GERALD McBOING BOING
A CHILDREN' S TALE
BASED ON THE COLUMBIA PICTURES RELEASE " GERALD McBOING BOING" PRODUCED BY UNITED PRODUCTIONS OF AMERICA
GAIL KUBIK
DR. SEUSS
FOR NARRATOR AND CHAMBER ORCHESTRA
(Performable als with Narrator, Piano and Percussion Solo)
ABOUT THE COMPOSER
GAIL KUBIK (b. So. Coffeyville, Okla. 1914) is the composer of a Symphony in E), Sonata for Piano Folk Song Suite for' Orchestra and various other works for piano, orchestra as well as for band, violin and piano, voice, and chorus. He has also written a folk opera and much music for films. He has held a Guggenheim Fellowship, and received a citation in 1943 from the National Association of American Com posers and ConductOrs for his " direction of music in important Government films.
ABOUT THE MUSIC
GERALD McBOING BOING was produced in 1950 by United Pro ductions of America for Columbia Pictures. In 1951 it was awardee an . ' Osca:r " as the best animated cartoon of the year by the Motior Picture Academy of Arts and Sciences.
Because Gerald' producers-as well as his composer-were insistent that the musical score should function as equal partner with animation and writing in the film s production, the usual cartoon-making procedures were reversed: the score was composed first; the music served as a blueprint for animation, and not, as is usual, as imitative super sound effects " to accompany the animation. In short, music functioned as music. To transfer Gerald' score , therefore , from motion picture screen to concert stage was simple, indeed, and was accomplished without alteration or loss of a single note. Only the story-line was altered, and that but slightly: Gerald McBoing Boing, world-famous as the brilliant young man who could imitate practically all the sound effects known to twentieth century man could hardly be expected to ignore the high challenge which the musical world offered to his percussive genius. It was inevitable that he must now achieve immortality as the greatest percussion virtuoso ever known!
INSTRUMENTATION
Flute
Oboe
Clarinet in B Bassoon
Horn in F Trumpet in B!7
Percussion Solo (see next page for instruments)
Piano
Viola Violoncello
DURATION: Between 8 and 9 minutes
NOTE TO PERCUSSIONIST
Gerald McBoing Bping plays on the following instruments:
2 Pedal Timpani (alt. 2 Hand-tuned Timpani)
Side Drum
Tenor Drum (aIr Side Drum)
Bass Drum
Tom-tom (alt. Side Drum)
Suspended Cymbal
Clashed Cymbal
Large Gong (aIr Tamtam or low-voiced, Cymbal-type instrument)
Thundersheet (alt. Suspended Cymbal)
2 Chinese Temple Blocks (alt. 2 Woodblocks)
2 Woodblocks
Cow Bell (alt. Triangle)
Triangle Castanets
Tam bourine
Mexican Gourd
Ratchet (alt. Tambourine), preferably not attached to Bass Drum
Slap Stick (alt Side Drum, rim shots)
Xylophone
Glockenspiel
Vibraphone (alt. Xylophone)
all notated at concert pitch
NOTE TO NARRATOR
You play on the following instruments:
Toy Glockenspiel (aIr Toy Piano)
Tubular Bells (alt. Orchestral Chimes)
PLAN FOR PLACI NG PERCUSSION RONT O F STAG
Sigrid and Allen, Karen and Judy
Gerald McBoing Boing
Dr; SEUSS with additional lyrics by Gail Kubik
GAIL
KUBIK
Fast , vi€ol'ously (J'" 1"0 1'8) (1950) (very ShOl' Flute
Oboe
Clarinet in Bp
Bassoon
Horn in F
Trumpet in Bp
Viola
Violoncello
(Sl1', Mute)
(Stt. Mule
I" # 7 , sho"Yply
n tim.I,I" In .n unhu",'. sto,. - t,lIino m.nner- Th, md ,,,I iO"' IN " and ""OUT"must be sc\' upulously obse1' ved thl"ou nout .1Tld'ications ofpace one aT1d mood, howevel;shouldb arded only as intel' pretiveaids,not Tlecessarily as defiT1iti ve dindioT1s. (IN)
This the st01' Get' ald Cloy,
"Althou htheNa1Tator as\1oied, musf observe his enhances and exits carefully, he should cO\1sidernimself hee , wiilliTithat limitation, to interpret the lines i\1 that manner which is dramatical1y l'i h\; and convi\1cin for him. Theabsenceth\'ou hout of a rhythmically exad notaHon (except for 1 verse stadin with measure 236) 1\1dicates that a " si\1g- son l'hylmical1y even, or monotonous intel' pretation should be avoided, Most desirable 1s a \'eadini which sets up its n l'hythmica1 COUl1tupoint against lhe music.
rn snloothly
smooihl
smoothly(stopped)
iJ pp smoothly
CuP MUTE
pp smoothly
And the shan thing that happened t.hat liUle boy. t
l'P Smoothly
SoJo
.. They say started when &erald was two -
(Not too fa.st: ad lib.)
(hard rubber mallets)
OfcoU1se. chro matic pedal timpani are most desirable hel' However. if oTlly hand timpaTltare available heTl play
Slighily le!; fJ'antic - Doctor Malone
;$
bit on the pompous side.
