MARSHA SCHWEITZER is retired Associate Principal Bassoon of the Hawaii Symphony and still-active bassoonist of the Spring Wind Quintet (pictured above). Marsha is a prolific arranger, having expanded the Spring Wind Quintet’s repertoire through her many arrangements and transcriptions in many genre. Her arrangements can be heard on the 2012 Grammy-nominated CD, “Keola Beamer: Malama Ko Aloha,” in live performance all over the world, on Hawaii Public Radio, National Public Radio’s “Performance Today,” on network and cable TV, and in film.
MUSIC FOR WINDS is a small publishing business based in Honolulu, Hawaii. Owned and operated by Marsha Schweitzer, Music for Winds offers a variety of both classical and contemporary repertoire for wind ensembles of all sizes, as well as some select string or string-wind ensembles.
Most of the music in this catalog was written especially for the Spring Wind Quintet. To learn more about the group, visit www.chambermusichawaii.org.
Fan Mail
| “Our wind trio performed your wonderful Christmas arrangements three times yesterday for various events throughout town. We departed with such sincere compliments each time and I must share that with you! Your music was not only fun and challenging but great to listen to.”
– Roxann Johnson
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“Because of your arrangements, my ensemble has had so many recommendations and good playing jobs. I wanted to share a bit of our profits with you. [$20 enclosed] The group just loves to play your arrangements. Thank you for providing quality music for professionals to play! … We love the Carmen!”
– Sally Hinkle Teegarden (Jaenicke Consort, Inc.)
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| “Thank you so much for your wonderful arrangements. The group expressed again how much they enjoy them.”
– Jill Marderness (Quintessence Chamber Ensemble)
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“Thanks again for the great Christmas music. Our quintet got nothing but rave reviews from it, and we have quite a few new jobs because of it.”
– Dan Roberdeau (Kenosha Symphony Orchestra)
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| “We had a great time playing your arrangement of Verklarte Nacht at the Bennington Chamber Music Conference a few years ago. Thanks so much!”
– Sylvia Lipnick
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“I’m interested in getting another set of your arrangements of Christmas music for wind quintet. I played them in the US Air Force Academy WW Quintet and they were fabulous”
– Mark Ortwein (Indianapolis Symphony)
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| “We had great fun playing your arrangement (Bach Prelude & Fugue in G Major) in the U.S. last fall. A month ago it was also played on Norwegian Radio and we got lots of good feedback on your piece!”
– Per Hannevold (Bergen Wind Quintet)
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“My woodwind quintet, and really I should say most of the Air Force woodwind quintets I know, love your Christmas arrangements. As a matter of fact, they are a staple for my current quintet during the holiday season.”
– Lezlee Masson (USAF Band, Travis AFB)
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| “Thought you’d like to know that the Cleveland Orchestra Youth Orchestra Quintet played some of your Christmas arrangements this year – to great acclaim. Thanks for doing them.”
– Betty Camus
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“I have been reading a few chapters a night of your amazing book. I have never read anything so comprehensive or searingly insightful about our art/profession. I just read your “Playing behind the Beat” essay and wanted to yell HURRAY!!! Thank you for a much needed, revelatory and astonishing book.”
— JoAnn Falletta, Music Director, Buffalo Philharmonic and Virginia Symphony, Artistic Advisor, Hawaii Symphony
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| “We really enjoy your arrangements. We performed ‘How Lovely Is Thy Dwelling Place’ a couple of years ago—just beautiful!”
– Lisa Jelle (QuintEssential Winds, Capital University)
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Reviews
Octet Delights with Harmoniemusik Arrangement offers fresh perspective on Mozart’s bold K. 310
The program included an arrangement by the Spring Wind Quintet’s own Marsha Schweitzer of Mozart’s A minor Piano Sonata K.310, for a most unusual quartet of oboe, English horn, bassoon, and (get this!) contrabassoon.
I have to admit being skeptical at first. After all, Mozart’s K.310 was one of the most emotionally raw works he ever composed, exposing heart-wrenching dissonances, driven, pounding rhythms, and almost violent clashes, emotions that were usually tempered by Classicism’s elegant facade.
Instead, I was intrigued by the different perspective Schweitzer’s arrangement offered.
Played by winds, the piece is lighter, more legato and seemingly more consonant. I heard the piece in a new way, with new insights, which is precisely the point of arrangements. For example, the tempo of the second movement, with its long opening anacrusis, is usually determined by the piano’s rate of decay. On piano, and especially on the fortepiano for which the piece written, one can only play so slowly before the line disintegrates. Played by winds, however, the struggle to maintain legato is resolved, leaving the choice of tempo to the musicians. Fascinating.
— Ruth Bingham, The Honolulu Advertiser
“I will admit to having been skeptical when learning of this transcription, having known, analyzed and love the string sextet original of Verklarte Nacht. But as happens in carefully done, well-conceived fine transcriptions, this one is remarkably successful (as it is far-reaching) in presenting a piece established in one setting satisfyingly and convincingly in ‘new clothes’. I wholeheartedly welcome this addition of ‘Fin de Siecle’ Vienna to the wind quintet repertoire, Brava!”
– Bruce Creditor, The Clarinet, 1989
One source for holiday music is Music for Winds (musicforwinds.net) published by Marsha Schweitzer, bassoonist of the Spring Wind Quintet and transcriber extraordinaire. Here she offers something for every occasion: concerts, in malls, parks, parties, and in church.
You’ll find dozens of transcriptions by Schweitzer including Baroque Favorites: Pachelbel and Bach; Overtures, Operas and Encores: Mozart, Nicolai, Strauss, Jr., Bizet and Lehar; and Piano Classics: Sonatas of Mozart, and works by Brahms, Debussy and Joplin. Again, something for every ensemble to feast on.
– Bruce Creditor, The Clarinet, 2022
Ordering Information
Performance royalties for all works on this website should be paid to ASCAP – see www.ascap.com for details.
All music prices include postage and handling. Shipping is usually by U.S. Priority Mail. Due to low sales volume and lack of space, we do not keep a large inventory on hand. Sets of parts are prepared for distribution only after your order is received, so please allow plenty of time for delivery. However, if you have a specific deadline, let us know and we will do our best to expedite delivery.
Download a copy of the Music for Winds catalog.