Ruslan and Lyudmila (Glinka) (Download)

for 8 hands on 2 marimbas arranged by Naoya Wada

Naoya Wada

Level: Med-Advanced

Duration: 5:45

Personnel: 4 players

State Lists: Texas | Missouri

Release Date: 2019

Product ID : TSPCE19-019DL

Price: $35.00

Item #: TSPCE19-019DL

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Description

Arranged for marimba quartet by Naoya Wada, the overture to Ruslan and Lyudmila is one of Mikhail Glinka’s most indelible pieces. In it, he presents two contrasting themes that are developed throughout the work. They are passed between the performers, presented in different keys, in different modes, and in different rhythmic structures. This is a perfect marimba quartet for advanced high school-level or college-level mallet percussionists looking to push their two-mallet chops and their minds!

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Instrumentation

• 2 marimbas–(1) low A, (1) low C

Reviews

This arrangement of the overture to Glinka’s second opera offers a fun and showy quartet to open or close any performance. The piece has fast scalar passages moving around the keyboards, with a more lyrical middle section to balance it out.

The work only requires the performers to use two mallets throughout, and it uses two players on each marimba. Players 1 and 2 should be very adept at moving quickly around the keyboard, as they have more of the faster passages. However, players 3 and 4 will occasionally perform faster parts as well. The work is very well arranged, and it will challenge the performers in the areas of listening and communication in an ensemble setting.

Overall, Naoya Wada has created a wonderful arrangement of a fun overture that would be perfect for advanced high school groups and undergraduate quartets. The performers will be challenged musically and technically throughout, and the faster nature of the opening and closing sections would make for a wonderful way showcase those skills.

—Josh Armstrong
Percussive Notes
Vol. 58, No. 1, February 2020