Product Description
Background
"Finale Zweiter Akt" is a pivotal piece from Tanz der Vampire, a musical composed by Jim Steinman with German lyrics by Michael Kunze. Premiering in Vienna in 1997, Tanz der Vampire is an adaptation of the 1967 film The Fearless Vampire Killers. The piece serves as the climactic conclusion to Act II, combining dramatic intensity, soaring melodies, and rich harmonies to encapsulate the story's central themes of passion, danger, rebellion, greed, and transformation.
Notably, Steinman incorporates the theme from his earlier composition "Tonight Is What It Means to Be Young," originally featured in the 1984 cult film Streets of Fire. This thematic recycling highlights Steinman's penchant for grand, recurring musical motifs that transcend individual works, weaving a narrative tapestry across his career. In Finale Zweiter Akt, this theme is reimagined to align with the Gothic and theatrical aesthetic of the musical, adding an extra layer of emotional resonance and familiarity for those acquainted with Steinmans oeuvre. This ingenious blending of his previous work showcases Steinmans unique ability to adapt his music to new dramatic contexts, creating a powerful and unforgettable conclusion to the show.
Arrangers Notes
Transcribing "Finale Zweiter Akt" for concert band has been an exciting adventure!. This transcription is based on the 2009-2011 Berlin production, and features new transitional material written for this production. This run was something of a reimagined production, featuring new sets, costumes, and additional orchestration not present in the original 1997 production. My goal was to preserve as much of the original tone colour as possible, while weaving the vocal lines into the original orchestration with the expanded instrumentation afforded by a larger wind band. Parts for all common wind band harmony clarinets are included. Where they are not doubled, they are cued in other instruments. I dont anticipate many ensembles will have access to Contra-alto and Contra-bass clarinets, but I can dream!
There is an optional, very short sung section in the final bars of the piece. These English lyrics are the only such English words to appear anywhere in the show, and have been included in all major European production recordings. They are a rough translation of the previously repeated German phrase, Wir trinken Blut, wir haben null Moral. Was aus dieser Welt wird, ist uns scheißegal.
This product was created by a member of ArrangeMe, Hal Leonard's global self-publishing community of independent composers, arrangers, and songwriters. ArrangeMe allows for the publication of unique arrangements of both popular titles and original compositions from a wide variety of voices and backgrounds.