Arachne

1 Full Score - 1 Piccolo - 3 Flute I - 3 Flute II - 1 Oboe I - 1 Oboe II - 1 Bassoon I - 1 Bassoon II - 1 Clarinet Eb - 4 Clarinet I - 4 Clarinet II - 4 Clarinet III - 1 Bass Clarinet - 2 Alto Saxophone I - 2 Alto Saxophone II - 2 Tenor Saxophone I + II - 1 Baritone Saxophone - 2 Flugelhorn I - 2 Flugelhorn II - 2 Cornet I - 2 Cornet II - 2 Trumpet I - 2 Trumpet II - 2 Trumpet III - 1 Horn I Eb - 1 Horn I F - 1 Horn II Eb - 1 Horn II F - 1 Horn III Eb - 1 Horn III F - 2 Trombone I C - 1 Trombone I Bb (TC) - 1 Trombone I Bb (BC) - 2 Trombone II C - 1 Trombone II Bb (TC) - 1 Trombone II Bb (BC) - 2 Trombone III C - 1 Trombone III Bb (TC) - 1 Trombone III Bb (BC) - 1 Trombone IV C - 1 Baritone I C - 1 Baritone I Bb (BC) - 1 Baritone I Bb (TC) - 2 Baritone II C - 2 Baritone II Bb (BC) - 2 Baritone II Bb (TC) - 2 Bas Bb (TC) - 2 Bas Bb (BC) - 2 Bas Eb (TC) - 2 Bas Eb (BC) - 4 Tuba I + II C - 1 Stringbass - 1 Percussion

ARACHNE won the 1983 Le Havre Wind Composition Contest (France). It was premiered by the Le Havre Municipal Symphonic Band, conducted by Claude Decugis.ARACHNE is a mythological character, who was an expert in weaving. The nymphs, daughters of Zeus, pay her a visit and Arachne boasts that she could even win from the goddess Athena at a weaving contest. Disguised as an old woman, Athena, also pays a visit to Arachne, who maintains the challenge. After a severe warning, Athene takes off her disguise and accepts the challenge.They both set to work quite zealously and the resulting tapestries are both of a rare splendour. But in her work Arachne lacked respect for the gods and Athene rages. She condemns Arachne to continue to weave forever as ... a spider.