Blog Post Two

Borodin: Polovtsian Dances Overture - for Woodwind Quintet

Thanks for stopping by, and welcome to my blog! The music featured in my web launch video is my woodwind quintet arrangement of Alexander Borodin’s Polovtsian Dances Overture. This is an orchestral showpiece and a favorite among wind players. This technically demanding and lively overture offers challenging parts for all wind players, and in this arrangement, I’ve tried to stay true to the original, brilliant orchestral score. I hope you like the results.

I first heard this orchestral showpiece as a concert band transcription in the Dallas suburbs in the 1980s, when I was in high school. Our previous year’s Symphonic I Band had performed this piece at all the Texas band competitions and did quite well with it, so naturally, the following years’ students were buzzing about this amazing work. I studied music at J. J. Pearce High School, back during the famous Tom Bennett years, which was a treat! Mr. Bennett turned that band program into the best in the state, and we won numerous awards under his direction. It was an honor and a privilege to be part of such an amazing ensemble, and it provided me with a solid musical foundation and taught me much about making music.

I have always loved this masterful work, and it remains one of my favorite orchestral pieces to this day. Who’s your favorite Russian composer? Are you a fan of the “mighty handful” or do you prefer Tchaikovsky? Tell me in the comments below. One thing I love about this dynamic work is the energy and rhythm, particularly the lively ostinato that continually propels this piece forward. It is a challenging piece to play, written in a good key for most wind instruments, and offering scalar passages that are a joy to practice. Having been drilled in scales and arpeggios in the Karl Bärmann Klarinette Schüle throughout my junior high and high school years, this piece was the perfect choice to put these skills to the test.

Borodin’s top-notch orchestration skills, much like Niccolai Rimsky-Korsakov’s, are quite evident in this work. These two members of the Moguchaya kuchka, or “The Mighty Handful,” the famous group of five 19th-century Russian composers, as many of you know, were proponents of nationalistic Russian music. They shared some beautiful melodies and fiery showpieces with the rest of the world—orchestral standards that are a valuable part of our rich, diverse, orchestral tradition—works such as Scheherazade, Pictures at an Exhibition, Capriccio Espagñol, and Polovtsian Dances. During my 24 years in the U.S. Air Force Bands, I traveled to over 30 countries and heard masterworks from diverse cultures, opening my mind to different styles and genres. I try to apply this knowledge and experience to all of my arrangements.

Thanks for taking the time to stop by and read my blog. I hope you enjoyed my musings on music. I’ll be back next week with more anecdotes, memories, and passions for music. In the meantime, you can listen to an MP3 of my arrangement of Borodin’s Polovtsian Dances Overture for woodwind quintet by clicking the thumbnail below, or check out my YouTube Channel score-following video by clicking here, and then stop by my store to purchase this arrangement. Did you like this setting of the Borodin for woodwind quintet? If so, tell me your thoughts about it in the comments below. This arrangement will bring a taste of Europe to your musical events and delight your audiences with your technical prowess! See you in my next blog post!

24 October 2025

Here is an MP3 of my arrangement of the Borodin: Polovtsian Dances Overture for woodwind quintet