Frogs

Keiko Abe

General Info

Year: 1958
Duration: c. 3:00
Difficulty: Easy-Intermediate(see Ratings for explanation)
Publisher: Studio4
Cost: Score Only - $6.00

Instrumentation

Marimba 4.0

Program Notes

Review

Of only intermediate difficulty, this charming work by the well-known Japanese marimbist should be enjoyed by performers and audiences alike. FROGS is in a "toccata" style and reminds this writer of miniature-type piano works by MacDowell and Ravel. The performer will need a rapid four mallet technique (although the piece is quite affective at tempos slower than marked), some mallet and hand independence, and the ability to quickly reach an octave. For the performer who has not developed a one handed independent roll, the octave rolls could be accomplished with a mandolin-type roll or eliminated entirely.

Annotations

Keiko Abe’s earliest written marimba solo. Written in ABA form, its playful characteristic is one of the reasons it is percussionists favorite pieces to play. The piece shows Abe’s early compositional style of having melodic notes overlaying the harmonic structure. It has not developed into her usual style of having an ostinato playing in the left hand, but the triplet notes she does provide do a fine job of helping to set the mood of the piece. A brief ostinato between a g natural and d natural do allow for some melodic playing that would later develop into Abe’s distinctive style. The composer can be heard performing this piece on her CD: Marimba Fantasy. This piece is published by Studio 4 Productions. - Trevor Landreth (05/10/18)

Recent Performances

premiere: 1964, Tokyo, Japan, Keiko Abe, soloist

To submit a performance please join the TEK Percussion Database

Works for Percussion by this Composer

Alone - Marimba
Ancient Letter - Marimba
Ancient Vase - Marimba
Aqua-Harmonia based on "Memories of the Seashore" - Marimbas (8) - Abe/Natsume
Autumn in Nara - Marimbas (2) - Abe/Samuels
Ban-ka - Marimba
Ban-ka for 4 players - Marimba Trio; Saxophone
Ban-ka for solo marimba and percussion group - Marimba; Percussion Ensemble
Conversation in the Forest for Ensemble and Gamran Jegog - Marimba Ensemble; Percussion Trio; Gamran Jegog
Conversation in the Forest for Marimba Ensemble - Marimba Ensemble
Conversation in the Forest for Two Marimbas - Marimbas (2)
Conversation in the Forest I - Marimba; Percussion Trio
Conversation in the Forest II - Marimba, Percussion (2); Saxophone; Oboe
Conversation in the Forest III - Marimba; Percussion Quartet
Dream - Marimbas (2) - Abe/Samuels
Dream of the Cherry Blossoms - Marimba
Early Spring - Marimba (2) - Abe/Samuels
Frogs - Marimba
In Praise of Nature - Marimba; with tape
Itsuki Fantasy for Six Mallets - Marimba
Labyrinth - Marimbas (2) - Abe/Samuels
Little Windows - Marimba
Marimba Concertino - The Wave - Marimba; Percussion Quartet
Marimba d'Amore - Marimba
Memories of the Seashore - Marimba
Memories of the Seashore for Marimba Ensemble - Marimba Ensemble
Memories of the Seashore for Two Marimbas - Marimbas (2)
Memories of the Seashore Ⅱ - Marimbas (2)
Michi - Marimba
Michi II - Marimba
Prism for Solo Marimba - Marimba
Prism for Two Marimbas - Marimba (2)
Prism Rhapsody for Marimba and Orchestra - Marimba; Orchestra
Prism Rhapsody for Marimba and Piano - Marimba; Piano
Prism Rhapsody for Marimba and Wind Ensemble - Marimba; Wind Ensemble
Prism Rhapsody II for 2 marimbas and 6 Percussionists - Marimba (2); Percussion Sextet
Prism Rhapsody II for 2 marimbas and orchestra - Marimba (2); Orchestra
Prism Rhapsody II for 2 marimbas and piano - Marimba Concerto - Marimba (2); Piano
Prism Rhapsody II for 2 marimbas and wind ensemble - Marimba (2); Wind Ensemble
Prism Rhapsody, 2nd Edition - Marimba; Orchestra or Wind Ensemble
Prism Variations for Marimba Ensemble and Percussionist - Marimba Ensemble; Percussion Ensemble
Reflections on Japanese Children's Songs II - Marimba (2); Percussion
Reflections on Japanese Children's Songs II for Two Marimbas - Marimba (2)
Reflections on Japanese Children's Songs III - for Marimba Ensemble and 2 Percussionists - Marimba Ensemble, Percussion Duo
Reflections on Japanese Children's Songs III - for Two Marimbas and Percussionist - Marimba (2), Percussion
She Dies, My Water Lily Tonneke - Marimba (2) - Abe/Van Hauwe
Sunday Afternoon - Marimba (2) - Abe/Samuels
Sylvan Stanzas (Mountain Stanzas) - Marimba
Sylvan Stroll - Marimba (2) - Abe/Samuels
Tambourin Paraphrase for Marimba Ensemble - Marimba Ensemble (5)
Tambourin Paraphrase for Solo Marimba - Marimba
Tambourin Paraphrase for Two Marimbas - Marimba (2)
Three Monologues - Marimba
Torrent - Marimba (2) - Abe/van Hauwe
Variations on Japanese Children Songs - Marimba
Voice of Matsuri Drums - Marimba
Wave Impression - Marimba Ensemble; Percussion (2)
Wind Across Mountains for Marimba Ensemble - Marimba Ensemble
Wind Across Mountains for solo marimba - Marimba
Wind Across Mountains for Two Marimbas - Marimba (2)
Wind Across the Mountains for Six Mallets - Marimba
Wind in the Bamboo Grove - Marimba
Wind in the Bamboo Grove for Two Marimbas - Marimba (2)
Wind Sketch - Marimba
Wind Sketch II for 2 Marimbas - Marimba (2)
Wind Sketch II for Marimba and Percussion - Marimba; Percussion Ensemble (26)
Wind Sketch III - Marimba; Percussion Duo
Wind Sketch IV for Marimba and Percussion - Marimba (2); Percussion (2)
Works For Marimba - Marimba