Double Concerto for Marimba and Timpani and Chamber Orchestra

General Info

Year:2018
Duration: c. 26:00
Difficulty: Advanced
Publisher: Ney Rosauro
Cost: Score and Parts - $0.00 | Score Only - $0.00

Movements

1. Divertimento
2. Appassionato
3. El Camino
4. Joyful

Instrumentation

Marimba
Timpani
Orchestra: Flute, Oboe, Clarinet, Bassoon, 2 French Horns, Percussion, and strings

Program Notes

This concerto was commissioned by the Fondazione Haydn di Trento e Bolzano and written in Miami, USA from January to March 2017. It has four movements and runs about 25 mins.

It is written with the intention of exploring the rich combination of the two solo instruments playing lyrical melodies and captivating rhythms. The lighter orchestration helps to give more clarity and exposure to the marimba and timpani parts.

The marimba part requires a five-octave instrument and explores many modern four-mallet techniques. The timpani part is especially challenging because the timpanist plays many melodies (unusual for the instrument in the orchestral setting), requiring a very demanding use of the tuning pedals.

Movement 1 – Divertimento: The adagio introduction presents the main theme of the concerto which returns throughout the entire piece. The theme from the allegro section explores the Lydian and the Mixolydian modes, scales which are characteristic of the music from Northeastern Brazil. The dialogue and counterpoint of the two soloists are the main features of this movement.

Movement 2 – Appassionato: The movement’s name depicts the passionate mood of the sad melody from the main theme, initially presented by the English horn and later by the marimba. The timpani carry the second theme. The string accompaniment is an independent and lyrical melodic line.

Movement 3 – El Camino: These melodies were flowing in my mind constantly as I walked the Saint James Way El Camino de Santiago de Compostela in Spain recently. The distant melody developed in fugato depicts the long, introspective walk and mystical atmosphere of this unique experience through El Camino.

Movement 4 – Joyful: After a bridge performed only by the marimba and timpani, the radiant theme of this movement is followed by several variations which explore the virtuosity of the soloists. After the main cadenza the movement’s theme, and theme from the introduction, are repeated. The concerto closes in a lively mood full of energy.

Recent Performance

Works for Percussion by this Composer

Solo Work

Bem-Vindo - Vibraphone
Brazil 500 Years - Multiple Percussion
Cenas Amerindias N.1 and N.2 - Multiple Percussion
Choro Bachiano - Marimba
My Dear Friend - Vibraphone
Prelude and Blues - Vibraphone
Reflexos - Multiple Percussion
Seven Brazilian Children Songs - Marimba
Sonata Lebensabschnitte - Vibraphone/Marimba
Sonatina para caixa clara - Snare Drum
Suite Popular - Marimba
Ten Beginning Studies for Multiple Percussion - Multiple Percussion
Three Moods - Marimba
Three Preludes - Marimba
Toccata and Divertimento - Vibraphone/Marimba
Valencia (solo) - Marimba
Variações para quatro tom-toms - Multiple Percussion
Variações sobre um tema do Rio Grande - Marimba
Variations over Evelyn Glennie's "A Little Prayer" - Marimba
Vibes Etudes and Songs - Vibraphone

Concertos

Percussion Ensemble

A Message to a Friend - Percussion Duo
Cadencia para Berimbau - Percussion Quartet
Cenas Brasileiras, Baiao and Frevo - Percussion Quartet
Five Cirandas Brasileiras - Vibraphone; Marimba
Fred No Frevo - Marimba Quartet
Japanese Overture - Percussion Octet
Mitos Brasileiros (Brasilian Myths) - Percussion Quartet
Samba (no. 3 of Brazilian Scenes) - Percussion Sextet
Suite Popular Brasileira - Percussion Sextet
Two Brazilian Steel Dances - Percussion Ensemble (7) - Steel Drums
Valencia - Percussion Ensemble (11); Double Bass
MOTHER EARTH, FATHER SKY - Percussion Octet

References