Stasny, Ludwig - Papageno Polka, Op. 55

Category: Clarinet in A (Flute/Violin), Trumpet in B-Flat, Tuba, and Piano ** Title: Papageno Polka, Op. 55 ** Composer: Stasny, Ludwig ** Arranger: Kenneth Cooper ** Publisher: International Music Co. ** Difficulty: A4/A5.

Ludwig Stasny was known in his lifetime primarily as a conductor and a composer of musical potpourris (samplings of popular operatic themes of the day). An oboist by training, he passed a sizable portion of his career in the post of military bandmaster for the Austro-Hungarian infantry.

The Papageno Polka, Op. 55, originally written for orchestra, is a good example of a potpourri composition: it is comprised of some of the most popular themes from W.A. Mozarts opera The Magic Flute, taking its name from that of one of the characters, Papageno the bird-catcher.

This edition is an adaptation of the orchestral work, arranged for Clarinet in A, Trumpet in B-Flat, Tuba, and Piano by Kenneth Cooper. The A Clarinet part can also be played by Flute or Violin. There is no score (just the piano score), but the edition does include an extensive set of notes from the editor (historical background and performance notes).