Sonata in F Minor

General Info

Composer: Domenico Scarlatti
Arranger: Brian Slawson
Publisher: Tapspace Publications
Year: 2013
Difficulty: Advanced
Duration: 00:04:50
Cost: $15.00

Instrumentation

Marimba

Program Notes

A Baroque contemporary of Handel, Scarlatti composed more than 550 one-movement keyboard sonatas. This advanced marimba solo is an arrangement of one of the mellowest of those, Sonata in F Minor (L. 118/K. 466). In order to capture its ethereal ambiance, the soloist will be challenged to perform a delicate, connected legato and provide dynamic shaping free of accents. Adding to the challenge, grace notes feature prominently as does a more active harmonic rhythm. A well-crafted embodiment of the Baroque, Brian Slawson‘s arrangement doesn’t impress with flash, it astounds with technical mastery and musicality.

Review

Focusing on the compositions of iconic composers, Brian Slawson aims to capture the essence of the original work in his arrangements. This selection suits the instrument well, adapting nicely to the warm tone of the marimba. Compared to Scarlatti’s 555 keyboard sonatas, this piece is much more subdued in character. The slower tempo and expressive melodic lines will test the musicianship of a performer. Slawson indicates interpretive ideas, such as ritar- dandos at the end of most phrases, yet the marimbist must perform the exposed melodic material with passion. Failure to do so will risk losing the audience in a mechanical string of notes. Inspiration will be easy to find, as there are several recordings available. Slawson specifically directs marimbists to the performance by piano virtuoso Vladamir Horowitz. The technical aspects, combined with the above-mentioned musical demands, make this work appropriate for advanced marimbists. A frequently appearing grace note figure requires a lateral stroke at the interval of a second. One-handed rolls are necessary to execute trills, and the octave interval is also included. As ma- rimba repertoire continues to evolve, it is always nice to have new arrangements from past musical eras to complement the expanding contemporary literature.

Arrangements for Percussion by this Author

Mallet Percussion Solo

Sonata in F (Handel) - Mallets; Piano
Sonata in F Minor - Marimba
Teardrop (Rossini) - Vibraphone; Piano

Small Percussion Ensemble

Beethoven's Fantasy (Beethoven) - Percussion Trio
Children's Medley (Bach / Ellemenreich) - Percussion Sextet
Clockbox - Percussion Octet
Danse Macabre (Saint-Saëns) - Percussion Octet
Heartland (Rameau & Dvořák) - Percussion Octet
Leggerhead (Bach, Handel, Dvořák) - Percussion Sextet
Menuetto (Mozart) - Percussion Septet
Rock the Gavotte (Rameau & Ditters von Dittersdorf) - Percussion Octet

Large Percussion Ensemble

Brandenburg No. 2: Allegro Moderato (Bach) - 10 Players
Frightmare (Beethoven) - 12 Players
Shepherd’s Song (Beethoven) - 14 Players
Soca Polka - 14 Players
Winter (Vivaldi) - 10 Players

Mallets Ensemble

Concerto in A Minor (Bach) - Mallet Sextet
Entrance of the Queen of Sheba (Handel)
Etude in C# Minor (Scriabin) - Mallet Duet
Goldberg Variation 28 (Bach)
Intermezzo from a Midsummer Night's Dream (Mendelssohn) - Mallet Octet
Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring (Bach) - Mallet Sextet
Midsummer Night's Dream: Scherzo (Mendelssohn) - Mallet Ensemble
Sonata in A Minor (Scarlatti) - Mallet Duet
The Storm (Beethoven) - Mallet Trio
Three Romanian Dances (Bartók) - Mallet Duet
Upbeat Suite - Mallet Quartet
Waltz in C# Minor (Chopin) - Mallet Duet