Concert Band - Level 5 - Digital Download
SKU: A0.1028397
Composed by Hector Berlioz. Arranged by Vincent Fung Kin Yuen. Romantic Period. Score and parts. 150 pages. Vincent Fung Kin Yuen #3558347. Published by Vincent Fung Kin Yuen (A0.1028397).
A few years ago, I attended a concert by the National University of Singapore Symphony Orchestra, a group of passionate students, at the National University of Singapore. They performed
Berlioz’s Symphonie Fantastique, which has continuously captivated me through the wild, grotesque sounds. Recently, my friend, Joshua suggested that I could write an orchestral transcription for
Dream of a Witches’ Sabbath. I have decided to keep the instrumentation to a minimum, where smaller size bands can give it a try without the fear of not owning unusual auxiliary instruments, but still able to maintain the original orchestral sounds.
The original program notes by Berlioz is as follows:
He sees himself at a witches' sabbath, in the midst of a hideous gathering of shades, sorcerers and monsters of every kind who have come together for his funeral. Strange sounds, groans, outbursts of laughter; distant shouts which seem to be answered by more shouts. The beloved melody appears once more, but has now lost its noble and shy character; it is now no more than a vulgar dance tune, trivial and grotesque: it is she who is coming to the sabbath ... Roar of delight at her arrival ... She joins the diabolical orgy ... The funeral knell tolls, burlesque parody of the Dies irae, the dance of the witches. The dance of the witches combined with the Dies irae.
