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Falling Up the Stairs (Download)

for solo marimba
Level: Med-Advanced
Duration: 4:20
State Lists: Missouri | Texas | Florida | Indiana
Release Date: 2021
Product ID : TSPCS21-016DL
Price: $16.00
Item #: TSPCS21-016DL

Formats Available:


Description

Falling Up the Stairs by Christopher Butler is a multifaceted, highly engaging marimba solo. After a lyrical, rolled opening phrase, the piece launches into an energetic main section characterized by ascending figures, uneven note groupings, and arpeggiation. The nuanced, frequently-shifting harmonic language serves a rhythmic energy that’s equal parts groovy and twisted. Climactic moments of the piece cover nearly the entire range of a 5-octave marimba all at once. Not for the faint of heart, this solo showcases an enormous range of techniques, perfect for performance at contests or recitals by intermediate-advanced players!

This solo can also be found in The Blue Book - Volume 3 along with over 40 other solos for snare drum, drum set, mallet keyboard, and timpani.

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

Instrumentation

  • Marimba (5-octave)

Reviews

Performers looking for a solo marimba work that can showcase both the lyrical and technical sides of their playing might find a perfect vehicle in Christopher Butler’s “Falling Up the Stairs.” This work clocks in at roughly 4½ minutes and provides moments of haunting lyricism and challenging mixed-permutation passages.

Opening with a lyrical chorale that provides beautiful moments of tension and release that will showcase the player’s musicianship, the piece then moves into a more technical second half. There the piece steps up the tempo to a moderate quarter note of 108 with a string of running sixteenth notes for all but three measures of the remainder of the piece. Even through this section, the composer builds in some moments where the constant perpetual motion shifts character to a more delicate section labeled “freely” or even a more groove-based section the composer labels as “nasty.” The harmonic language of the work constantly shifts during this second half, complementing its rhythmic nature with uneven note groupings and occasionally shifting meters.

“Falling Up the Stairs” does a great job of combining these two differing characters into one homogenous work. The notation is clear, and stickings are written during the second half to help players facilitate the running sixteenth notes. This work would fit well for an undergraduate recital, or for anyone who wishes to showcase the variety of styles the marimba can produce in the right hands.

—Brian Nozny
Percussive Notes
Vol. 60, No. 2, April 2022

Description

Falling Up the Stairs by Christopher Butler is a multifaceted, highly engaging marimba solo. After a lyrical, rolled opening phrase, the piece launches into an energetic main section characterized by ascending figures, uneven note groupings, and arpeggiation. The nuanced, frequently-shifting harmonic language serves a rhythmic energy that’s equal parts groovy and twisted. Climactic moments of the piece cover nearly the entire range of a 5-octave marimba all at once. Not for the faint of heart, this solo showcases an enormous range of techniques, perfect for performance at contests or recitals by intermediate-advanced players!

This solo can also be found in The Blue Book - Volume 3 along with over 40 other solos for snare drum, drum set, mallet keyboard, and timpani.

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

Instrumentation

  • Marimba (5-octave)

Reviews

Performers looking for a solo marimba work that can showcase both the lyrical and technical sides of their playing might find a perfect vehicle in Christopher Butler’s “Falling Up the Stairs.” This work clocks in at roughly 4½ minutes and provides moments of haunting lyricism and challenging mixed-permutation passages.

Opening with a lyrical chorale that provides beautiful moments of tension and release that will showcase the player’s musicianship, the piece then moves into a more technical second half. There the piece steps up the tempo to a moderate quarter note of 108 with a string of running sixteenth notes for all but three measures of the remainder of the piece. Even through this section, the composer builds in some moments where the constant perpetual motion shifts character to a more delicate section labeled “freely” or even a more groove-based section the composer labels as “nasty.” The harmonic language of the work constantly shifts during this second half, complementing its rhythmic nature with uneven note groupings and occasionally shifting meters.

“Falling Up the Stairs” does a great job of combining these two differing characters into one homogenous work. The notation is clear, and stickings are written during the second half to help players facilitate the running sixteenth notes. This work would fit well for an undergraduate recital, or for anyone who wishes to showcase the variety of styles the marimba can produce in the right hands.

—Brian Nozny
Percussive Notes
Vol. 60, No. 2, April 2022


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