Menuetto from Symphony no. 40 by Mozart arr. Brian Slawson

While Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart—a flamboyant character with a propensity for having a good time—usually derived steady income, he grew accustomed to living well beyond his means. Surviving letters written by Mozart late in his very short life tell of desperate financial circumstances. Engaged in constant pleas for monetary assistance, Wolfgang was forced to move from the center of Vienna to the suburbs. However, waning stardom, mounting debts, and failing health only seemed to fuel the greatest creative surge of his career as a composer. His last three monumental symphonies (Nos. 39–41) were completed in just three months.
 
Having grown tired of fulfilling the musical whims of others, Mozart’s late works, including his stunningly emotional Requiem, fostered a new age of self-expression in music. Completed on July 25, 1788, the 40th Symphony is considered by many to be his symphonic masterpiece. Arranged for mallet septet, Brian Slawson’s arrangement is a great way for percussion ensembles to bring some of Mozart’s mastery to life in a new way.
 
This piece comes with a full, bound score and includes a CD-Rom containing an audio recording and all individual parts available for printing.