Montagues and Capulets, also known as Dance of the Knights, is from Sergei Prokofiev’s music for the ballet Romeo and Juliet based on the play by William Shakespeare. The piece has seen extensive use in TV and film, and is most familiar in the UK as the theme to The Apprentice. This arrangement for four guitars or guitar orchestra by Gary Spolding puts this hugely popular piece of music into the hands of guitarists making a rousing and exciting concert item.

Lasting approx. 4 minutes, the arrangement will suit an ambitious and enthusiastic group of guitarists who have reached grade 2 to 4 standard. Guitars 1 & 2 require intermediate players who have encountered accidentals, position work and drop D, and Guitar 4 will need a player who is competent reading simple chords that fall nicely under the fingers. Guitar 3 is specifically arranged to be around ABRSM Grade 2 standard without losing interest and plays several of the main themes along with the main melody in the middle section.

If you work in education, this arrangement has these useful features…
- a key change from E minor to F minor and back again
- a time change from 4/4 to 3/4 and back again
- requires accurately played dotted rhythms
- string 6 to D for guitars 1 and 2

This piece is one in a series of arrangements by Gary Spolding for beginner guitar ensembles. Each arrangement has at least one guitar part that is accessible to a player of ABRSM grade 2 standard and the other parts are never more difficult than grade 4. They can be performed as guitar quartets with one player to a part or by guitar orchestra with multiple players per part making them ideal for guitar societies or school concerts.

If you like the look of this arrangement then Prokofiev’s Troika may also be of interest.

7 page score and 11 pages of separate parts
Grade 2-4
£6 as a pdf
Not available as a book
LMP 212