Dr. David Mathie
Trombonist, Professor, Arranger
Saint-Saens - Pas Redouble
Brass Quintet
Difficulty Level: College/Professional
Published by Cherry Classics, Catalog Number CC-2488
Click below to hear Pas Redouble
ABOUT THE MUSIC
Camille Saint-Saëns, born in France in 1835 and died in Algiers in 1921, was a prolific composer and virtuoso pianist. He entered the Paris Conservatory at the age of thirteen and began studies in composition and organ, the latter winning him prizes almost immediately. His initial success as a composer came in his twenties, when he composed four of his five symphonies and became recognized as one of France’s foremost composers, but his major works were written during the last decades of the nineteenth century. By the end of his long life he had written for almost all gendres (sonatas, chamber music, concerti, tone poems, symphonies and grand opera) but became known as one of the greatest composers for the orchestra. Brass players are indebted to him for a number of wonderful works, including the Cavatine for trombone, the trumpet Septet, and the Morceau de Concert for horn, as well as the brass saxhorns he used in the finale of the first Symphony and the powerful brass writing throughout the third Symphony.
Pas Redoublé, op. 86, was written in 1887 for piano four-hands. The title refers to a specific form of nineteenth-century military march; these were the slow march (pas ordinaire), the quick-step march (pas redouble), and the double quick-step march (pas de charge). The work was transcribed by others for military band soon after its composition but is probably best known by Arthur Frackenpohl’s version for full band done in 1972.
In this arrangement I have tried to keep the dynamics and articulations as close to the original as possible. There are some pianistic effects, such as the rolls at letter C and the octave reinforcements throughout that four hands allow, that I have tried to replicate as they are impossible on brass. The piccolo trumpet at D leaves intact the octave doubling in the original and should be done if at all possible (and gives the player a chance to use that horn!); if not available, leave the first trumpet tacet from D to E. Tempo for the pas redoubles of the time probably varied from the American standard of 120 beats per minute to 144; in this arrangement I suggest a brisk tempo of mm = 132.
Camille Saint-Saëns, born in France in 1835 and died in Algiers in 1921, was a prolific composer and virtuoso pianist. He entered the Paris Conservatory at the age of thirteen and began studies in composition and organ, the latter winning him prizes almost immediately. His initial success as a composer came in his twenties, when he composed four of his five symphonies and became recognized as one of France’s foremost composers, but his major works were written during the last decades of the nineteenth century. By the end of his long life he had written for almost all gendres (sonatas, chamber music, concerti, tone poems, symphonies and grand opera) but became known as one of the greatest composers for the orchestra. Brass players are indebted to him for a number of wonderful works, including the Cavatine for trombone, the trumpet Septet, and the Morceau de Concert for horn, as well as the brass saxhorns he used in the finale of the first Symphony and the powerful brass writing throughout the third Symphony.
Pas Redoublé, op. 86, was written in 1887 for piano four-hands. The title refers to a specific form of nineteenth-century military march; these were the slow march (pas ordinaire), the quick-step march (pas redouble), and the double quick-step march (pas de charge). The work was transcribed by others for military band soon after its composition but is probably best known by Arthur Frackenpohl’s version for full band done in 1972.
In this arrangement I have tried to keep the dynamics and articulations as close to the original as possible. There are some pianistic effects, such as the rolls at letter C and the octave reinforcements throughout that four hands allow, that I have tried to replicate as they are impossible on brass. The piccolo trumpet at D leaves intact the octave doubling in the original and should be done if at all possible (and gives the player a chance to use that horn!); if not available, leave the first trumpet tacet from D to E. Tempo for the pas redoubles of the time probably varied from the American standard of 120 beats per minute to 144; in this arrangement I suggest a brisk tempo of mm = 132.