Gabriel Pierné 1863 - 1937
Marche des petits soldats de plomb
Puppet funeral march for orchestra (original version for piano)
Carlo Balmelli, Transcription for wind orchestra
| Duration | ca. 5' |
| Difficulty | 4 |
| Item number | SWB03 |
In 1871/72 intended Gounod on composing a suite for the piano, „Suite Burlesque“. However he had only composed the first set, the Funeral March for a Marionette in D minor, and gave this work out as a solo piece. Later Gounod still should have orchestrated that orchestra. In the piano version you will find the following content designators:
- The puppet brakes (she dies in a duel)
- Sad murmurs of the troops
- The funeral
- Some of the main characters pause to refresh themselves
- Go back home
This funeral march is a little paradisiac to understand and swivels between the seriousness of a real funeral and the surreal, humorous idea that characters of the story are represented by puppets.
full score
piccolo
flute 1,2
oboe 1,2
solo clarinet Bb 1,2
bassoon 1,2
horn F 1,2
trumpet Bb 1,2
cornet Bb 1,2
trombone 1,2
bass trombone
timpani
triangle
cymbals, bass drum
clarinet Eb
clarinet Bb 1
clarinet Bb 2
clarinet Bb 3
bass clarinet
contrabass clarinet Bb
alto saxophone 1,2
tenor saxophone
baritone saxophone
euphonium
tuba
violoncello (optional)
string bass
Additional parts for certain countries
horn Eb 1,2
trombone Bb 1,2
bass trombone Bb
euphonium Bb
tuba Eb
tuba Bb
Charles Gounod – Marionette Funeral March