Barbarossa (Perc Ens 11)

Barbarossa is a dramatic and exciting intermediate level piece for 11 players. It introduces multiple alternative playing techniques and will develop a strong and innate sense of 12/8 time in the performers.

Genre: Percussion Ensemble | # of Players: 11
Level: Medium Difficult | Duration: 4:45

Instrumentation
Player 1: Glockenspiel, Lion’s Roar (shared), Chimes, Brake Drum
Player 2: Xylophone, Crotales (2 octaves), Bass Drum (shared)
Player 3: Vibraphone
Player 4: Vibraphone, Crash Cymbals
Player 5: Marimba (4.3-octave), Slapstick, High Tom
Player 6: Marimba (4.3-octave), Medium Tom
Player 7: Marimba (4.3-octave), Suspended Cymbal, China Cymbal, Low Tom, Lion’s Roar (shared)
Player 8: Timpani (5 drums), Large Suspended Cymbal, Ribbon Crasher
Player 9: Suspended Cymbal, 4 Concert Toms, Bongos, Marching Machine
Player 10: Tam-Tam (shared), Snare Drum, Suspended Cymbal, Low Tom
Player 11: Bass Drum (shared), Kick Drum (laid flat), Suspended Cymbal, Tam-Tam (shared)

Program Notes
Barbarossa is inspired by the make-believe adventures of my oldest daughter. During the early stages of the global COVID-19 pandemic, she and I spent many hours in our backyard courageously battling hordes of “bad guys and tigers” on our pretend pirate ship. The title comes from the name of the famous corsair Heyreddin Barbarossa (known for his red beard) who later became the admiral of the Ottoman Navy leading the Ottoman empire to naval dominance in the 16th century. Barbarossa is an intermediate level piece for 11 players that introduces multiple extended performance techniques and will develop a strong sense of 12/8 time in the performers.