Theodore Presser Concerto for Marimba and Band - Maslanka - Concert Band - Gr. 6

Composer: David Maslanka
Format: Score and Parts
Instrumentation: Concert Band/Marimba
Grade: 6

This concerto has the character of a fantasia rather than a traditional concerto, unfolding in two broad sections. The first is quiet and serene, featuring rhapsodic melodies and transparent textures. The second builds from a powerful dynamic rise into a brief burst of fast, intense music before settling into a quiet, transcendent close.

Scored originally for the U.S. Air Force Band, the work makes prominent use of cello sonorities. For ensembles without cellos, all cello parts have been cued into other instruments. Written for a five-octave marimba, the solo part may be adapted for smaller instruments where needed and requires no amplification. The solo marimba part has been edited by Randall Eyles.