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Scatterbrain - Paul Millette [DIGITAL]
Genre: Percussion Ensemble
# of Players: 4
Level: Medium Difficult | Duration: 6:00
Publisher: C. Alan Publications | Copyright: 2019
Download mp3 | Click on images to left for score sample
Rating:
Price:
$40.00
Item #:
25830D
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Notes & Instrumentation
Scatterbrain is a quirky and exciting work for marimba quartet. The piece showcases every aspect of the marimba, from its ability to hum softly to its power & ferocity.
Genre: Percussion Ensemble | # of Players: 4
Level: Medium Difficult | Duration: 6:00
Instrumentation
Marimba 1 (4-octave)
Marimba 2 (4-octave)
Marimba 3 (4.6-octave)
Marimba 4 (5-octave)
Program Notes
Scatterbrain is a marimba quartet composed in the fall of 2016 for the Indiana University Percussion Ensemble. During the early stages of sketching ideas for the work, I decided that I wanted to create a compositional challenge for myself. The challenge was to write something that starkly contrasted my typical compositional style. Music I had written in the past tended to be very tonal, delicate, and simplistic in nature, while Scatterbrain is the complete opposite. The work is based around chromatically shifting between major triads, trading disjointed rhythmic ideas throughout the ensemble, and hocketing. The title comes from the scattered and rapidly changing nature of the harmonic, rhythmic, and textural content of the work. Scatterbrain is meant to showcase every expressive aspect of the marimba, from its ability to hum softly to its power and ferocity. -
Video
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Scatterbrain (marimba quartet) - Paul Millette
"Scatterbrain" is a quirky and exciting work for marimba quartet. The piece showcases every aspect of the marimba, from its ability to hum softly to its power & ferocity. Copyright © 2019 C. Alan Publications http://c-alanpublications.com/scatterbrain/ Performers: Steven Partida, Sophia Lo, Michael Crane, Aaron Smith Instrumentation: Marimba 1 (4-octave) Marimba 2 (4-octave) Marimba 3 (4.6-octave) Marimba 4 (5-octave)
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Product Reviews
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Percussive Notes New Literature Review
“Scatterbrain” was a result of composer Paul Millette challenging himself to create something starkly different from his previous works. The result is a terrific composition that is harmonically and rhythmically abstract while maintaining accessibility for the audience. Millette has done a great job balancing the abstract nature of the piece and keeping the material very engaging.
The piece starts with a hocket introduction and is followed by a ferocious section that has an ever-changing harmonic language. The middle tremolo section is reminiscent of the works of Gordon Stout and is very different from a traditional choral section of a marimba work. The third section is even more intense than the beginning. The piece ends quite triumphantly and with some humor.
Millette has masterfully balanced all of the parts in terms of vertical orchestration and player responsibility. Each part contains both primary and accompaniment material almost constantly. This will be tricky to put together as an ensemble. Performers will have to carefully consider the setup of the instruments and be (or become) comfortable lining up intricate passages with some distance between players. Memorization would not be a bad idea for this one, but is by no means required.
I highly recommend “Scatterbrain,” which truly lives up to its name (in the best way possible). It requires players who are comfortable in a chamber music setting — and in particular, the marimba quartet setting — and it is appropriate for all audiences.
Joe Millea
Percussive Notes
Vol. 59, No. 2, April 2021 Joe Millea on Jun 17th 2022
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