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Xerxes

Xerxes

  • Composer: Mackey, John
  • Grade: 4
  • Duration: 5:00
  • Genre: Concert Band
  • Publisher: Osti Music
  • Item No: GOMS-90003
  • Inventory status: In stock


$255.20
Printed set (Score & Parts)
Piccolo
Flute 1
Flute 2
Oboe
Bassoon 1
Bassoon 2
Contrabassoon
Clarinet in Eb
Bb Clarinet
Bb Clarinet
Bb Clarinet
Bb Bass Clarinet 1
Bb Bass Clarinet 2
Contrabass Clarinet in Bb
Soprano Saxophone
Alto Saxophone
Tenor Saxophone
Baritone Saxophone
Bb Trumpet 1
Bb Trumpet 2
Bb Trumpet 3
French Horn 1
French Horn 2
French Horn 3
French Horn 4
Trombone 1
Trombone 2
Trombone 3
Bass Trombone
Euphonium
Tuba

Percussion (7 players)
Player 1: Timpani (4 standard drums)
Player 2: Xylophone, Marimba, Tambourine
Player 3: Crash Cymbals, Crotales (only Bb and F are needed), and Tambourine
Player 4: Suspended Crash Cymbal, Small China, Large China, Wind Gong (or Small Tam-Tam) *,
Bell Plate on top of Brake Drum ** , Triangle (see key)
Player 5: Snare Drum
Player 6: Tam-Tam and Large Tom-Tom
Player 7: Bass Drum

"Xerxes" takes its name from Xerxes the Great, the King of Persia from 485 to 465 BC. The music, unexpectedly, is a concert march. Whereas most marches for concert band ? at least the ones with which I'm familiar ? are cheerful and in many cases patriotic (usually either American or British), I wanted to write a sort of anti-march: an angry, nasty march, that still follows the traditional structure one would expect from a military march.

Xerxes, as the music hopefully suggests, was one of your nastier rulers, even by ancient standards. (His claim to "fame" was invading and burning Athens to the ground.) Xerxes was assassinated by Artabanus, who in turn was murdered by Xerxes' son, Artaxerxes I.

It was, to put it lightly, a violent time. What better subject matter for a march?

(John Mackey)

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