Instrumentation
Athena Solo Alto trombone (parts in tenor or alto)
Zeus Solo F tuba
Apollo Solo F tuba (improvisation skills required)
Poseidon Solo C tuba
Trombone 1
Trombone 2
Trombone 3
Euphonium (parts in bass or treble clef Bb)
Bass trombone 1
Bass trombone 2
Contra-bass trombone
Drums
The Four Immortals are the Greek gods Zeus, his brother Poseidon, and Athena and Apollo, two of Zeus’ many children.
Zeus is the king of the gods, having slain his own father, Kronos to take command (don’t try this at home, folks). His brother
Poseidon rules the oceans (whilst their other brother Hades rules the underworld), and together they rule the world and
everything in it. But no family exists peacefully all the time, and the gods fight endless struggles against each other, before
reconciling and going about their godly ways. Although there are many tales relating the exploits of these gods, this work
does not specifically describe a particular story; just the idea of the gods themselves, and their power over us mere mortals.
In this piece, the gods are represented by four brass soloists. They enjoy a complex interplay of musical ideas throughout the
piece. The rest of the ensemble acts as a Greek chorus, setting the scene and commenting on the action, then sometimes
creating a soundscape all of their own. This piece also exists in its original version for low brass ensemble, and also with
orchestral brass soloist parts for trumpet, horn, trombone and tuba.