Harpsichord concerti were written throughout the Baroque era, particularly by J.S. Bach. However, this “Allegro” from Bach’s Concerto for 4 Harpsichords & Strings (BWV 1065) is based on Vivaldi’s Concerto for 4 Violins in B minor (RV 580). For one composer to “borrow” material from another during Bach’s time was considered a flattering gesture.

Mallet instruments have much in common with the attack and decay properties of harpsichords, making arrangements such as this a natural choice. Slawson’s orchestrations bring this piece to life, and it will make an excellent addition to the repertoire of any percussion ensemble wishing to highlight a Baroque selection for mallet instruments.

This arrangement of Concerto in A Minor has been heard worldwide on the popular CD "Bach on Wood," which helped garner Brian Slawson a Grammy nomination for “Best New Classical Artist.

This piece comes with a full, bound score and includes a CD-Rom containing an audio recording and all individual parts available for printing.

 

*All sounds used in this recording were generated from Virtual Drumline software also by Tapspace.

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Instrumentation

Glockenspiel, xylophone, vibraphone, 2 small marimbas (4 octaves), 4.3 octave (low A) marimba.

NOTE: Two marimba players can also share a 4.3 octave (low A) marimba if instruments are limited.