Classic Mallet Trios, Volume 2: Mallet Instrument Book

Four stylistically distinct works in one collection means you can build a complete concert segment without hunting across multiple publications. The Sarabande's variation structure gives your students a clear harmonic foundation to explore different articulations and tonal colors, while the Rondeau and Hornpipe provide the kind of spirited, audience-friendly material that reminds people why Baroque music still matters. Brian Slawson's mallet writing balances independence across the three instruments with moments of unison that let everyone feel the architecture together.

These pieces evoke the ceremonial grace of the Baroque court: measured, elegant, and built on the assumption that melody and proportion carry the listener's attention. The Sarabande invites introspection with its stately pulse, the Rondeau crackles with ceremonial energy, and the Hornpipe dances with genuine joy. Collectively, they offer a window into how Baroque composers balanced form, emotion, and sheer craft.

This collection serves mallet ensembles at the intermediate level who want repertoire that sounds polished and substantial without excessive technical demands. It's equally suited to solo marimba or vibraphone performers looking for elegant concert vehicles, or to directors assembling mixed percussion combinations for festivals and competitions.

• Let the marimba's lower register anchor the harmonic foundation in the Sarabande, especially during the theme statement. This clarity allows vibraphone and bells to explore more delicate coloristic possibilities without muddying the texture.
• In Mouret's Rondeau, clarity of articulation matters more than speed. A crisp, unified attack across all three instruments creates the fanfare character; rushing only flattens it.
• The Hornpipe benefits from careful dynamic shaping within each phrase rather than uniform loudness. Light and shade across the eight-bar sections will keep the energy alive without exhausting listeners.
• Record yourselves in rehearsal and listen back to the balance between vibraphone sustain and the more defined attacks of marimba and bells. You may need to adjust dampening or mallet choices to achieve blend without loss of definition.

These work beautifully as a four-movement recital suite, giving your percussion students the equivalent of a multi-movement sonata experience. Alternatively, drop the Rondeau into a concert opener or closer (it commands attention in seconds), or pair the Sarabande with vocal or string literature exploring theme and variations to illustrate how composers of that era developed ideas.

• Balance and blend across three different mallet percussion timbres
• Baroque phrasing and period-appropriate articulation (detached vs. connected playing)
• Reading and executing coordinated ensemble parts with different rhythmic profiles
• Variation technique and harmonic analysis through the Sarabande
• Independence between instruments while maintaining ensemble cohesion
• Dynamic shaping within formal structures (rondeau, dance forms)