PERCUSSION with STRING INSTRUMENTS

"Ah One, for two Vibraphones and amplified acoustic Bass,
was created using my Raku Composition Program, a computer-assisted composing program which takes as its model the "elegant awkwardness" inherent in the raku ceramic process. This ancient method, which is closely associated with Zen
and the Japanese tea ceremony, purposely uses unstable materials and processes as a means of frustrating an artist's will to control the medium. With the RCP, routines have been developed to act in a like manner - and while these routines are often aleatoric in nature, great care must be
taken to perform Ah One exactly as written. For example, the piece will not survive metrical inaccuracy. Ah One is structured to produce twenty-four clusters of activity with the bass part serving as an interconnecting voice" - Dan college/professional.

Vibraphone and bass. Loosely based on the opening motive of the
old barbershop quartet classic, Down by the Old Mill Stream, this work places two traditional jazz partners in a series of casual and intense "third stream" settings. college.

An audience friendly work with an accessible marimba solo that would be a great way to feature a performer with intermediate to advanced level performance abilities. This piece would make a unique contribution to any recital program! adv. high school/college.

SEE ALSO:
The Silence of Sirens

Scored for viola and multi-percussion this work was composed for Barbara Westphal and Harvey Price who premiered it at New York's Merkin Hall. In six movements, the work explores the rich alto register of the viola and the marimba and also includes brief passages for a small bell or gong, wood blocks (2), and two drums (one with snares). college/professional.

 "Grand Duo. . . . opened the program. One of the city's more prolific composers, Wright also produces some of the most consistently pleasurable pieces to be heard on local stages. There's a witty, jazzy tone to many of his works even those, like Grand Duo, that seem to explore more serious subjects." 
(The Philadelphia
Inquirer 11/86)

"The heliosphere is the
outer margin of the
solar wind---a bubble of charged particles expanding outward in space, against interstellar forces. Scored for Vibraphone and Violoncello, Heliospheric II
loosely depicts a journey to the far reaches of this cosmic barrier." - MB college/professional. 

An attractive and virtuosic pairing of instruments. Interface is a musical psychodrama in which the viola plays the part of the artist and the marimba plays the underlying archetype which the artist struggles to express. There is an intricate interplay between the parts as they undergo gradual increases in tempo. college.

Price: 25.95

 Version of Roze's PAS  Composition Contest winning title (2001, originally for Saxophone & Marimba) adapted for Violin and Marimba. This work provides a challenging work-out for both players.  Marimba part requires 4 mallets and a 5-octave instrument.

A challenging contemporary work commissioned by the Zagreb Quartet on the occasion of it's 75th anniversary (1994). Marimba and all string parts get a good workout - with much rhythmic interplay between parts. Marimba part requires four mallets. college/professional. [Recorded on Sticks and Winds and Strings/Igor Lesnik - CD IL01/HoneyRock]

"The writing for the string quartet, which plays a role of corresponding significance to that of the marimba soloist, reveals Horvat's experience and talent as a composer. . . will definitely be worth the effort." (Percussive Notes)

A unique pairing of instruments - written for the Zagreb Guitar Trio and percussionist Igor Lesnik, this work was premiered in 1995 at the Zagreb Music Biennale. Scored for one multipercussionist utilizing: triangles (2), glockenspiel, vibraphone, suspended cymbals (3), cow bells (3), maracas (2), and a large tam tam. college/professional. [Recorded on Sticks and Winds and Strings/
Igor Lesnik - CD IL01/HoneyRock]

". . . music programs at the collegiate level that have the requisite personnel should closely examine this imaginative quartet." (Percussive Notes) 

This musical portrait, inspired by events in the Book of Acts, is scored for the unique pairing of harp and one multi-percussionist. Plenty of room in this one to display one's musical finesse with regard to dynamics and subtle nuance. Suitable for the recital hall or sacred settings. Percussion instrumentation: glockenspiel, xylophone, marimba, tom toms (5), bass drum suspended cymbal (3), and gong. college.

Based on memories of and reactions to the disaster of 9/11/2001 at the World Trade Center in New York City, this piece offers a unique pairing of marimba with cello. Scored for a 4.5 octave marimba.

adv. high school/college.

SEE ALSO:
Fallen Peace for Marimba and String Quartet.

Scored for viola and 4 Roto-toms, Start Dancing "celebrates the notion of moving beyond the study of something to the actual doing of that something; allowing all the study, contemplation and rehearsing to take us finally to something more (than just study, contemplation and rehearsing)." Wonderful melodic and rhythmic interplay between the instruments - a lively addition for any viola or percussion recital! Duration: 9 min. college/professional.

Audience friendly, three movement suite scored for a unique combination of marimba and harp. Both instruments get a challenging workout. This title would make a very interesting addition to any college recital and could be used for performances in a variety of settings outside the concert hall as well. 4 1/3 octave marimba - four mallets. Duration: ca 15' 19" (Cavatina 6'19"/Toccata 4'02"/Folia 4'58"). college.

This advanced collection of recital pieces for electric bass and drum set was written to provide performers with recital material designed to exploit and expand the possibilities of the bass guitar and drum set as solo instruments.  A unique combination of strict notation and improvisation will provide the performers with a truly exciting challenge.  college.

1st Place Winner - 2013 PAS Italy Composition Contest. A great recital showcase for the adventurous vibist!
Vibraphone scoring interacts beautifully with the string quartet. Requires an amplified vibraphone and some extra effects modules for a unique performance experience. college/professional.

Three movements:
I: ca. 6' 09"
II: ca. 7' 53"
III: ca. 7' 56"
~

Score and Vibraphone Solo: $39.95

Vibraphone Solo: $17.95

Score: $25.95

Strings: $25.95

Complete: Score, Solo and Strings - $59.95

Score and Video Samples

Commissioned by and dedicated to members of the Finnish National Opera Orchestra, this challenging dance-like duet is scored for bass and multi-percussionist utilizing roto-toms (3), large wood block, sus. cymbal and Chinese cymbal. college.
[Recorded on The Solo Percussionist/The Music of William L. Cahn - CD 10339/NEXUS]