The Great Gate of Kiev - Brass Band - LM470

COMPOSER : Mussorgsky / Ravel

ARRANGER : Neil Lock

I set out to create an "easy" arrangement for brass band of this famous piece; a Russian classic, and yet made (by a Frenchman) memorably Ukrainian.

I decided to bring it down by a fourth from the original key, and also to put it into 2/4 to make it more easily readable. I tried to stick as close as I could to Ravel's orchestration. That proved easier said than done. But I came away with two take home messages.

 One, Modest Mussorgsky composed a fine piece of music.

 And two, the genius Maurice Ravel used it to create one of the greatest musical treasures ever written.