Edition: Jazz Big Band Arrangement

Description: Even Eighths - Difficult

Publisher: Toy Piano Publishing

Florian Ross's Tombeau de Couperin is an orchestration of the Prelude from Maurice Ravel's original piano suite of the same name. Ravel, renowned not only for his compositions but also for his orchestrations of his own piano works, completed the suite in 1917 during World War I. Each movement is dedicated to a friend who died in the war, making the piece a deeply personal memorial. Although its title pays homage to the Baroque composer François Couperin (1668–1733), the suite is more reflective of Ravel’s own experiences and grief. Having served as a truck driver near the front lines, Ravel responded to the horrors of war not with darkness or despair, but with music that embraced clarity, classical form, and restraint.

In his orchestration, Ross remains faithful to Ravel’s ethos of subtlety and economy. He begins by closely adhering to the original score, avoiding embellishments. Only gradually does he introduce new ideas and layers, allowing the orchestration to evolve while still respecting the spirit of the original.

This piece is best suited for advanced collegiate-level ensembles looking to explore challenging arrangements of music that originates outside the Jazz tradition.

Full Score
Soprano Saxophone
Alto Saxophone
2 Tenor Saxophones
Baritone Saxophone/Flute
4 Trumpets (Mutes)
3 Trombones (Mutes)
Bass Trombone (Mutes)
Guitar
Piano
Bass
Drums

Trumpet 1: C#6
Trombone 1: G4