Rhapsody in Blue

General Info

Composer: George Gershwin
Arranger: Stephen Primatic
Publisher: Tapspace
Year of Published: 2020
Difficulty: Advanced
Duration: 00:11:20
Cost: $59.00

Instrumentation

Player 1: Glockenspiel
Player 2: Xylophone
Player 3: Vibraphone
Player 4: Marimba 1
Player 5: Marimba 2
Player 6: Marimba 3
Player 7: Marimba 4
Player 8: Timpani
Player 9: Drumset
Player 10-13: Chimes & 4 Concert Tom toms & Concert Bass Drum & Hand Cymbals & 2 Suspended Cymbals & Tam-tam & 2 Triangles & Slapstick & 2 Tambourines & Castanets & Ratchet & Temple Blocks & Wood block

Description

Originally written in 1924 for two pianos, George Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue is one of the most recognizable pieces of orchestral music in the world. Its melodies have been used in countless films, commercials, cartoons, and have been adapted and arranged for a large number of instrumentation and ensembles. In Stephen Primatic’s brilliant and ambitious arrangement for large percussion ensemble, this timeless pieces is captured in its full and complete format, based on the two-piano original. Melodies are passed around between players, and themes are craftily colored, all via percussion orchestration resulting in a lofty challenge for ambitious ensembles. The piece also includes a small rhythm section that covers Gershwin’s original percussion parts with the addition of a drumset. Because of its block-like structure, there is a certain flexibility in performance. If a shortened version is desired, there are several cuts provided that can be made to fit any length of program.

Arrangements for Percussion by this Arranger

Czárdás - Xylophone; Percussion Septet
Despedida De Haydn - Percussion Septet
Die Fleder-Rag - Percussion Nonet
Graceful Ghost Rag (Primatic) - Mallet Sextet
Rhapsody in Blue - Percussion 13
Russian Easter Overture - Percussion 14
The Bells of Moscow - Percussion 10
The Sorcerer's Apprentice - Percussion 13
Trout Scherzo (Mallet Septet Version) - Mallet Septet
Trout Scherzo (Percussion Ensemble Version) - Percussion 13