Concerto for Marimba and Orchestra (Swist)

Christopher Swist

General Info

Published: 2007
Publisher: Edition Svitzer
Level: Advanced
Duration: 00:27:00
Price: €60.00

Instrumentation

Soloist

Marimba

Orchestra

Woodwinds: Flute 1/2 & Oboe 1/2 & Clarinet 1/2 & Bassoon 1/2
Brass: French Horn 1/2/3/4 & Trumpet & Trombone & Bass Trombone & Tuba
Percussion: Timpani & Snare Drum & Bass Drum & Cymbals & Tambourine & Tam-tam & Glockenspiel
Strings: Violin 1/2 & Viola & Cello & Double Bass & Harp

Description

This concerto was a culmination of my interest in abstract music, orchestral texture and naturally the marimba as a solo instrument. All three movements of the Concerto for Marimba and Orchestra are based on a trio of tetra-chords that form a 12-tone aggregate. This central row and it's resulting canonic harmony form the foundation for the concerto. While still technically challenging, the soloist moves in balance between leading the orchestra and playing an obbligato role. Important to the texture, the glockenspiel player and harpist at times form a trio with the soloist. The music as a whole was sketched and formalized before the solo part was written. This technique allowed me to extract a smaller piece for orchestra alone titled "Inversions" from the material in the first movement. This abridged version was premiered by the OSUNCuyo in Mendoza, Argentina in 2005 under the baton of Marcelo Lehninger.

The first movement while mystical is precisely structured and punctuated by 18 pedal chords in set formation. The second movement is lyrical and closes with the marimba descending in moto perpetuo under a canonic 12-tone rotation in the stings. The third movement draws on my experience as an orchestral section percussionist. The snare drum opens the movement with the standard drum rudiment the Triple Ratamacue. The percussion section then engages in a featured introduction with the soloist and the rest of the orchestra gradually adding to the texture. There is a great deal of interplay between the various section instruments like bass drum, cymbals, tambourine, tam-tam, glockenspiel as well as the timpani. The soloist feeds off the percussion section and vice versa. It was my intention to draw on the great connective spirit of "section" playing that percussionists around the world have experienced.