Robert Schumann:

Some famous pieces

Schuman was a contemporary of Mendelssohn and Brahms. He initially composed solely for the keyboard only later taking on the whole orchestra. He was a ful time composer supported by his wife Clara’s concert tours. Following on from Bethoven and Motzart he developed a programme approach to composition - expressing the themes of liturature in musical terms. This is well represented in our selection. Our selection comes from those keyboard works - reinterpreting them on a variety of steel drum/marimba combinations with occasional contributions from gamalan, vibes, harp, ocarina and in one case harking back to our roots a Mega Moog. Arabesque Opus 18 is arranged here on Harp, steeldrums Gamelan and Marimba.

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Copyright: we retain the copy right on our arrangements for public performance or any other commercial application but grant you the right to download it free of charge for your own personal use. Donation: If you enjoy the music I would be grateful if you would make a donation to the charitable Trust Fund run by Croydon Whitgift Rotary Club.

Carnaval is a dramatic work arranged here on steeldrums, vibes,gamelan and two contrasting marimbas. Fantasie in C# 1-3 on vibes, gamelan, steeldrums and marimba except the second movement which manages without the gamelan. Fantasiestueken C sharp 1-3 is arranged on Harp, steeldrums and marimba. Kinderszenen Op15 arranged on steeldrums, ocarina, and Mega Moog. Kreslerian Opus16 i-8 arranged onvibes, gmelan and two marimbas.

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Georges Bizet:

Excerpts & Themes from

Carmen

The opera Carmen is the most famous of the compositions by Bizet. It was based on a book of the same name by Prospere Merimee it was first performed in 1875 just before his death. Evidently the initial reception of the opera was pretty negative partly due to the subject matter. Massenet and Saint Seans were congratulatory about the music but Gounod queried the originality of the musical content. But opinions were quickly revised after his death and it has been in the operatic repertoire ever since. These excerpts and themes from the opera have been arranged on our percussion ensemble comprising steel drums, vibraphone, gamelan and marimba accompanied by an ocarina. Aragonaise March of the Toreadors Fantasy on Bizet’s Carmen