Overview

"The Cowboys was a film directed by the very talented Mark Rydel and featured John Wayne, probably Hollywood's quintessential cowboy.

The movie required a vigorous musical score to accompany virtuoso horseback riding and calf roping, and when my friend Andre Previn heard fragments of the score, he suggested that a concert overture lay hidden within the film's music. Several years slipped by, and each time I saw the indefatigable Previn he would ask, "Have you made an overture of Cowboys yet?"

He kept this up until 1980, when I finally worked out the piece and played it at a Boston Pops concert. Both the orchestra and the audience seemed to enjoy the music to such an extent that it has been part of our repertoire ever since.

I am especially delighted that this edition has finally been made available, and I hope that interested people will find genuine pleasure in this music."

John Williams

Score Specs

57 pages

10"x14" spiral bound full orchestral study score

Instrumentation

FLUTE 1
FLUTE 2 (Piccolo)
PICCOLO (Flute 3)
OBOE 1
OBOE 2
Bb CLARINET 1
Bb CLARINET 2 (Eb Clarinet)
BASSOON 1
BASSOON 2
CONTRA BASSOON (Bassoon)

FHORN 1
FHORN 2
FHORN 3
FHORN 4

Bb TRUMPET 1
Bb TRUMPET 2
Bb TRUMPET 3
TROMBONE 1
TROMBONE 2
BASS TROMBONE
TUBA

TIMPANI
PERCUSSION 1
PERCUSSION 2

HARP
PIANO/CELESTE

VIOLIN I
VIOLIN II
VIOLA
VIOLONCELLO
CONTRABASS