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development of Germanmusic during the early part
of the Baroque era. Scheidt spent most of his life as
a church organist in Halle, in central Germany. The
Galliard Battaglia
is not programmatic, but rather
abstract music taking its title from the trumpet-like
character and antiphonal (answering) effects of the
flourishes in the upper voices. The galliard, a vigor-
ous court dance popular during the 16
th
and early
17
th
centuries, had fairly aggressive, or at least,
energetic moves: four hops on the ball of one foot
while the other moved forward in a sharp kick, a
vigorous jump, and a “posture” (a stance with one
foot resting in front of the other). The coupling of
this dance with a battle theme seems a reasonable
association.
Georges Bizet: Carmen Suite (arr.Matt Kingston)
Despite the fact that the Parisian critics almost
unanimously condemned it after its premiere in
1875 for its overt sexuality and graphic final scene,
Carmen,
Bizet’s final opera, intrigued a number
of sophisticated minds and ultimately reached the
public in a way that perhaps no other opera has.
The music portrays one of the most evocative land-
scapes of Spain even though Bizet had never been
there. The abundance of sound colours and the
sheer melodic attractiveness of
Carmen
have over
the years instigated several adaptations, transcrip-
tions and arrangements for various combinations of
instruments.
Camille Saint-Saëns: “Marchof theRoyal Lion”
from
Carnival of theAnimals
(arr. Karl Kramer)
While Bizet was appreciated as a master compos-
er of the Spanish style, his contemporary Camille
Saint-Saëns, with his uncomplicated piece
Wed-
ding Cake
(1885), began to gain him a reputation
as a light-music
composer. It was therefore only
natural that he would suppress
Carnival of the
Animals
shortly after its premiere in the following
year. However, this “zoological fantasy” is one of
the most successful examples of humour in music
and has become one of the composer’s most pop-
ular works. The “March of the Royal Lion”, the
king of the animal kingdom is rightfully placed
first after a brief introduction. March-like rhythms
announce the arrival of the lions, which are ingen-
iously depicted by unison melody initially in the
lower registers and later in the higher. Occasion-
ally, the roar of the lions may be heard in the low
registers by ascending and descending chromatic
scales.
GarethWood: Finale fromQuintet for Brass
Gareth Wood studied composition and the double
bass at the Royal Academy of Music, joining the
Royal Philharmonic Orchestra in 1972. As a com-
poser, Wood first came to the attention of the public
in 1975 when his overture
Tombstone, Arizona
was
performed at the Royal Albert Hall during the Na-
tional Brass Band Festival.