10118 Le Ballet des Revenants

Clara Schumann

arranged for 10 brass by Roger Harvey

Difficulty: Medium

Price: £25.00

Programme notes:

Scene Fantastique: Le Ballet des Revenants from 4 Pièces Caractéristiques Op 5

Clara Schumann (1819 - 1896)

Clara Schumann is still probably best known as the talented wife of Robert Schumann. However, she had a long and successful concert career as a pianistin her own right and was a profound influence on numerous musicians, most notably Brahms. She was, in fact the first to perform any work by Brahms in public. But in addition to this she was, at least in her early years, a fluent composer producing songs, piano pieces and a piano concerto which she performed at 16 years old in a performance conducted by Mendelssohn. This short piece, The Witches Danse, is from a set of 4 Characteristic Pieces.

Performance note:

Always play with character to bring out the spiky, staccatop character that is used in much of the piece. The middle section can be lighter in manner but still with a cheeky feel.For the muted section in the coda the tuba may play muted but if this is not possible play open with a very controlled quiet dynamic.