Pistoleros (Download)

for percussion ensemble

Brian Slawson

Level: Med-Easy

Duration: 3:00

Personnel: 13 players

Release Date: 2019

Product ID : TSPCE19-025DL

Price: $35.00

Item #: TSPCE19-025DL

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Description

Recalling the film scores of spaghetti westerns from such composers as Ennio Morricone and Nino Rota, Brian Slawson’s Pistoleros is a tribute to the old time gunfighters of Mexico. In it, Slawson depicts the build up and earthshaking climax of an anxious, tension-filled battle. Because of the amount of space and stately tempo, Pistoleros is a great opportunity for young players to develop their sense of rhythm and their sense of ensemble cohesion.

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Instrumentation

• Chimes

• Xylophone

• 1 marimba—4.3-octave (low A)

• 2 timpani

• Drums (snare drum, bongos, 2 concert toms, bass drum)

• Cymbals & gongs (pair of crash cymbals, tam-tam)

• Accessories (vibraslap, temple blocks)

Reviews

This three-minute composition for percussion ensemble pays tribute to gunfighting traditions in old Mexico. According to the composer, the piece opens with an “anxious” introduction that is followed by a rhythmic battle and tense stand-off between players in the group. With varying levels of difficulty from part to part, it is most suitable for advanced middle school or younger high school percussion ensembles.

The entire work seems to focus on rhythm, even within the xylophone and marimba parts. I particularly enjoyed the juxtaposition of eighth- note and triplet figures, written in unison between the keyboard and battery players. There is a significant amount of dynamic nuance, seen both as a large-scale concept and within each part. These concepts add clear education benefits. Because of the individualistic nature of each of the parts, it truly requires 13 players in order to effectively perform the work.

Aside from a short paragraph about the piece, the necessary instrumentation, and recommended stage setup, no additional information about “Pistoleros” is included. This is sufficient, but I personally find interpretive considerations and the composer’s thoughts very valuable. Furthermore, while Brian Slawson hints that the work is to be programmatic, I did not get this impression from either the composer’s notes or musical material. As a 21st-century educator, I would be cautious about selecting a work about guns for a public school concert if historical relevance is not clearly evident.

—Danielle Moreau
Percussive Notes
Vol. 58, No. 1, February 2020