OFFENBACH, Jacques (1819-1880)
THE CAN-CAN (arr.Nigel Wicken)
Concert Classics Series GMCL044
Level of Difficulty
Attributing a particular level of difficulty to an orchestral piece is awkward!
A piece may be easy for the strings but difficult for the brass; it may feature a tricky instrumental solo but the other parts may be relatively straight forward. A number of the arrangements listed are designed to simplify works to some extent but composers of many original works featured did not consider difficulty when writing them.
What our levels mean:
A = for players up to UK Grade 3
B = Grade 3 to 5
C = Grade 4 to 6
D = Grade 5 to 7
E = Grade 6 to 8
F = Grade 7 and over
Our gradings should be taken only as a rough guide.
To be sure if a piece is suitable for you, take a look at the score.
Orchestration
Flute (doubling piccolo), Oboe, 2 Clarinets in Bb, Bassoon
2 Horns in F (alternatively 2 Horns / Saxophones in Eb), 2 Trumpets in Bb, 2 Trombones, Timpani,
Percussion (Side drum, Bass drum, Cymbals, Triangle [2 players])
Strings (Violin 1,2, Viola or Violin 3, Cello/Bass)
The famous Can-Can is well-known even away from Offenbach's operetta "Orpheus in the Underworld". In this arrangement there is a Violin 3 part as an alternative to Viola and an alternative Eb part for horns which can be used for alto saxes. Although two trombones are listed the part is actually "a 2" throughout so you could get away with only one, though you would then lose the unmistakable sound of trombones playing loudly in unison which adds to the subtle flavour of this piece!
Duration: 3½ minutes
A PACK comprises an A4 sized full score plus a complete set of parts including strings 4/4/3/4/2.
Audio Sample
Click the play button below to hear a performance which has been computer-generated from the score.