Sabre Dance

Details

“Sabre Dance” from Gayane by Aram Khachaturian, arranged for one piano, four hands by Greg Anderson / Full score / Difficulty: Advanced / Duration: 2 minutes / Pages: 9 / Copyright: 2006 / Work number: 011

Program Notes

What began as a furious ritual of sabre-wielding tribesmen has rampaged into our collective soundtrack, heard in cartoons, ads and arenas around the globe. This one‑piano, four‑hand arrangement of Aram Khachaturian’s Sabre Dance cranks the frenzy to eleven. Launching themselves in Jerry Lee Lewis-style bravado and circus-worthy acrobatics, two pianists dart over, under and around each other’s limbs as swooping glissandi slice the keyboard like sabres—delivering sonic fireworks and the occasional bloodletting (many pianos have felt our ministrations firsthand). The result is a high-wire duel where every note teeters on the brink of catastrophe and triumph.

— Greg Anderson