Worried that others wouldn’t take him seriously, Saint-Saëns requested this entire humorous suite be published only after his death. This arrangement of the suite’s finale gives early beginner pianists a taste of how dramatic, crazy, and fun classical music really can be.
Very few people haven’t heard this classical Beethoven theme (incredibly, composed after he had lost his hearing). This arrangement combines the marvelously simple stepwise melody with dynamics, a black key crossover, and triumphant harmonic thirds to allow beginner pianists to experience the grandeur of this masterful composer’s music.
This early level baroque piece is filled with stately call-and-response and lends itself well to interpretation with phrasing, dynamics, and articulations. I have included these interpretations in this edition and frequently use this piece to teach students how to transpose using various pentascales.
* Music is in its original form with minor editorial changes.