Orchestration
"Wellington's Victory" is something of a musical novelty.
The full orchestration calls for two flutes, a piccolo, two oboes, two clarinets, two bassoons, a contrabassoon, four horns, six trumpets, three trombones, timpani, a large percussion battery (including muskets and other artillery sound effects), and a usual string section of violins I and II, violas, cellos, and double basses. It is interesting to note the greater number of trumpets than horns, and the expansion of brass and percussion forces.
In the orchestral percussion section one player plays the timpani, the other three play the cymbals, bass drum and triangle. On stage there are two 'sides', English and French, both playing the same instruments: 2 side drums (englisches/französisches Trommeln in the score), 2 bass drums (Kanone in the score), 2 (4) rattles, played by 8 to 10 instrumentalists.
The music simulates approaching opposing military regiments and contains extended passages depicting scenes of battle.
It uses older themes, such as "God Save the King," "Rule Britannia" for the British, and "Marlbrough s'en va-t-en guerre" ("Marlborough Has Left for the War") for the French – the tune now known as "The Bear Went Over the Mountain" or "For He's a Jolly Good Fellow."
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