Opa!
General Info
Year of Published: 2022
Publisher: Tapspace
Difficulty: Intermediate
Duration: 00:02:50
Cost: $36.00
Instrumentation
Player 1: Glockenspiel
Player 2: Xylophone
Player 3: Vibraphone
Player 4: Marimba 1
Player 5: Marimba 2
Player 6: Chimes
Player 7: Timpani
Player 8: Drumset
Player 9: Bongos & Temple Blocks
Player 10: Hand Cymbals & Tambourine & Finger Cymbals & Cabasa & Bell Tree & Doumbek
Descriptions
Brian Slawson wrote Opa! as a celebration of Grandparents’ Day - a holiday that honors the bonds between grandparents and grandchildren. The title holds two meanings: Firstly, “opa!” is a Greek expression often cheered at weddings and Greek dances. The word also translates to “grandpa” in German, a fitting coincidence for the meaning behind the piece! Musically, the work takes inspiration from multiple sources. The slow, call-and-response introduction is loosely inspired by the counterpoint of Bach. Soon after, the tempo picks up as the full ensemble breaks into exuberant music-making, including several zany quotes from Pachelbel’s Canon in D. This piece is a great addition to the intermediate ensemble repertoire for any festive occasion!
Recent Performance
Works for Percussion by this Composer
Solos
Two-Beat Tango
Dynamic Solos for Timpani
Dynamic Solos for Mallets
Dynamic Solos for Snare Drum
Cricket
Animal Cracker Rag
Percussion Ensemble
A Little Malletmusik
Angels in the Moonlight
Animals
Bongito
Candlesticks - Percussion Octet
Christmas Day
Dreams From the Dark Forest
Füm Drum
Jokers Wild
La Vida de la Noche (Mallet Ensemble)
La Vida de la Noche (Percussion Ensemble)
Little Lullabies
Nanigo Navidad - Percussion (11)
Odd Duck - Percussion Quartet
Opa! - Percussion 10
Pelican - Percussion (9)
Pistoleros - Percussion (13)
Pop Drop
Rockbox - Percussion Nonet
Santa's Strut
Tale of the Dragon
The Three Buccaneers
Top Tank
When You Hear the Drum
Winterland - Percussion Octet
Percussion Ensemble with Other Instrument
An American Dream - Percussion Ensemble & Trumpet