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Blur by Cesar Gonzalez is a med-advanced percussion ensemble piece, featuring a large sound palette and an exciting, driving rhythmic force. As the title suggests, the texture of the piece moves from thin and transparent to thick and blurred, with many different instruments playing their independent lines simultaneously. In addition to standard percussion instruments and techniques, Blur calls for an array of auxiliary instruments and extended techniques, adding to the variety of sound colors Gonzales achieves.
This piece comes as a professionally printed and bound score and includes individual parts in PDF format for printing or for tablet viewing.
• Crotales (low octave)
• Glockenspiel
• Xylophone
• Chimes
• 2 vibraphones
• 2 marimbas—(1) low A, (1) low C
• 4 timpani
• Drums (high bongo, kick drum, bass drum)
• Cymbals & gongs (low sizzle cymbal, 3 suspended cymbals, large China cymbal, medium China cymbal, ride cymbal, tam-tam)
• Accessories (2 mark trees, 2 sets of finger cymbals, bell tree, 2 rainsticks, shaker, 2 egg shakers, triangle, slapstick, ice bell)
“Blur” is an expertly composed piece for a large percussion ensemble. The composer writes, “The work centers around several rhythmic motifs and flourishes of harmony and texture creating a wash of musical sonorities.” Cesar Gonzalez does not disappoint; the piece is indeed a “Blur” in the best way possible!
Gonzalez’s clever use of syncopation in each part adds a dimension not often found in large percussion ensemble works. My favorite part about the piece is how he orchestrated things vertically. There is never more than there needs to be, and the way the auxiliary percussion is added at the end of melodic and rhythmic motives can only be described as tasty! The ebb and flow of the piece never gives the listener too much at once, but still maintains forward momentum.
The technical demands of “Blur” are high. Players should be comfortable with fast passages and maintaining rhythmic integrity when things get syncopated. The instrument list is large, but many of them are shared between two players, and the setup diagram provided is well thought out.
I highly recommend “Blur.” It is fast and technical while still being subtle. It would be a great piece for any audience and a challenge for all of the players involved.
—Joe Millea
Percussive Notes
Vol. 59, No. 1, February 2021
Blur by Cesar Gonzalez is a med-advanced percussion ensemble piece, featuring a large sound palette and an exciting, driving rhythmic force. As the title suggests, the texture of the piece moves from thin and transparent to thick and blurred, with many different instruments playing their independent lines simultaneously. In addition to standard percussion instruments and techniques, Blur calls for an array of auxiliary instruments and extended techniques, adding to the variety of sound colors Gonzales achieves.
This piece comes as a professionally printed and bound score and includes individual parts in PDF format for printing or for tablet viewing.
• Crotales (low octave)
• Glockenspiel
• Xylophone
• Chimes
• 2 vibraphones
• 2 marimbas—(1) low A, (1) low C
• 4 timpani
• Drums (high bongo, kick drum, bass drum)
• Cymbals & gongs (low sizzle cymbal, 3 suspended cymbals, large China cymbal, medium China cymbal, ride cymbal, tam-tam)
• Accessories (2 mark trees, 2 sets of finger cymbals, bell tree, 2 rainsticks, shaker, 2 egg shakers, triangle, slapstick, ice bell)
“Blur” is an expertly composed piece for a large percussion ensemble. The composer writes, “The work centers around several rhythmic motifs and flourishes of harmony and texture creating a wash of musical sonorities.” Cesar Gonzalez does not disappoint; the piece is indeed a “Blur” in the best way possible!
Gonzalez’s clever use of syncopation in each part adds a dimension not often found in large percussion ensemble works. My favorite part about the piece is how he orchestrated things vertically. There is never more than there needs to be, and the way the auxiliary percussion is added at the end of melodic and rhythmic motives can only be described as tasty! The ebb and flow of the piece never gives the listener too much at once, but still maintains forward momentum.
The technical demands of “Blur” are high. Players should be comfortable with fast passages and maintaining rhythmic integrity when things get syncopated. The instrument list is large, but many of them are shared between two players, and the setup diagram provided is well thought out.
I highly recommend “Blur.” It is fast and technical while still being subtle. It would be a great piece for any audience and a challenge for all of the players involved.
—Joe Millea
Percussive Notes
Vol. 59, No. 1, February 2021
