Academic Festival Overture, Op. 80: Cello

One of Brahms' most performed works, this "very boisterous potpourri of student songs" (J. Brahms) is now playable by strings, or strings with any combination of wind/percussion instruments (up to full symphonic instrumentation). Students and audiences will enjoy its tunefulness, Brahms' compositional craft, and the grand ending. If you have just a string orchestra, try to add at least the percussion parts. After all, this piece uses the largest section for which Brahms ever wrote!

Special notation is included to work on consistency of bow lifts, bow placement, and phrasing. The arrangement was written for and rigorously field-tested with the 2015 Illinois Summer Youth Music Program. (4:30)