Composer: Richard Strauss (1864-1949)
Duration: 2 minutes
Price: £15
Grade: 5-8
Instrumentation: 10 Bb Trumpets

This glorious fanfare in Eb Major was written in 1924 for the Vienna Philharmonic’s first benefit ball, raising money for the musicians’ pension fund. It was played for the arrival honoured guests and is now performed yearly at the Philharmonic’s annual ball.

The original instrumentation is for 6 trumpets, 8 horns, 6 trombones, 2 tubas and 2 timpani, but I think it works exceptionally well just for trumpets! This would make a fantastic opening for any concert, or just a great item to work with an ensemble on sound, tuning, triplet rhythms and crisp articulations.