Also Sprach Zarathustra
Year: 2010
Grade: 3
Instrumentation: Marching Band
VIEW SCORE!
Program Notes
It was the end of my 8th grade year of middle school, and a bunch of band members, the director and I were sitting around a table discussing the next years marching and pep-band music selections. When Mr. Brown (director) asked for suggestions, I immediately thought of one of my FAVORITE films, “2001: Space Odyssey”. I knew that Richard Strauss’s “Also Sprach Zarathustra” was a major part of the movie, hearing the intro of the symphony. I suggested Also Sprach, and my band director said, “Do you know of a good arrangement?” I told him that I could easily arrange this! (Also, I have performed the piece over three times, and I found an extra score on a website.) So, after the ok from my band director, I arranged this for the Marching Band. The work is, realistically, a Grade 3. However, this is a GREAT challenge piece for middle school pep- bands, but is still appropriate in a high-school setting.