INSTRUMENTATION

piccolo, 2 flutes, 1 oboe, 3 clarinets in Bb, bass clarinet, 1 bassoon, 2 alto saxophones, 1 tenor saxophone, 1 baritone saxophone, 3 trumpets in Bb, 4 horns in F, 3 trombones, 1 baritone horn, tuba, timpani, suspended cymbal, glockenspiel, snare drum, and bass drum

Program Notes  

While this piece was officially written as part of the 1984-85 North Smithfield High School Artist-in-Residence Program, La Guerre had been started much earlier. Robert Rogler first got the idea for the piece when he joined the Senior Band as a freshman tuba player. Being young and naive, he was unused to how virulent upperclassmen could be in their teasing of each other and their joking around. It seemed to him that a great war was being waged between factions of the band, especially between the woodwinds and the brass players.

Robert expressed these battles by orchestrating melodies between the brass and woodwinds as if they were fighting each other. What the woodwinds played right side up, the brass would then repeat upside down. When the brass was dominating the melody, the woodwinds would play a counter melody trying to drown them out and vice versa. As word of the work began to get around, there was considerable enthusiasm for the piece.

Robert did made one concession on the piece. The Artist in Residence Program found the working title, "The War," too aggressive, so Robert changed it to the more poetic La Guerre.

Once completed, the piece quickly took on a life of its own. La Guerre was read through and recorded by a professional concert band; it was performed at Rogler’s high school graduation; and the piece was chosen by the Rhode Island Junior All-State Band to be premiered in their annual concert, an honor which is still unique in Rhode Island history.

La Guerre also won Robert Rogler The John Philip Sousa Band Award for superior musicianship and outstanding dedication,  voted by his fellow high school band members.