Despedida de Haydn (Haydn) (Download)

A Latin arrangement of Symphony No. 45 ''Farewell'' in F# minor

Stephen Primatic

Level: Medium

Duration: 3:55

Personnel: 7 Players

State Lists: Texas | Florida

Release Date: 2021

Product ID : TSPCE21-011DL

Price: $38.00

Item #: TSPCE21-011DL

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Description

Joseph Haydn’s Symphony No. 45 “Farewell” is mostly known for its final movement, during which each musician gradually departs the stage leaving only two players at its conclusion. It was Haydn’s attempt to communicate to his patron, Prince Nikolaus Esterházy, that the court musicians were eager to leave the summer palace and return to their families.

Stephen Primatic’s energetic and ingenious Latin arrangement reimagines Haydn’s original into a combination of songo, funk, and Americanized “Latin” grooves. The piece features a wide array of mallet instruments but also features a bass guitar and drumset from the rhythm section. The drumset part is written out but the player should feel free to interpret the part as long as the underlying emphases are maintained. Additional percussion may be improvised as desired using either the bass part or the drumset part as a guide.

Use of this product is governed by the license terms outlined here.

Instrumentation

• Glockenspiel

• Xylophone

• Vibraphone

• 2 marimbas—(1) 4-octave, (1) low A*

• Bass guitar

• Drumset

*Optional notes included for low C marimba.

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Reviews

This arrangement provides a fun way for young percussion students to experience the music of Haydn when they might not otherwise get the opportunity. The instruments called for are common to most band programs, and they are arranged well, with each instrument being crucial to the overall sound without any of them being overly difficult.

The drum set part is challenging enough to provide some pedagogical value. It is fully notated, so it would provide a good opportunity for a student to get experience playing in a Latin style. The keyboard percussion parts all require two mallets and involve a lot of syncopated eighth notes. The Marimba 2 part alternates between treble and bass clef, and the bass part is written in bass clef. This would be a good opportunity for those players to get more experience playing in something other than treble clef. The middle of the piece contains a softer section without drums or bass that highlights the classical origins of the arrangement. There is plenty of repetition, so the parts are doable within a single quarter or semester.

“Despedida de Haydn” is a fun, groovy take on a classical work and would be an exciting project for an advanced middle school or intermediate high school percussion ensemble, especially for players who want to improve their note-reading skills.

—Marilyn K. Clark Silva
Percussive Notes
Vol. 60, No. 1, February 2022