Elsa’s Procession to the Cathedral is written to exploit every possible emotion related to love and passion in the band and the listener.  The piece’s tempo is completely up to the director, however, the arranger, Lucien Cailliet, notes that the tempo should never exceed 80 quarter note beats per minute.  Tempo is specifically allowed to flux ever so slightly in order to add to the expressive feel, as long as it does not change too much too fast.  The other key area to keep in mind is the fact that this is a processional, so the intensity will be slowly building until the end, when Elsa reaches the cathedral for her wedding.

            The overall form of this piece is ternary form (ABA’) with an additional small codetta at the end for a dramatic conclusion.  Each of these sections can be broken down into the following: 
 

|A                     |B                                                         |A’                   codetta

|a          b         |c          trans.    c          trans.    d      |a          b

There several very distinct themes present in the procession, mainly due to Wagner’s use of the leitmotif (a motive that represents a theme, person, or object found throughout the course of an opera) in all of his works.  There are four distinct themes in this piece, several can be linked to other portions of the opera, which can be a good topic of discussion and study during the rehearsal of the piece.

            The instrumentation for this piece is specifically written for a complete band with Alto Clarinet, Harp, and the possible additions of BBb Contrabassoon and Bass Saxophone.  This may not be available to a smaller ensemble, but the BBb Contrabassoon and Bass Saxophone can be omitted.

Form and Analysis Study

            The piece begins immediately with the introduction of the first theme in the first flute as a solo.  The ‘A’ section is short, running from mm. 1-16.  The first theme is the smaller division in the above form, and is noted by the ‘a.’ This theme runs from mm. 1-8.  The second theme runs, noted as ‘b,’ runs from mm. 9-16.  This comprises the A section of the piece.

Theme I (Flute 1), mm. 1-4

The dynamic contrast is not specifically laid out, except for the crescendos and the decrescendos.  The expression and shaping used in this piece as whole, not just in this theme is left up to the discretion of the conductor and the overall skill level of the band.  It is also important to note that the first theme utilizes very thin texture, which is to say, the very minimum of woodwinds in a small choir of Flute, English Horn, and Clarinet I/II.  The Oboe I part then appears as a solo part in measure 4, however this is a solo for color and a link between phrases, and not a solo for the purpose of melody like the flute part:  however, it is important, since the parts are very exposed to cue each entrance of importance as well as use the strongest players for this opening theme.

            The second theme in this larger section opens up the piece to the rest of the ensemble.  The French Horns and Baritones make an entrance in this section, but the rest of the brass remain silent until the tuba enters in measure 13.  The ensemble timbre is that of a woodwind quintet with the horns, but it is important not to forget to cue the brass.  Even though the brass parts are not important until their dramatic entrances in the B section and later, the conductor must not overlook the underlying entrances and harmonies that the brass make during the onset of the piece.  The melody is contained again in the Flute I/II/III, Eb Clarinet, and Clarinet I parts, but there is also a featured woodwind countermelody in the mid voices, marked by soli in their parts.  The main melody must come out, but this countermelody is the dramatic foreshadowing towards the climax of the piece.

Theme II (Flute I/II/III), mm. 9-12

Countermelody (Alto Saxophone), mm. 9-12

At the conclusion of this section, the final cadence is in the key of Bb major, which is the key of the ‘c’ theme of the B section.  This makes a logical place to mark as the second section, because it is the shift to the dominant of the piece, including several modulations.  This is rehearsal mark 2 in the score, and begins with an Oboe I solo of the ‘c’ theme.  There is an optional solo for the Cornet I part, but it should be omitted if there is an Oboe I capable of playing the solo.  Clarinet I has the second phrase of the theme as a solo, which leads into the first transition section.  The shaping of these solos should focus on moving in an arch, with the climax being on the highest note, however the main concern of the conductor should be with the band playing with good balance and dynamic shape underneath each solo.  The transition is one of the more difficult sections of the piece (from mm. 25-33), since it moves from Bb Major to E Major (completely unrelated to the original key of Eb Major).  The transition also contains a slight build to the repeat of the ‘c’ theme.  Although the next ‘c’ is written as a piano, it should be slightly louder than the A section. 

The second ‘c’ theme entering at measure 34 contains the same melody as the previous ‘c’ theme, except the texture is much thicker with the introduction of the brass.  The mid range woodwinds will balance nicely with the harmony, the key part of this section is to make sure that the conductor cues each of the brass groups on the entrances of the solis present.  The second transition is just like the first transition except for the modulation from E Major back to Bb Major and an even greater build in dynamics with the addition of the brass.

The ‘d’ theme begins in measure 47 and runs to measure 54.  Again, the main melody of the section is in the flutes and clarinets, but there is a soli section in the horn section which will need to some out for color and for harmony.  The low brass have sustained notes, but the entrances are dove-tailed together, so the conductor must be aware of where each low brass section enters.  At the end of this section, the cadence is in the key of Bb Major and the dynamic level drops to a very soft piano for the beginning of the recapitulation, or A’ section.

The A’ section begins the same as the ‘a’ theme of the very beginning and runs from mm. 63-end.  The major difference between the beginning and this return is the fact that the entire band is playing, and the low brass are building towards the dramatic conclusion.

The largest and most difficult section in the piece for the conductor is the return to the ‘b’ theme in Eb Major.  Both the theme and the countermelody discussed before are present, but the brass make soli entrances with the countermelody as the dynamics build.  The conductor must be aware of the many entrances of the band starting at rehearsal 8, since there are many versions of the ‘b’ theme and countermelody present.  At rehearsal 10, the piece comes to the full climax with the dynamics reaching a resounding fff.  The first tempo change appears marked as allargando at the final four measures of the piece.  The upper woodwinds play a syncopated rhythm as the mid to lower voices play the countermelody as Elsa finally reaches the cathedral.

Technical and Style Concerns and Notes

This piece is a Romantic era piece, and should be treated as such.  There is a great deal of chromaticism used, and there is also a major modulation to a completely unrelated key of E Major.  This will present a challenge to low brass who are not used to playing in four sharps.  Besides this the piece is in the key of Eb Major and Bb Major.  The low brass must rely on the art of counting, especially with the large amount of rests in the very beginning.  The other issue with the low brass is in the off beat syncopation and weak beat entrances throughout the piece.  The woodwind section must be strong since each part will almost certainly be exposed or contain a solo.  Each part must be strong for the entire ensemble, since this piece is very lyrical and relies on exposed parts.  There is scarce use of percussion until the very end, in which a full percussion is used, but the section must be sure to count until the conductor cues them in at the end.  The biggest concern for this piece is the lyrical playing required to get the full emotional affect of the piece.  A very mature band is needed, thus the Grade 5 rating for the piece.  If performed circa 80 beats per minute, the piece should total about 5 minutes long.

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