Satisfraction (Download)

for marimba trio

Erin Duke

Level: Medium

Duration: 3:40

Personnel: 3 player

State Lists: Missouri | Indiana

Release Date: 2016

Product ID : TSPCE16-013DL

Price: $30.00

Item #: TSPCE16-013DL

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Description

Written for three marimbas, Satisfraction is a charming and sweet trio that will lighten the mood on any percussion concert needing a breath of fresh air. Erin Duke writes individual lines that are syncopated and repetitive, and that interweave with each other to create a single, unified statement.

While this piece will give players a great study in chamber ensemble communication, its technical demands are relatively limited for intermediate players. In a growing world of heavy, serious percussion literature, Satisfraction will bring some levity to your concert and some satisfaction to audiences.

Use of this product is governed by the license terms outlined here.

Instrumentation

3 marimbas—(2) 4-octave, (1) low E

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Reviews

“Satisfraction” is a lovely little marimba trio that pairs intermediate four-mallet playing with a demand for listening and ensemble playing skills. According to the composer, “Each marimba plays a role that supports another, whether it be for harmonic support or for rhythmic reinforcement. ‘Satisfraction’ slowly introduces its theme and steadily develops the subtle call-and-response among players with a gradual increase in intensity. ”

Each part is hearty enough to require attention and practice time from the individual players without making the texture overly dense. Likewise, the length of the piece is long enough to allow room for different sections and development, but short enough to keep the audience’s attention and leave them satisfied with what they have heard.

The changing eighth-note based time signatures, paired with syncopated rhythms and the occasional quintuplet, gives the players’ ensemble-playing skills a workout and requires that they have decent rhythmic chops. The four-mallet technique called for would be a decent challenge for a beginner, but within the expectations of an intermediate player.

The score comes with a CD-ROM containing the individual parts and an mp3 recording of the piece. The instrumentation makes this piece doable for a music program without access to 5-octave marimbas, and would be an excellent addition to a high school program transitioning the students from marching to concert season, or a short addition to a college percussion ensemble concert for freshmen or sophomores.

–Marilyn K. Clark Silva
Percussive Notes
Vol. 55, No. 3, July 2017