PATRICK SPERANZA RIPTIDE

for percussion ensemble with featured marimba soloist

Riptide by Patrick Speranza tapspace.com

© 2023 Tapspace Publications, LLC (ASCAP). All rights reserved.

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TSPCE23-030

The ocean is both beautiful and dangerous. It is timeless, yet always in motion. We find ourselves drawn to it but must remain aware of its dangers. The sweeping melodies in this piece explore the themes of the ocean: beauty, power, and danger.

Riptide was written for Matthew Black and the Carmel High School (Indiana) Percussion Ensemble for the 2023 Midwest Band and Orchestra Clinic in Chicago, Illinois.

—Patrick Speranza

• Riptide features the Marimba 1 player as a soloist.

• Vibraphone pedaling is left to the performer’s discretion.

• The percussion players should carefully observe the written dynamics so they do not overbalance the keyboard parts. The snare drum and concert toms should not cover the melodic lines.

• Percussion 3 has some fast transitions from rolls on suspended cymbal to crashes on splash and China cymbals. It is recommended that the player either use swizzle sticks or a four-mallet grip with sticks/mallets in order to make these quick transitions.

Riptide requires 11 players with the following instrumentation:

8. Percussion 1 — finger cymbals, hi-hat, snare drum

3. Vibraphone 2

4. Marimba 1 (soloist, low A)

5. Marimba 2 (low A)

6. Marimba 3 (low A)

7. 5 Timpani (32”, 29”, 26”, 23”, 20”)

9. Percussion 2 — 4 concert toms, ride cymbal, temple blocks

10. Percussion 3 — mark tree, suspended cymbal, China cymbal, splash cymbal, brake drum

11. Percussion 4 — concert bass drum, triangle