BandHard4:00

Famishius Fantasticus

“…extended performance techniques, exotic percussion and sound effects, constantly shifting musical textures…”

Listen to Famishius Fantasticus

Performed by the California State University, Northridge Wind Ensemble
Conductor Lawrence Stoffel

View Sample Score

Famishius Fantasticus

Program Note

By Michael Markowski

2012 marked the 100th birthday of the late and great Looney Tunes director, Chuck Jones. His work—and the work of his colleagues, Tex Avery, Bob Clampett, Friz Freleng, to name a few—has helped shape my personality for as far back as I can remember. When I was first asked to write a piece that “captured the energy of the students,” I couldn’t help but think that Wile E. Coyote was the man (or animal) for the job. The title, Famishius Fantasticus, is a direct allusion to the faux binomial (the scientific Latin name) of Wile E. Coyote, as shown in the opening freeze-frame of the 1956 Looney Tunes cartoon, There They Go-Go-Go!If this was actually Latin (and again, it is totally made up), one would probably pronounce it fah-ME-see-oos fahn-tahs-TEE-coos, which might roughly translate into something like, “Fantastically Famished” or “Fantastically Hungry.”

Many composers of the Looney Tunes era have defined the cartoon music genre, perhaps most notably Carl Stalling (with the help of Raymond Scott’s extensive Warner Brothers catalogue) and MGM’s Scott Bradley. Famishius Fantasticus is not an attempt to rewrite these masters, but rather to take the techniques that make these scores so exciting—colorful and period orchestration, extended performance techniques, exotic percussion and sound effects, constantly shifting musical textures—and draw my own composition for the wind band medium. Of course, without the animated accompaniment, the visual gags are best left to our imaginations.

Above all else, Famishius Fantasticus is intended to be a wild concert-closer, a “That’s not all, folks!” encore, an existential cat-and-mouse (or coyote-and-roadrunner) chase, and is dedicated to all my friends and colleagues who vehemently go after their dreams, who never give up, and who continue to try new things no matter how many crazy ideas might blow up in their faces.

“Although I am far from a creditable music critic (‘I know what I like…’), I enjoyed the exuberance and homage to Milt Franklyn and to my father. Famishius Fantasticus is both fun and respectful… a most laudable combination… especially when we’re talking animated cartoons!” —Linda Jones Clough

Helpful Videos

Video Score

Air Horn & Mahler Hammer Compilation

Mahler Hammer with Baby Powder

Now THAT’S a Loud Horn!

Notable Performances

Premiere Performance by the Dakota High School Wind Ensemble
Risa Hsu, conductor

University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point
Dr. Michael S. Butler, conductor

Westchester Symphonic Winds
Richard F. Guillen, guest conductor

Arkansas State University Wind Symphony
Timothy Oliver, conductor

Commissioned By

Dakota High School Wind Ensemble
Risa Hsu

Premiere

Famishius Fantasticus premiered on December 12, 2012 at Dakota High School (Macomb, Michigan) performed by the Dakota High School Wind Ensemble conducted by Risa Hsu.

View program here.

Publisher

Markowski Creative (ASCAP)

Instrumentation

Piccolo
Flute 1 & 2
Oboe
Bassoon 1 & 2
B-flat Clarinet 1-3
B-flat Bass Clarinet 1 & 2
B-flat Contrabass Clarinet
Alto Saxophone 1 & 2
Tenor Saxophone
Baritone Saxophone

B-flat Trumpet 1-3
Horn 1-2
Trombone 1-3
Bass Trombone
Euphonium
Tuba
String Bass

Timpani (and Air Horn)
Percussion 1: Xylophone, Glockenspiel, Two Wood Blocks (High and Low)
Percussion 2: Triangle, Vibraphone, Tam-Tam, Mahler Hammer
Percussion 3: Crash Cymbal, Flexatone
Percussion 4: Snare Drum, Brake Drum, Stuff*
Percussion 5: Bass Drum, Triangle, Stuff*

*Percussionists 4 and 5 are asked to find various items to dump on the stage floor that “bounce, rattle, or crash.” For example, one might use ping-pong balls, old car hub-caps etc.

Errata

The most accurate version of the score and parts is dated December 24, 2012. Please correct the following errata:

Contrabass Clarinet: mm. 93-94, please raise this passage up an octave (unless you have a fancy instrument with a low ‘C’ extension!)

Percussion 5: mm. 48 and 135 should be marked as ‘Bass Drum.’

Year Completed

2012

Weight N/A
Dimensions N/A
Duration

Genre

Wind Ensemble