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- Mauricio Kagel
10 Märsche um den Sieg zu verfehlen (1978)
(10 Marches to Miss the Victory)- Henry Litolff’s Verlag GmbH & Co. KG (World)
This work is written for a minimum of 6 wind/brass instruments and 2 percussionists. The parts number 1–6 are each available in C, in B-flat, in E-flat and in F, enabling a flexible instrumentation.
The full score is notated in C and includes detailed instructions and suggestions by the composer for the choice of instruments and for the performance.
- min. 6 wind/brass instruments + 2 percussionists
- 20 min
Programme Note
These pieces of music were created as a counterpoint to the text of the radio play Der Tribun. It is about a political speaker who, during the rehearsal for his public appearance, plays himself the enthusiastic approval of the audience and the sounds of an omnipresent military band from a tape recorder.
I have now written march music for this monologue, although I hardly think I am capable of composing such music with appetite. (Is it possible to enjoy a genre whose triggering effect can only be described as dubious? Basically, I don't want marching music that could be used to win a victory).
Since the Geneva Convention, musicians and medical personnel in uniform are not allowed to carry weapons. The fact that the acoustic tools of my trade here are weaponized stimulants is deliberately concealed because the effect seems harmless. The opposite is the case: music can effectively implant itself in the minds of those who have to manage warheads. In any case, the outcome is well known.
Mauricio Kagel
(Translation by Edition Peters)