Waltzing Cat, The

Leroy Anderson was very versatile in the realm of light classics, composing music depicting a ticking clock (The Syncopated Clock), a sleigh ride (Sleigh Ride), a typewriter (The Typewriter), and this clever work, The Waltzing Cat. These works exhibit Anderson's grasp of instrumentation and ability to orchestrate lifelike animal sounds. For example, at the end of Sleigh Ride, we hear a trumpet whine like a horse, and here in The Waltzing Cat, the strings depict the cat's meow. The work opens with a lazy waltz theme played by the strings, whose use of portamento on key notes creates the meow effect. The middle section is reminiscent of lots of playful cat-and-mouse-like action. The nonchalant main theme returns to close out this charming work. This LudwigMasters edition is transcribed by Philip J. Lang for concert band from the composer's original manuscript.