De Dansande Sylfiderna (score & parts) - 6BSN/2CBSN

De Dansande Sylfiderna
for six bassoons and two contrabassoons
by Ray Naessen (1950-2004)- Swedish composer A direct translation of the title would be "The Dancing Sylphids". In the middle-ages, a sylph was believed to be on the four basic elements of nature, i/e/ the spirit of the air. The other elements were earth, fire, and water. The sylph was a male spirit. His opposite gender was sylphid, probably a contracted form of the latin Sylvestris nympha a woodland spirit. A sylphid has also become synonymous with a slim girl of a woman, and as such, has been taken into use in dancing, especially ballet.