1 Flauto Piccolo
2 Flauti grandi
2 Oboi
1 Clarinetto piccolo
2 Clarinetti
1 Clarinetto basso
2 Fagotti, secondo anche
contrafagotto
4 Corni
3 Trombe
2 Tromboni
1 Trombone basso
2 Tube
MARIMBA E PERCUSSIONE SOLO
Timpani
4 Percussioni
STUDY
SCORE
AND SOLO PART AVAILABLE FOR SALE,
ORCHESTRAL PARTS AND LARGE
CONDUCTING SCORE AVAILABLE ONLY ON RENTAL
PROGRAM
NOTES:
TALES
FROM THE CENTER OF THE EARTH Op.33 (2003)
For percussion solo and wind ensemble
In a spring of 2002 I was commissioned to compose a
piece for one percussion soloist and wind ensemble.
Commissioner was a consortium of 12 universities from
USA
led by
University
of
Hartford
,
Hartt School of Music. Schools conductor Glen Adsit, and
percussion Professor Benjamin Toth,
requested a piece that would be a real challenge for a
soloist, showing well the possibilities of Marimba as well as of
percussion, and also leaving some space to the orchestra and
especially to its percussion section to “show up”. Since
the solo part has been composed ON the set-up, it really uses all
possibilities and colors of the choosen instrumentarium in very
effective and hugely virtuosic way.
Therefore is also important for soloist to build his set-up
exactly as indicated in order to make all “Licks” playable.
In a little less that a year later after a commission, a concerto was
finished and premiered in
Hartford
in April 2003.
"Tales" is a musical story that is drawn
from an oriental Balkan-like mood. Even if the large formal
structure of the piece is divided in two main sections, there are
many "little Tales" in-between such as dreamy cadenzas
for the marimba and winds and an Egyptian-sounding groove in the
„tutti" passages.
After the „oriental" awakening introduction the music moves
into a slow dance written for the marimba, which I like to think
of as a "Camel-Groove". The dance is
developed and leads into a tutti climax, which is broken by a
crack of the whip. After a cadenza on marimba and a brief
reminiscence of the Camel-dance, the first
section ends quietly in the sounds of cymbals reminiscent of
“deep-water waves".
The second movement is connected „attacca“ and begins with low
drums and two tubas. This is immediately supported by a slow
uneven rhythm in 5/4 plus 9/8. The
percussion grows slowly and adds a touch of mystery. In
generally, the second movement is energetic and supported by
strong rhythmic pulses, often performed by
the whole ensemble in unison. Volcanic like eruptions start
in the percussion section and together with a soloist, lead to a
percussion cadenza.
"Tales from the center of the Earth", has purposely been
composed in rather tonal musical language with more progressive
harmonies featured in the second movement only.
In less than a year after its premiere it has already become very
much performed among the orchestras.
In just
one year after the premiere, it had over dozen performances with
different orchestras only
in
USA
.
Nebojsa Jovan Zivkovic
