Concertino for 4 Percussion & Wind Ensemble

Percussion Quartet Feature

The Concertino for 4 Percussion seeks to exploit keyboard, membrane, and auxiliary percussion instruments with the marimbas, xylophone, timpani, vibraphone, and bass drums as the featured instruments. These are assisted by the other percussion instruments to enhance both the wind ensemble and the solo instruments.

Program Notes

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, played by vibraphone and bells, is haunting. 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 accompaniment.

-David R. Gillingham

Grade Level: 5
Copyright: 1997
Number of Players: Standard + 4
Duration: 9:30

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Instrumentation

Piccolo
Flute 1/2
Oboe 1/2
Bassoon 1/2
Bb Clarinet 1
Bb Clarinet 2
Bb Clarinet 3
Bass Clarinet
Alto Saxophone 1
Alto Saxophone 2
Tenor Saxophone
Baritone Saxophone

Bb Trumpet 1
Bb Trumpet 2
Bb Trumpet 3
F Horn 1
F Horn 2
F Horn 3
F Horn 4
Trombone 1
Trombone 2
Trombone 3
Bass Trombone
Euphonium
Tuba

Harp

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