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The Captains and the Kings (full orchestra): Conductor Score & Parts

$90.00 USD

The Captains and the Kings (full orchestra): Conductor Score & Parts

Name: The Captains and the Kings (full orchestra): Conductor Score & Parts
Brand: Alfred Music
SKU: 36-A907190
Price: 90.00 USD
Availability: InStock

By Leroy Anderson

Item: 36-A907190

$90.00

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One moment…

Leroy Anderson wrote: "The idea for this piece came from a passage in a poem by Rudyard Kipling" titled 'Recessional.' Anderson continued, "It's unusual for a march. It goes from 2/4 into 3/4. Most marches are two beats to a measure. It's in two parts - Captains first, King's second... In THE CAPTAINS AND THE KINGS, the first part is very martial and describes the captains. The middle section is more melodic and suggests the kings... It always seemed to me that while captains may be very military men, that kings are just ordinary people like the rest of us. It's just that they have an exalted position." This work that underscores the uncertain fate of captains and kings is available in both this original orchestration, and also as a band transcription. Instrumentation in set: 2+Picc.2.2.2: AATSAx(opt) :4.3.3.1: Timp.Perc(2): Pno(opt): Str (9-8-7-6-5 in set).

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Series: Kalmus Leroy Anderson Orchestra Series

Publisher: Keiser Productions, Inc.

UPC: 654690635259

SKU: 36-A907190

Instrumentation: 2+1, 2, 2, 2, (3sax) - 4, 3, 3, 1, timp, perc, str

More about this title

About the Composer: Leroy Anderson

Leroy Anderson (1908-1975) was an American composer and conductor whose gift for orchestration and melodic invention made him one of the most recorded composers of his era. His output spans both serious concert works and popular orchestral pieces, many of which have become standards in the pops concert and light classical repertoires. Anderson's training at Harvard and his work as a conductor gave him intimate knowledge of orchestral color and ensemble balance, qualities that shine throughout his compositions.

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Why we love this

Anderson's commentary on this piece reveals a composer thinking deeply about form and meaning. The shift from 2/4 to 3/4 is structurally audacious for a march, and the contrast between the martial captains section and the lyrical kings section gives conductors rich interpretive territory. It's the kind of work that teaches musicians to listen for character and nuance within a familiar genre.

What to expect

The opening bristles with pageantry and military precision. Then the music softens and becomes introspective, revealing something intimate beneath the pomp. By the end, the duality Anderson describes feels complete: power and humanity coexist, often uneasily.

Who it's for

This conductor score with parts works for orchestras and chamber orchestras at the intermediate to advanced level. The mixed meter demands musical maturity and rhythmic security, but the orchestration is accessible and the march idiom is familiar to most ensemble players.

How to get the most out of it

Emphasize the metric shift between sections; the transition from 2/4 to 3/4 should feel purposeful rather than awkward. Rehearse the ensemble's comfort with both meters in isolation before running the full arc.
Balance the brightness of the first section against the warmth of the middle. Anderson's orchestration supports this contrast, so avoid over-blending the woodwinds in the martial opening.
Keep the march section driven but not rigid. The military character works best when it has forward momentum rather than a metronomic pulse.
In the kings section, allow the melodic lines room to sing. The shift toward lyricism represents a humanizing moment in the narrative, and the orchestra should reflect that warmth.

How to use it

Program this as a centerpiece for a pops or light classical concert, where it can sit comfortably alongside other Anderson works or similar twentieth-century American orchestral pieces. Its modest length and clear narrative arc make it an ideal opener that engages audiences immediately without demanding deep listening.