Petersburger Schlittenfahrt

Saxophone quintet, also playable as quartet, 4th part optional

Parts: s/a-a-a/t-(t)-b

Sleighbell Tinkle - Memories of St. Petersburg

The „Petersburger Schlittenfahrt“ (Sleighbell Tinkle) is one of Richard Eilenberg’s most famous compositions, a composer and music director in the late 19th century.

The subtitle of this piece, originally for the piano and later on played by salon orchestras, is: „Memories of St. Petersburg“. We also fondly associate this piece with piano lessons: the both of us learned to play and perform this melody in our childhoods. Oftentimes a four-handed arrangement would prevail; one with his sister in Baden-Württemberg, the other joined by her piano teacher in Lower Saxony. Serendipity brought us together – in real life we haven’t yet met. But the simple fact of having the best hobby in the world and our mutual joy in playing with three or four other musicians sped up the decision to work together. What better title to start with than something that we both liked and enjoyed in our past!

Our arrangement takes Richard Eilenberg’s core message to heart, his tune cleverly captures the unbounded joy and levity of a winter’s sleigh ride while remaining entertaining throughout. Our adaptation echoes Eilenberg’s spirit, but is well-adapted for the acoustic adventures that only a saxophone ensemble offers. It is a true pleasure for musicians to play and a delight to listen to for the audience. Europe’s popular salon music of the 20th century allowed music to leave the closed doors of theater and enter much smaller venues. As of late, the music genre has experienced a revival. Throughout all of its interpretations in the last century by artists of various styles such as André Rieu or the Schöneberger Sängerknaben, the Petersburger Schlittenfahrt has always been able to enthrall its audience. For many, the music is associated with precious memories of wintertime and special ones. This arrangement is a lovely addition to any program and befits a multitude of occasions, particularly during the winter and Christmas season.

You don’t need special instructions: be supportive to the lead player (melody player) and max out the dynamics – it will surely entertain your audience with a sort of wittiness we had on our minds when arranging it. Enjoy your sleigh ride!