Circus: An Overture

Ernst Toch's (1887-1964) CIRCUS: AN OVERTURE, written in 1953 is meant to evoke the atmosphere of a circus and recalls some of the most common types of music heard there. The piece opens and closes with a march theme, and in between, suggests an interaction between animals and their tamer along with clowns performing a ladder stunt. Toch, who came to the United States to escape Nazi Germany, was also a professor of philosophy and was awarded the Pulitzer Prize in Music in 1956. Instrumentation: 2(d. Picc)+Picc.2.2.2: 3.3.3.1: Perc(3-4): Pno: Str (9.8.7.6.5 in set).