Dmitri Kabalevsky (1904-1987) was a Russian composer who managed a successful artistic career during Soviet times. His music won many awards in his homeland during his lifetime. He was also a force in music education: he set up a music education curriculum in 25 schools and even briefly taught a class of 7-year-olds. He wrote “Comedians’ Galop” in 1938 as part of a broader suite of pieces, The Comedians, op. 26. Originally conceived as incidental music for a play, he later chose 10 numbers for the suite, which became his most famous work.
Here’s the straight-up orchestra version of “Galop”:
And here it is in a bottle band arrangement:
I believe I heard “comedians galop” during the 50s as theme music for a game or quiz show.. the show escapes me, but if someone recalls which program it was, please reply.. thanks