I Cup Muie ISolo
(Tacet to end of Pncussion solo lhen immediately info measu,e 125)
h'ly fast and in a bso1utely steady 1'nytbm)
to end of Percussion solo, then immediately into measure 125)
See footnoteC..) Measu'l'e
AS "fAST AS POSS1BLE
. This ph1'ss6, " vocal imilahon of the percussion pa llern fOU1'd iTl measure , should be spokenat a diffel'eTil pilch- level from lhe1'est of the verse. further, t.he more ;1 mickey-mousing"by the Nauator of t.hethree differenl- Voiced inshumen!s used in lhe paUern(Wood B1ock, Suspended Cymbal, a-nd Bass Dl'um), the belie1'
jlltimately the Narrator talki not Doctor Malone this, - "his and for ca-n handle the case, - - - - - - And 'he packe.d piUs
\Timp.
(Timpani mal1ei)
mCillBls)
:mo1e excliedly)
It was lhen that his father said, This is enou h ! l1 drive us both 1T\ad with lhis terrible stuff boy of 'his age shouldn t sound like a foo1. Hes got to lea n words t We must send him lo school
Pin,
\IM) In nu\'at.ive st) le) bvt m01' e Dl;ihtl rc then before. The Narl'ator is dearly fond of G-el'a d. I &el'ald W,- . scl'ubbed and his hair was lwushed1"eat, Then he
(Pi'1'1)
XYLOPHONE
pve."
Shotply
P,e,.
P7.; "!
( STI\ MUTt)
(JTCO
a"ply
Moderately Slow, Sadly (.I,: 58)
exp,esuvely
objeclve ct1d 'lepol'toria.
fOPEHI
ca'l t hold down a job., , , , His sad 'hea l't was breaki'lg; 'he jump on a hain .
louder fast.el' He knew he cou1d ."ever come borne aia 'l,--, Buisudd 'tly - while he ran clippety clop,There
... To" eLOCICENSPIEL Iowly. - "'''- (iempo)
lad in tbe. 11a -tion, For 1 own the Ra- di-
'* If these notes are Tlot ava ilable on this i'lshument ) any other :5 notes 'Hindo as long as the same iTlletva11c 1'lations'hip is mai'lhined, * 'les the Nan'atot' plays ihis himself, If a smatt , toy, glockenspie1 is not available , a loy pia"no - Ot' any inshume'lt that has the Un'ee 'Iotes of the 1'adio s\atio'l sit'la1- 'H11 do. The 1'1sh' ument ,,"ould be placed cO'lspicuously on stai but 'Iot in a manl1l\'to su est to the audience that it is fo\' the NS\' atOt", use, Uehou.ld, noweve1' be c\ose enou h tot.heNan.. that. he can play it wHhout movin om 'hi. speekint posHion.LasUy, H toes without say\nt thal he should have 'his toy ( preferably, ha\'d'1'ubbe\)mal1e in hisna'ld (concealed fa'om vie.w of t.he audience). nady to play his 5010 wilh 0'l1y the slight'" poStible pause aftel' iht word ,. the Aft." Ms solo I he should continue the 'Ia1'ation without pa ulI
haTl-dle the traps: Who can play on Goul'd while his Cas- ta- l1et claps! Your Tam-boul" ine is eat! YOU1'
. Gourd to be shake'l (notscl' atched), **" The fermata (r.) placed 0'181' the percussion hel' e,as wen as in measures 2408 a'ld 251, should be limited to a dUl' atio'l of two 01' three beats l J in steady t.empo), The percussion bits should n" speak J) briefly and bJ"i htlY, but. should nol be aUowec to slop but momental'ily t.he basic tt Sint-5ong " pulse of the 'Ia1ra
.. Nanato1' : again, don t" Up- off" the audience to 6era1d" pel'cusai e sounds.
r HIT ON IlKEf)
blundet.!. - - - - - He make mistake
*Fast h01d \ sticks) P
Tacet to end of Perru ss z Concerto;' then immediately into measure 276 )
* The Concedo" should not be conducted uY\less absolutely necessary, A11 mad i'l . however, should be meticulously observed by lhe soloisi and tne impl'ovi sa t ion a 1 charader of the solo hghtty conhol1ed, Use two hard sticks(re ular Side Drum sticks) on all inshuments u'Ile..s otherwise rloled .If, howevet'nepercussionist is a 1'esourceful and 3rhstically-curious professional , he will most e)(ad\y realize the Compose1=' true intentions if he wiUequipbo\h of his side d,'um slicks with a soft spon e 01' coHo'l mallet attached to the hee head of the stjd thus enablit1t him) with a fast flick of the wrist, to play seve\all'1sh:ume-nh" with a soft maUet'1 that othnwise must be comp1' omised with a ha,'d stick, Insb:umeTlh to be iavored with the soft mallet heatment ne indicated by a doub\e asterisk,
Suspen ed
Temple Blocks ani
G'imsbotsJ
SUSP, C:YM9 lonedCJe)
Ifiit)
lAick! both sticks in one hand,8nd ta\(e up Ratchet,
(..th.tR.t'h' d..n. .i,k 1 shift Drurt sticks fro", bot.h sticks 1n one hand to one stick in each 'hand,
\BAU i\. GONG , DR Wit)
(wit h Timp, stick) \iimp, (wii iimp'l 910111-, - - - - -
JThUl1de1' stick t" Sheet (1"' leoNGI 2Clashed Cymbals
\ TUbUlcH lal' B ens wooden Hammel'
'* It win take a bil of l'eheal'si11g for the NaHato1' to master the art of playi these 3 11oteS. However) he can do it. Obviously, the Betts, like ihe toy Glockenspiel shou\d be p\aeed dose to the Nanato\') and it wi. be in the best of form 'i he 1' facties himse1f fo\' his solo it1 a b1'i con6picuous manne\'
(IN)BaGk to the sto\"y- -tetling t01'e
1 of ne bet1T1T1ini
Pin, Solo
h. con tinues mf
IOeenl
ISh' Mriel Solo II .. 1.:) ,