Slawson (arr.)-Upbeat Suite (SP)-B/X/V/M

Upbeat Suite is an arrangement for percussion quartet of three orchestral excerpts, by three different composers, that share common rhythmic elements of upbeat, or 2-beat, feels: Dance of the Little Swans by Tchaikovsky; Ballet of the Unhatched Chicks by Mussorgsky; and, from Carmen, Danse Boheme by Bizet. Their cheerful nature dictates a light, bouncy style and is enhanced by the use of grace notes and appoggiaturas. A frequent arranger of classical themes, Brian Slawson is adept at capturing the character of the original while still writing idiomatically, and in this case accessibly, for small mallet quartet. This is a rare marriage that will have you thinking Suite thoughts of your developing ensemble.

Upbeat Suite comes as a full, bound score and includes a CD-ROM containing individual parts and a recording.

Number of players: 4
Difficulty: Intermediate

Instrumentation

Player 1: Glockenspiel
Player 2: Xylophone
Player 3: Vibraphone
Player 4: Marimba (4.3 octave)