Le Tribut de Zamora, CG 12 (The Tribute of Zamora): Ballet Music [transcription]

Description

Le Tribut de Zamora, CG 12 (The Tribute of Zamora) was composed in 1881 by Charles Gounod (1818-1893) as part of his final completed opera, a grand historical work set in medieval Spain during the conflict between Christian and Moorish forces. The opera is written in the late-19th-century French grand opera tradition, with its emphasis on spectacle, exotic settings, and elaborate stage elements, including an extended ballet sequence. Le Tribut de Zamora premiered on April 1, 1881, at the Paris Op�ra, where it initially attracted attention for its scale and craftsmanship, though it did not achieve lasting popularity. The ballet music appears in the later acts of the opera, providing a moment of diversion within the serious dramatic narrative. Today the Ballet Music is occasionally performed in concert, even as the complete opera itself remains rarely staged. Dances included: 1. Barcarolle; 2. Danse Espagnole; 3. Danse des Pointes; 4. Danse Italienne. Instrumentation: 1.1.2.1: 2.2(Crnt).1.0: Timp.Perc(2-3): Str (9.8.7.6.5 in set): CS (Pno-Cond) in set. Reprint edition of the arrangement for orchestra by Richard Klugescheid.