The fourth movement of Mahler's Symphony No. 5 is commonly known as the Adagietto and is arguably his most famous single piece of music. Herbert von Karajan once said that when you hear Mahler's Fifth, "you forget time has passed." In its original form, Adagietto is played by a full string orchestra.
In this arrangement, the keyboard percussion instruments aim to imitate this lush tapestry through ongoing tremolo with soft mallets and communicate Mahler's romanticism through sensitive restraint. This piece would make for a satisfying addition to concert programs that wish to demonstrate the lyrical capabilities of percussion.
This
piece comes with a full, bound score and includes all individual parts available
for printing on the included CD-Rom.
Instrumentation: 1 vibraphone, 2 marimbas (low
A) Note: each marimba is shared by two players. Alternately, four marimbas
can be used.
““Adagietto” is a transcription of the fourth movement of Mahler’s “Symphony No. 5.” It is scored for one vibraphone and four marimbas (4.3 octave). No multiple-mallet technique is required of the performers.
Grubbs has done an excellent job transferring Mahler’s orchestration to percussion ensemble. All harmonies are clearly audible and melodic material is distributed appropriately, keeping to Mahler’s original voicing hierarchy. To maintain Mahler’s lush sound, Grubbs requires the marimbas to roll throughout the majority of the transcription, except for grace-note figures.
Careful consideration of Mahler’s tempos and phrase descriptions are adhered to by Grubbs, having provided English translations throughout the score. In addition, he provides brief performance directions on certain articulations. Grubbs kept the arrangement in the original key, suggesting that the harp part may be added as an optional enhancement. This transcription will be an excellent supplement for teaching musical expression in a percussion ensemble setting. Due to its simple technical demands, it will be appropriate for almost every percussion/mallet ensemble.”
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Instrumentation
1 vibraphone, 2 marimbas (low A)
Note: each marimba is shared by two players. Alternately, four marimbas can be used.
