Image for Percussion Orchestra

Burladingen beim ersten Schneefall ("Burladingen upon the first snowfall")

Commissioned by the Brian A. West TCU Percussion Orchestra for their performance at the Percussive Arts Society International Convention, Image for Percussion Orchestra paints a picture of the first snowfall in the lovely little German town of Burladingen. Blessinger draws from an expansive palette of percussive colors.

Program Notes

Burladingen is a small, lovely town in the Swabian region of southern Germany where my maternal grandmother was born. Though I never had the chance to meet her, I’ve spent many summers in the Schwoabaländle coming to know her through my wonderful family there. The sights, sounds, and smells of June in the Swabian Alps are quite familiar, but winter in this region has always remained a mystery to me. Much in the way I have experienced my grandmother, winter in Burladingen has been revealed only through many beautiful pictures, but never lived in person. It is these images—numinous, ethereal, and wonderful—that inspired both the subtitle (“Burladingen upon the first snowfall”) and the musical content. It is my hope that this piece might be experienced as a journey, both personal and physical, into an unknown and beautiful territory. It is dedicated to my grandmother, as well as my family in Burladingen, which has welcomed my return each summer with unfailing generosity and love.

This piece was composed for Brian A. West and the TCU Percussion Orchestra.

Grade Level: 3
Copyright: 2011
Number of Players: 11
Duration: 9:50
Publisher: C. Alan Publications
Category: Percussion

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Instrumentation

Percussion 1 (Xylophone, Bells, Crotales, Chimes, Waterphone [or Bowed China Cymbal], Mark Tree, 2 Suspended Cymbals, Crash Cymbals)
Percussion 2 (Vibraphone)
Percussion 3 (Vibraphone, Crotales, Temple Blocks)
Percussion 4 (4-oct Marimba)
Percussion 5 (4-oct Marimba, Sizzle Cymbal)
Percussion 6 (5-oct Marimba, Suspended Cymbal)
Percussion 7 (5-oct Marimba)
Percussion 8 (Timpani - 4 drums)
Percussion 9 (Triangle, Snare Drum, Low Concert Tom)
Percussion 10 (Suspended Cymbal, Triangle, Crash Cymbals, Mark Tree, Sleigh Bells, Tam-Tam)
Percussion 11 (Suspended Cymbal, Tam-Tam, Sizzle Cymbal, Concert Bass Drum, 4 Concert Toms)