Description
Elsa’s Procession to the Cathedral was arranged for the Brass of the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra. (RCO Brass)
This famous music is a selection from the German romantic opera Lohengrin which premiered in 1850. The occasion for the procession is the imminent betrothal of heroine Elsa to Lohengrin, mystic Knight of the Holy Grail, come to deliver the people of Brabant (Antwerp) from Hungarian invaders.
In the operatic presentation, a large double chorus adds its song of solemn praise to that of the orchestra. In this transcription for Brass ensemble the instrumental solo voices of the original are paralleled and the choral voices are deftly absorbed in the rich instrumental texture, recreating all the luxuriant Wagnerian color, drama, pageantry, power and mysticism of the original.
Instrumentation
4 Trumpets – 4 Horns – 4 Trombones – 1 Tuba – 2 Percussion
Duration
7’30”
