CONCERTO FOR MARIMBA (EIGHT HANDS) AND ORCHESTRA

PROGRAM NOTES

This work was written for Laurence Kaptain and Marimba Yajalón, an ensemble of four percussionists who perform on an authentic folk instrument indigenous to Chiapas, the southernmost state in Mexico. The most unusual and characteristic quality of this instrument is the buzzing sound created by a kazoo-like membrane at the bottom of each resonator, creating a sound unlike that of any other mallet instrument. The unique range, timbre, and tradition of this instrument played an important role in the writing of the music. I wanted to capture the spirit of the instrument without simply arranging existing folk tunes, but I also wanted to put my individual stamp on the composition without carrying the music completely beyond the instrument's roots. As a result, each movement draws on some pre-existing traditions, and each diverges, in varying degrees, from these sources. Movement I takes Spanish guitar harmonies as a point of departure, but the two dances that result are obviously for dancers with an unusual number of feet (!). Movement II begins without reference to traditional Chiapan music, but as the tempo increases, more and more melodic fragments of eight tunes are woven into the musical fabric (the Spanish word tapiz means tapestry) until two complete tunes emerge at the close. I chose tunes that are very common in Chiapas, and in particular are favorites of Laurence Kaptain. The last movement draws on two traditional dance forms, the tarantella and the bolero, but the result is not quite either one. It also uses a Chiapan folk tune as its melodic basis, but the harmonizations are distinctly non-traditional.

- JM

Scott Cantrell, Music Editor of the Kansas City Star, attended the world premiere and wrote this review.