Concertino for 4 Percussion & Orchestra

This Concertino or “small concerto” seeks to exploit keyboard, membrane, and auxiliary percussion instruments with the marimbas, xylophone, timpani, vibraphone, and bass drums as the featured instruments, assisted by crash cymbals, suspended cymbal, tam-tam, bells, chimes, triangle, and hi-hat to enhance both the ensemble and the solo instruments.

Genre: 4 Solo Percussion with Orchestra | # of Players: Standard + 4
Level: 5 | Duration: 9:30

Instrumentation
Piccolo
Flute 1/2
Oboe 1/2
Clarinet 1/2 in Bb
Bassoon 1/2

Trumpet 1/2 in C
Trumpet 3 in C
Horn 1/3
Horn 2/4
Trombone 1/2
Trombone 3
Bass Trombone
Tuba

Harp

Solo Percussion 1 (timpani, bells, crash cymbal, suspended cymbal, bass drums, tam-tam)
Solo Percussion 2 (4.3 octave marimba, xylophone, tam-tam)
Solo Percussion 3 (4.3 octave marimba, hi-hat)
Solo Percussion 4 (vibraphone, chimes, triangle, bass drums)

Violin I
Violin II
Viola
Violoncello
Contrabass

Program Notes
The original conception of this work, Concertino for Four Percussion and Wind Ensemble, was commissioned by the Oklahoma State University Wind Ensemble, Joseph Missal, conductor and Wayne Bovenschen, Professor of Percussion studies.

The Concertino or “small concerto” seeks to exploit keyboard, membrane, and auxiliary percussion instruments with the marimbas, xylophone, timpani, vibraphone, and bass drums as the featured instruments, assisted by crash cymbals, suspended cymbal, tam-tam, bells, chimes, triangle, and hi-hat to enhance both the ensemble and the solo instruments.

Two thematic motives are used as a point of departure for this work. Both appear in the slow and mysterious introduction. The first, played by the marimbas, is dramatic and the second is haunting and played by the vibraphone and bells. The following Allegro is structured similar to a rondo with recurrences of both themes interspersed by episodic sections. The first theme, however, is transformed into a very lively arpeggiated tune played by the xylophone and marimba. The coda is marked by a relentless rhythmic competition of two sets of bass drums which accompany the primary thematic material as first heard in the slow introduction. The work draws to a resounding conclusion when the second haunting theme is stated dramatically in tour de force by the brass.

Concertino for Four Percussion is also available for performance with Wind Ensemble (Item #02870) and Piano (Item #02872).