12 page score / 12 page parts.
Maurice Ravel’s Pavane pour une infante défunte (Pavane for a dead princess) has always held a particularly special place in my listening over the years. Ravel’s music is infinitely colorful and dynamic, making it well suited for arrangement and adaptation (as evidenced by the composer’s many brilliant orchestrations of his and others work throughout his lifetime). This arrangement for percussion quartet combines elements from both the original piano and the orchestral versions of the piece, along with a few personal touches, which use the many timbral possibilities of percussion instruments to highlight and evoke the character of particular moments in the music.
This work would be appropriate for anyone from an advanced high school group to a professional chamber ensemble, and would fit well on any university percussion ensemble program. While the individual parts are easily approachable, this arrangement requires a great deal of musical sensitivity. It serves as an excellent opportunity to develop fundamental chamber music skills for students, or to complement the repertoire of those interested in performing music of the past that is apt for any audience.
This arrangement was completed in 2020 and premiered by the Eastman Chamber Percussion Ensemble on March 23rd, 2021 in Rochester, NY.
-Andrew Bockman
