Mjölnir Lucas Garner

Concerto for Timpani & Wind Ensemble
Solo Timpani with Wind Ensemble
Number of Players:Standard + 1
Copyright:2015
Piccolo
Flute 1
Flute 2
Oboe 1
Oboe 2
Bassoon
Contrabassoon
B-flat Clarinet 1
B-flat Clarinet 2
B-flat Clarinet 3
B-flat Bass Clarinet
Contrabass Clarinet
Alto Saxophone 1
Alto Saxophone 2
Tenor Saxophone
Baritone Saxophone

SOLO TIMPANI (5 drums)

B-flat Trumpet 1
B-flat Trumpet 2
B-flat Trumpet 3
F Horn 1
F Horn 2
F Horn 3
F Horn 4
Trombone 1
Trombone 2
Bass Trombone
Euphonium
Tuba
String Bass

Piano

Percussion 1 (triangle, brake drum, tam-tam, sleigh bells, high drum)
Percussion 2 (vibraphone, tam-tam, suspended cymbal, China cymbal, medium drum)
Percussion 3 (concert bass drum, suspended cymbal)
Percussion 4 (xylophone, low drum, glockenspiel)
Percussion 5 (5-octave marimba, crotales, very low drum)
Mjölnir is a concerto for timpani accompanied by either piano or wind ensemble. The piece, lasting approximately 20 minutes, is intended for an advanced timpanist accompanied by a collegiate level ensemble or professional accompanist, and is cast in three movements.

The music of the concerto follows loosely the Norse mythology surrounding Thor, the God of Thunder, and his hammer, Mjölnir. Each movement represents part of the general atmosphere of the stories, including the two battling worlds engulfed in fire and ice, as well as the war between the two worlds (which has been told in numerous ways).

The soloist throughout the piece will function as the hammer itself. Timpanists performing this work should consider heavier and darker mallets to emulate a thunderous aesthetic throughout each movement. Mobility is also key in performing the solo part, so for passages such as the opening of the first movement, the timpanist may either consider an alternate set-up (more than five drums) or lighter mallets for increased flexibility. Regardless, this concerto is intended for a five-drum setup.

It is my most sincere hope that you enjoy this work both in the preparation process as well as in performance. This work, above all, should function as an enjoyable music-making experience. Hopefully, everyone involved will feel the kind of special energy that this music provides to me whenever I hear it played. Music can be truly artistic, but this piece is simply meant to be fun, beautiful, obnoxious, and overwhelmingly energetic all at the same time.
- Lucas Garner (lgarnermusic@gmail.com)

The world premiere of Mjölnir was performed by timpani soloist Konstantine Vlasis and the Tennessee Tech University Chamber Wind Ensemble (an ensemble created specifically for this performance), conducted by Eric Harris.