Product Description
Andean
Refrains, composed
by Dan Heslink
The
composing of "Andean Refrains" resulted from the composers travels in the
Andes Mountains of Venezuela, where he came to know and enjoy the melodies of
the indigenous Andean band. Although the marimba is not an instrument of that
region, it seems to be well-suited to the musics technical and expressive demands.
Requiring
four marimbas and one xylophone, "Andean Refrains" is an original composition
employing tradition Andean musical styles. Some of the five parts require four
mallets, the others require two. It is best to perform the bass part on a marimba that can play two octaves
below middle C, but if no instrument with that range is available octave
transpositions of some notes is acceptable. In this work the marimbas imitate the
wide vibrato of zampoñas, or panpipes, with rapidly alternating octaves.
The notched-end wooden flute, quena, is suggested with hard mallets on
the xylophone, and of course the guitars and charango (Andean ukulele)
transcribe well to marimba with four mallets. The bass end of the marimba
provides the register of the guitarrone. Chaccha, the rattle of
llama toenails, is simulated by instructing one marimbaist to at times strike
the bar with the handles of the mallet.
With
this work the composer hopes to capture the quiet dignity and inevitability of
lifes events expressed by Andean musicians.
This product was created by a member of ArrangeMe, Hal Leonard's global self-publishing community of independent composers, arrangers, and songwriters. ArrangeMe allows for the publication of unique arrangements of both popular titles and original compositions from a wide variety of voices and backgrounds.