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Heartland (Rameau & Dvořák)

arranged for percussion ensemble

Brian Slawson

Level: Med-Easy

Duration: 2:20

Personnel: 6-8 players

State Lists: Missouri | Florida

Release Date: 2022

Product ID : TSPCE22-023

Price: $32.00

Item #: TSPCE22-023

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Description

Heartland is a beautiful marriage of Entrée de Polymnie from Les Boréades (Rameau) and Cavatina from Miniatures, Op.75a (Dvořák) by Brian Slawson. With lush melodies and shimmering metallic textures, Heartland is a lovely canvas to showcase musical maturity and sensitivity via musical hierarchy, shaping slow melodic lines, and ensemble communication through ritardandi.

Heartland is written for 6-8 players with standard instrumentation. Optional parts, such as crotales and accessory percussion, can elevate the piece to new heights.

Heartland ships as a printed, professionally bound score, and includes individual parts in PDF format for printing or tablet viewing.

Instrumentation

Crotales* (2-octaves or may substitute with second glockenspiel)

Glockenspiel

Chimes

Vibraphone

2 marimbas — (1) low A, (1) 4-octave

Percussion* — bell tree (may substitute with mark tree), 2 triangles, mark tree, suspended cymbal

*optional

Reviews

Brian Slawson has combined “Entrée de Polymnie” by Rameau and “Cavatina” by Dvorák into a shorter work for percussion ensemble. While the piece can be performed with only the keyboard instruments, the optional accessory parts add an element that would be missed, although the musical integrity would not be compromised.

The work is set at a slow tempo and incorporates nothing more than eighth notes in some parts. Slawson creates a wonderful antiphonal feel, with the marimbas passing eighth-note passages between each other in the first section, requiring the players to be cognizant of each other. The metallic instruments provide harmonic support in the beginning. In the second section the metallics provide the melody while the woods provide the underlying ostinato. Throughout the work, the players need to be aware of whether they are performing the melody or accompaniment, and how to blend the melody seamlessly between themselves.

While short in duration and not overly complicated, this type of work is what the percussion ensemble genre seems to be lacking. Students will learn the different roles that exist in an ensemble and how to perform them effectively. Along with the technical elements, it will also expose students to the music of the masters, often not available in other ensemble outlets. Slawson has created a wonderful “mashup” that would be great on a junior high or high school concert. It is sure to please audiences and performers alike.

—Josh Armstrong
Percussive Notes
Vol. 61, No. 1, February 2023

Description

Heartland is written for 6-8 players with standard instrumentation. Optional parts, such as crotales and accessory percussion, can elevate the piece to new heights.

Heartland ships as a printed, professionally bound score, and includes individual parts in PDF format for printing or tablet viewing.

Instrumentation

Crotales* (2-octaves or may substitute with second glockenspiel)

Glockenspiel

Chimes

Vibraphone

2 marimbas — (1) low A, (1) 4-octave

Percussion* — bell tree (may substitute with mark tree), 2 triangles, mark tree, suspended cymbal

*optional

Reviews

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