Dance of the Tumblers (Dance of the Clowns)
Brass Ensemble - Digital Sheet Music

Brass Ensemble - Level 4 - Digital Download

SKU: A0.808695

Composed by Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov (1844-1908). Arranged by F. Leslie Smith. Holiday,Patriotic,Romantic Period. Score and parts. 44 pages. Sweetwater Brass Press #4819845. Published by Sweetwater Brass Press (A0.808695).

    Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov composed his third opera, The Snow Maiden, during the period 1880-1881. Based on Alexander Ostrovsky’s play of the same name, The Snow Maiden uses fairy-tale characters to portray the opposing forces of nature, winter versus summer. Act 3 contains the "Dance of the Skomorokhi."  Skomorokhi were traveling performers in old Russia and, in connection with this composition, the term is usually translated as "tumblers" or "clowns." Rimsky-Korsakov also included this selection as one of four movements he compiled into a concert suite based on the opera. "Dance of the Tumblers" has become one of his most frequently performed and best known pieces.
    Light and uplifting, "Dance of the Tumblers" is vibrant, energetic and addictive. It takes the form of, as one commenter wrote, "a classical sonata-structure, complete with development section, invigoratingly intensified reprise, and a veritable whirlwind of a coda." This brass quintet arrangement retains the original key signature of C but adjusts register to make the melodies accessible and playable. As a result, most notes are well within the normal playing range of the five brass instruments. Trumpet 1’s highest note is its A above the staff. At measures 132 and 133, Trumpet 2 has the option of playing some high notes (including one C above its staff) an octave down. Tuba plays mostly in the lowest register, with quite a few low F notes and one low E. Most instruments have some octave jumps, but all have a lot of notes to play in a very short time: many, many sixteenth notes. The score is marked "Vivace," and the audio sample moves along at a pretty fast clip. But of course, the speed at which performers actually play the piece is up to them, a matter of interpretation.
    This arrangement was completed in 2019, and performance time runs about 3 minutes, 38 seconds. The arranger, Les Smith, will be happy to provide substitute parts (for example, treble clef baritone for trombone) at no charge; contact him directly at lessmith61@bellsouth.net. For more arrangements by Les, enter "Sweetwater Brass Press" (without the quotation marks) in the search box. (Also, purchase of this piece entitles you to your choice of another of his arrangements at no charge; send a copy of your purchase receipt directly to him at lessmith61@bellsouth.net.)