Concerto No. 2 for Marimba and Orchestra (Gillingham)
General Info
Year of Published: 2008
Publisher: C. Alan Publications
Difficulty: Advanced
Cost: $180.00
Program Notes
The Concerto No. 2 for Marimba is a commission by a consortium of schools and performers headed by Professor Marc Wooldridge of Northwestern College, Orange City, Iowa.
The work exploits the full range of the technical and expressive ability of the five-octave concert grand marimba. It is cast in the standard three-movement format. The first movement uses sonata-rondo form and begins with a slow introduction and quasi-cadenza by the marimba. An animated first theme follows in G-minor accompanied by clarinets and tambourine. A contrasting second theme area follows featuring chromatic mediant progressions and descending chromatic lines. The return of the first theme utilizes a slightly different accompaniment. The development section reworks all the thematic material in different guises. The recapitulation presents the first theme, verbatim, as it was in the exposition. The second theme, however, changes the mode to major. The return alternates the marimba on the theme with the winds playing the theme in augmentation. The marimba quietly ends the movement with an ascending and descending arpeggiated passage.
The second movement is a chaconne with eight variations. The marimba states a rather haunting chorale-like melody in Bb minor.
The first variation features the low brass on the chaconne theme with the marimba on the variation.
Variation II uses marimba, clarinet, glockenspiel and vibraphone
Variation III uses marimba, oboe and French horns. Cascading muted brass against the augmented chaconne theme in the flutes and clarinets are indicative of Variation IV.
Variation V changes the slow pace to fast using marimba, brass, timpani, and glockenspiel.
A haunting Variation VI utilizes bowed marimba on the chaconne theme accompanied by piano and glockenspiel .
Variation VII features the low brass on the chaconne theme against triplets in the upper brass.
Rolled arpeggiated chords highlight Variation VIII along with a solo alto saxophone on the second half of the variation. A somber coda brings the movement to a close.
The third movement, like the first, is in sonata-rondo design and is cyclic, bringing back and combining the thematic material of the first and second movements. The first theme, in D-minor, is angular and spirited, accompanied by clarinets and tambourine (reminiscent of Mvt. I). The second theme brings back the second theme of the first movement followed by the return of the first theme, now accompanied by saxophones and tambourine. The development combines and works thematic material from all three movements of the concerto. The recapitulation begins with the bassoons on the first theme, followed by the horns/trumpets and finally, the marimba. The second theme brings back the chaconne of the second movement, this time in major with the marimba accompanying using rhythmic material taken from the first theme of the third movement. There is no formal return of the first theme. Instead, the marimba plays a cadenza in which the first theme material and the second movement chaconne are developed. A galloping presto (coda) follows, ending the movement in D major.
Instrumentation
Soloist
Orchestra
Woodwinds
Piccolo
Flute 1/2
Oboe 1/2
Bassoon 1/2
Clarinet in Bb 1/2/3
Bass Clarinet
Alto Saxophone 1/2
Tenor Saxophone
Baritone Saxophone
Brass
Trumpet in Bb 1/2/3
French Horn 1/2/3/4
Trombone 1/2
Bass Trombone
Euphonium
Tuba
Percussion
Percussion 1:Timpani
Percussion 2: Bells & Brake Drum
Percussion 3: Vibraphone & Xylophone & Suspended Cymbal & Crash Cymbals
Percussion 4: Brake Drum & Tambourine & Suspended Cymbal & Crash Cymbals & Tam-Tam
Percussion 5: 4 ConcertTom-toms & Bass Drum
String
Keyboard
Recent Performance
Works for Percussion by this Composer
Angels of the Apocalypse - Percussion Octet
Babylon - Percussion Ensemble
Concertino (Gillingham) - Percussion Quartet; Wind Ensemble
Concerto for Percussion Ensemble (Gillingham) - Percussion Ensemble (13); Piano
Concerto No. 1 for Marimba (Gillingham)
Concerto No. 2 for Marimba (Gillingham)
Concerto for Piano and Percussion Orchestra - Percussion Ensemble
Dance of Redemption - Marimba
Five Fantasies of Natural Origin - Marimba; Flute
Gate to Heaven: Journey of the Soul - Marimba; Percussion Octet
Liturgical Music - Percussion 13
Normandy Beach 1944 - Percussion Sextet
Paschal Dances - Percussion Ensemble (12); Piano
Point of Reckoning - Percussion Nonet
Quintessence (Gillingham) - Multiple Percussion; Brass Quintet; Wind Ensemble
Return to Innocence - Percussion Septet; Choir
Sacrificial Rite - Percussion Quintet
Spiritual Dances - Percussion Quartet; Oboe (Clarinet)
Stained Glass - Percussion Ensemble (11); Piano
Supercell - Percussion Ensemble; Alto Saxophone; Piano
Triplex - Percussion Sextet; Brass Ensemble
Whirlwind - Percussion Octet