Romeo And Juliet
Composer
Paul Dukas was born in 1865 October 1st and died in 1935 May 17th. He is a French composer and studied at Paris Conservatory. After e finished his studies he became a music critic and orchestrator. Paul Dukas was a perfectionist and as a result he destroyed many of pieces, as he wasn’t happy with them, so now there are very few of his compositions that remain.
Some of his most well known works are his; orchestral music such as Overtures (Götz von Berlichingen, Polyeucte, le Roi Lear), Symphony (1896) and L'Apprenti sorcier (1897); Chamber music such as Alla Gitana, for cello and piano and Villanelle, for horn and piano; Piano like Variations, Interlude et final on a theme of Rameau; Vocal such as Sonnet de Ronsard, Vocalise, for voice and piano and Cantatas (Hymne au soleil, Sémélé et Velléda); Ballet like La Péri (1912); Opera such as Ariane et Barbe-Bleue (1907).
Story Outline
The piece ‘Sorcerer’s Apprentice’ was first inspired by Goethe’s poem but then used in the animated film Fantasia 2000. The tale begins with an old sorcerer going out and leaves his apprentice (Mickey Mouse) with chores to do. The apprentice is tired of fetching water by pail so he uses magic to enchant a broomstick to do the work for him. However he doesn’t know how to control this magic properly as a result the room soon floods and he doesn’t know how to stop the broomstick. He then tries to stop the broom but splitting into two with an axe, but each of the pieces transforms into a whole new broom and soon there is a whole army of them. The broomsticks resume with the work but now faster causing a terrible. Luckily the old sorcerer returns just in time to break the spell.
Instrumentation
Two flutes and piccolo, two oboes, two clarinets and bass clarinet, three bassoons and contrabassoon (or contrabass sarrusophone), four horns, two trumpets, two cornets, three trombones, timpani, orchestra bells, bass drum,...
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