Robert Beaser’s Manhattan Roll at University of Southern California

Commissioned by a consortium of 25 university wind ensembles across the country, Robert Beaser’s Manhattan Roll continues its tour throughout the US this month with a performance by the University of Southern California Thornton Wind Ensemble in Bovard Auditorium at USC’s Thornton School of Music. Already beloved in its original orchestral version which premiered at the New York Philharmonic in 1998, the new transcription offers a challenging, unique and engaging addition to the wind band repertoire and the premiere performance was the highlight of the 2010 Midwest Band Clinic. Beaser comments on the original version, which premiered at the New York Philharmonic in 1998:

Manhattan Roll is rather atypical for me: it’s highly rhythmic, whereas my music tends to be more lyrical, though also dramatic and rhythmic up to a point. Here we have a piece that starts loud--fast and raucous--and displays strong syncopation, mixing vibrant Latin-inspired rhythms with more traditional rhythmic notation.

Further performances are scheduled this season at Michigan State University, Columbus State University, Georgia State University and many more.

More information on these performances can be found at www.usc.edu and www.music.arizona.edu.

Visit Robert Beaser's Composer Profile for more on his music.

Robert Beaser
Manhattan Roll (1998, arr. 2010)
for wind ensemble
pic.2.2.ca.eb cl.3cl.bcl.cbcl.2.cbsn.ssax.asax.tsax.barsax-4.4.2.btbn.2euph.tba-perc-hp.pno(synth)-db
7'