Marche Hongroise

Hector Berlioz, arr. Peter Guthrie

Composed:
1846 Arranged:
1997 Grouping:
sSSAAATTBb 

A favourite amoung operatic marches, Berlioz' Hungarian March is taken from the opera "La Damnation de Faust" (although Berlioz preferred to call it a "Legende dramatique" rather than an opera). The story dates back to 1587, with its most famous incarnations in English due to Marlow (1604) and in German due to Goethe (1808). Berlioz score is based on Goethe's version, with its added "love interest". The Hungarian March appears as a regiment marches past Faust as he wanders the Hungarian plains in the first part of the story.

It is strange that despite his strong friendship and patronage of Adolphe Sax, Berlioz himself never wrote for the instrument. He penned a number of articles enthusing of the instruments qualities and encouraging others to compose music for or including the saxophone, yet never did himself. Despite this, the development of the saxophone owes much to Hector Berlioz.

Ironically, Faust was completed the same year and in the same city that the saxophone was patented.

Sopranino and soprano II parts are optional.