Hans Christian Andersen Suite for Concert Band by Tom Munsell

VIDEO SCORE: Hans Christian Andersen is a Danish storyteller most famous for his fairy tales. The first movement of the 5-movement suite is biographical. He was an only child growing up alone. His father built him a puppet theater where using his imagination he started creating stories. The second movement is The Snow Queen. A young man and woman are planning a life together. But a cursed mirror falls and shatters. Tiny fragments pierce his eyes and heart. The Snow Queen takes him to the far north. The maiden's resolve saves him and they are reunited. The third is the story of the Little Mermaid. A Mermaid below the waves sees a Prince on the deck of a ship. She falls in love with him and decides to join him on land. She had to choose to either kill the Prince or dissolve herself into sea foam. She dissolves into sea foam and her soul is redeemed by divine forces. Fourth is the Emperor's New Clothes. Weavers say they can create a cloth only the enlightened can see. Since the Emperor is the most wise, only he and his advisors can see it. The Emperor parades through town where a small child says, He's not wearing any clothes. The noblemen realize the truth and they run off embarrassed . Finally, the Fifth movement is The Ugly Duckling. Somehow a swan's egg got moved into a duck's nest. The baby swan is ridiculed for being an ugly duckling. But after the cold winter, the spring thaw reveals the truth.