Featuring Ney Rosauro, Solo Marimba
with SODRE Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Diego Naser
Performed Feb 24, 2018, Montevideo, Uruguay
Watch the other movements:
Mvt 2: Reflections and Dreams • Concerto No. 2 for Mar...
Mvt 3: Walking on Clouds • Ney Rosauro Concerto N...
Mallets: Ney Rosauro Signature Series
vicfirth.com/ney-rosauro/
----
About the Piece:
The Concerto No.2 for Marimba was originally written for five octave marimba and full symphony orchestra. The work was composed during the summer of 2001 and was sponsored by a grant from the University of Miami. The percussion ensemble version was completed in the summer of 2002 and is dedicated to the marimba virtuoso Keiko Abe. The concerto is written in three movements:
I) Water Running in High Mountain has two contrasting themes and depicts the way water makes its path down rocky mountain slopes.
II) Reflections and Dreams starts with a quote from J.S. Bach and develops into a romantic and somewhat mystical atmosphere. Later, a new theme in a lively and contrasting tempo is introduced, which serves as a motive for a fugato movement that is developed before the main themes return.
III) Walking on Clouds has a lively tempo, but its soft melody and rhythmic structure in a 5/4 meter evokes an image of music coming from the clouds. The fugato idea that appears in the second movement returns in this movement before the solo cadenza. In the cadenza, the wooden sound played with the rattan handles of the sticks depicts an old tradition of African balaphones. A quote from a Keiko Abe theme follows, and excerpts of the main themes of the concerto reappear. After the re-exposition of the main themes, a coda using the same vigorous motive from the introduction concludes the work in an uplifting mood.