Macbeth

incidental music for the play

General Information – Instrumentation – Manuscript – Publication – Arrangements – Recordings

General Information:

Composition:
25 December 1941 through 1 January 1942.

First Performance:
Friday, 16 January 1942. Opera House, Manchester. London Philharmonic Orchestra, Ernest Irving conductor.

Text:
Intended to accompany the play by William Shakespeare (1564–1616)

Craggs Catalogue Number:
C43

Instrumentation:

2 flutes (doubling piccolos), 2 oboes (second doubling cor anglais), 2 clarinets in B-flat, bass clarinet in B-flat (doubling clarinet in A), 2 bassoons – 3 horns in F, 2 trumpets in C, 2 trombones – 2 timpani, 2 percussion (side drum, bass drum, cymbal, castanets, xylophone, bell, tambourine, gong, wind machine, flexatone) – strings

Manuscript:

Frederick R. Koch Collection. Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library, Yale University. Manuscript FRKF 581. Autograph full score. 76 pages.

Publication:

The complete incidental music remains unpublished.

Arrangements:

Macbeth: Fanfare and March, arranged by Christopher Palmer.

Recordings:

The complete incidental music has never been recorded commercially. The music was pre-recorded for the premiere performance with the play.

WilliamWalton.net – Catalogue of Works – Incidental Music