“This arrangement of Beethoven’s piano sonata no. 8, the “Pathetique,” is very successful because the scoring captures the style and harmonic structure of the original very well. The arrangement is written for a large ensemble of eight players. The instrumentation includes glockenspiel, three vibraphones, xylophone, three marimbas, and four to five timpani. The keyboard parts include three suspended cymbals to enhance crescendo passages. Other instruments include gong or tam-tam, snare drum, and a concert bass drum with attached cymbal. The publication opens with performance notes that clearly describe how to best perform the work. The marimba 1 part is written for a 4.3-octave marimba, and the two other marimbas need to be low-F instruments.

The parts are equal in difficulty, with each of the keyboard instruments, including the glockenspiel part, requiring four mallets. Each player is challenged with four-voice chords and scale passages that are tossed from one performer to another.

Mallet choices are suggested, but the players have the liberty to try others, if desired. The publication comes with a CD, which is a good source to emulate in preparation for performance. The CD also offers the option of downloading your own parts. This is an excellent tool for teaching both style and technique, and should be received well by audiences.”