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Crown of Thorns (Maslanka)
General Info
Year: 1991
Duration: c. 15:00
Difficulty: V (see Ratings for explanation)
Publisher: University of Oklahoma Percussion Press, through Steve Weiss Music
Cost: Score and Parts (print) - $60.00
Instrumentation
Full Score
Percussion (8 players), including:
- Glockenspiel
- Marimba, 4 octave
- Marimba, 4.3 octave (3)
- Marimba, 5 octave (optional Bass Marimba)
- Vibraphones (2)
Errata
None discovered thus far.
Program Notes
The title Crown of Thorns is an obvious reference to Christ’s crown of thorns, but the name first came to me as a possible title for a piece from seeing a plant called “Crown of Thorns” at the New York Botanical Gardens. Crown of Thorns is a rambling, thorny desert plant from the Middle East, with small green leaves, and small, pretty red flowers. The rambling, interweaving, vine-like stems suggested music to me.
As I meditated on the words “Crown of Thorns”, and on the plant, and on the idea of a work for keyboard percussion ensemble, the following image arose:
a darkening sky
seven stars are visible:
the seven-starred halo
the golden light
the hands of blessing
The seven-starred halo is a transcended image of the crown of thorns. It is the crown of highest spiritual power arrived at through the greatest depth of suffering. The imagery is Christian, but the experience transcends religion, and is universal. The music is at times sober and reflective, but more often filled with a liberated energy and joy.
- Program Note by composer
Commercial Discography
Media
- Audio: Reference recording. Central Michigan University Percussion Ensemble (Robert Hohner, conductor)
State Ratings
None discovered thus far.
Performances
To submit a performance please join The Wind Repertory Project
- Eastman School of Music (Rochester, N.Y.) Wind Ensemble (Mark Davis Scatterday, conductor) - 6 November 2020
- V. R. Eaton High School (Hazlet, Tx.) – 6 March 2020
Works for Winds by This Composer
- Alex and the Phantom Band (2002/2015)
- Angel of Mercy (2015)
- California (2016)
- A Child's Garden of Dreams (1981)
- Concerto for Alto Saxophone and Wind Ensemble (1999)
- Concerto for Marimba and Band (1990)
- Concerto for Clarinet and Wind Ensemble (2015)
- Concerto for Piano, Winds, and Percussion (1979)
- Concerto for Saxophone Quartet and Wind Ensemble (2012)
- Concerto No 2 for Piano, Winds, and Percussion (2002)
- Concerto No 3 for Piano and Wind Ensemble (2016)
- Concerto for Trombone and Wind Ensemble (2007)
- Crown of Thorns (1991)
- Desert Roads (2005)
- Fanfare-Variations on the Chorale Melody "Durch Adams Fall" (Through Adam's Fall). See: Recitation Book
- First Light (2016)
- Four Pieces for Band (1980)
- Give Us This Day (2005)
- Golden Light (1990)
- Heart Songs (2001)
- Hell's Gate (1997)
- Hohner (1999)
- Hosannas (2015)
- Husa (2016)
- Hymn for World Peace (2014)
- Illumination (2013)
- In Memoriam (1990)
- Laudamus Te (1995)
- Letter to Martin (2015)
- Liberation (2012)
- Little Concerto (1990)
- Mass (1995/2005)
- Montana Music: Chorale Variations (1993)
- Morning Star (1997)
- Mother Earth (2008)
- Mountain Roads (1997)
- On This Bright Morning (2013)
- Peace (2012)
- Prelude on a Gregorian Tune (1981)
- Procession of the Academics (2008)
- Quintet for Winds Number 2
- Recitation Book (2006)
- Remember Me (2013)
- Requiem (2013)
- Rollo Takes a Walk (1980)
- Saint Francis (2015)
- Sea Dreams (1998)
- The Seeker (2016)
- Song at the End of Time
- Songs for the Coming Day (2012)
- Song Book (2001)
- Symphony No. 2 (1987)
- Symphony No. 3 (1991/2007)
- Symphony No. 4 (1993)
- Symphony No. 5 (2000)
- Symphony No. 6 (2004)
- Symphony No 7 (2004)
- Symphony No 8 (2008)
- Symphony No. 9 (2011)
- Symphony No. 10 (2018)
- Tears (1994)
- Testament (2001)
- Traveler (2003)
- A Tuning Piece: Songs of Fall and Winter (1995)
- ufo dreams (1999)
- Unending Stream of Life (2007)
- Variants on a Hymn Tune (1995)
Resources
- David Maslanka website Accessed 6 November 2020
- Maslanka, D. (1993). Crown of Thorns: Large Percussion Ensemble [score]. OU Percussion Press: Norman, Okla.
- Perusal score