Tivoli Circus Polka
Christian Teilman
Saxophone Quartet
Flexible Scoring

Tivoli Circus Polka by Norwegian composer Christian Teilman, arranged for saxophone quartet with flexible scoring. This piece is named after Tivoli, the famous amusement park in Copenhagen. Like much of Teilman’s light music, it has an attractive melody and jaunty rhythms.

This piece is scored for Saxophone Quartet with flexible scoring. It is intended for AATB sax quartet but has alternate parts so that almost any four saxophones can play it. The following parts are included:

Part 1 for Alto Sax 1
Part 1 for Soprano Sax (a. sx. 1 double)
Part 2 for Alto Sax 2
Part 2 for Tenor Sax 2 (a. sx. 2 double)
Part 3 for Tenor Sax 1
Part 3 for Alto Sax 3 (t. sx. 1 double)
Part 4 for Baritone Sax
Part 4 for Tenor Sax 3/bass sax (b. sx. double)

Parts may be played in any combination as long as parts 1-4 are covered.

Tivoli Circus Polka is a fun little piece that’s not too challenging for intermediate players. The melody passes back and forth among the three upper voices while the bass line bounces along underneath. All parts have a moderate range with the alto sax 1 having a bit wider range. The piece stays at moderate tempo in 2/4 time throughout. It has a simple ABA form with sub-themes in each section. It opens in F minor, then modulates to F major. The B section is in B-flat major then returns to F major before the recap. With all repeats, performance time is about 2.25 minutes.

A short audio sample and score sample are available above.
The range for each saxophone part is shown below.
On the ‘Samples’ tab, registered users can download a full length audio file and sample score of Tivoli Circus Polka by Christian Tielman.

Tivoli Circus Polka, Christian Teilman, AATB Saxophone Quartet, Flexible Scoring

About the Composer

Christian Tielman

Christian Teilman (30 July 1843 – 4 Dec. 1909) was a Norwegian organist, pianist, and composer.

Teilman was a productive and popular Norwegian composer in the ‘light music’ style popular in his time. In a letter a newspaper in 1890, he wrote: “I leave it to others to compose Symphonies and so-called Symphonic Poems, packed with absurd harmonies and ‘genius’ turns. I still intend to stick to my ‘small’ compositions, which I can honestly say are played in most musical homes in this country.” Today, he is primarily remembered for his Festive March, which is still widely used.

He was well known in Oslo music circles and a favorite of home pianists. Teilman was an inventive composer and he had a thorough knowledge of the piano’s technical and sonic properties and an intuitive feeling for what the audience wanted. Much of his music was well suited to the average amateur pianist. An attractive melody, familiar harmonics, and a balanced form characterized most of his works, including the “Tivoli Circus Polka”.

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Christian Teilman”

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Christian Tielman

Christian Teilman (30 July 1843 – 4 December 1909) was a Norwegian organist, pianist, and composer. He was one of the most prolific and popular Norwegian composers of of his time. He wrote many small works suitable for amateur performers.

Teilman grew upin Østfold, and later in Christiania. He became interested in music early and received his education from the composer and organist Carl Arnold in Christiania and the composer and pianist Herman Berens in Stockholm. After a few years in Bergen he resided in Christiania from 1869 and worked as a music teacher, composer and pianist. In later years he was an organist at the Garnison Church in Akershus. Teilman never married, and he lived and taught at changing addresses with his brother Carl Teilman (1845-1911). The brother ran a piano shop and also released some minor compositions.

Teilman was a famous in Oslo for his popular piano music. He participated in numerous popular concerts with his own works – including the famous Tivoli Gardens. However, not everyone was as enthusiastic. Many music critics found his work to be “well-meaning” but insignifcant.

Teilman wrote more than 250 compositions, most for piano solo but a few larger works for musical theater as well. Many of his pieces were inspired by Norwegian tunes. He was an inventive composer, even if he chose to write “light music”. At his best, he showed a distinct ability to write pleasant, tuneful music for the amateur pianist. He had a thorough knowledge of the piano and an intuitive feeling for what the audience wanted.

Tivoli Circus Polka
Christian Teilman