Falling Up the Stairs

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