Genre: Concert Piece, Rhapsody
Performance time: 00:05:00
Publisher: Rundel
Size: DIN A4
Info: Full Score + Parts
Rundel Order Number: MVSR3438
Release Date: 2017