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All sounds used in this recording were generated from Virtual Drumline software also by Tapspace.
An energetic and masterful work by composer and percussionist Brian Blume, Scenes from the Woods is a quartet written for a circle of marimbas. Additionally, each player is assigned to a differing woodblocks. As Blume states in the program notes, "This piece is a look back at some of the special times I spent in the woods near my parents house: a fast-paced game of tag or hide-and-seek; the quiet moments of solitude and reflection; a mysterious, foggy evening; the suns rays slicing through the canopy of trees; and making the most of a rainy day."
Scenes from the Woods was written for the Center Grove percussion ensemble (Josh Torres, director) to be premiered at the 2011 Percussive Arts Society International Convention.
This piece comes as a professionally printed and bound score and includes individual parts in PDF format for printing or for tablet viewing.
Superbly scored, this quartet integrates the "wood" element in the title from three sources: the marimba, woodblocks, and programmatic inspiration. The composer states, "This piece is a look back at some of the special times I spent in the woods near my parents' house: a fast-paced game of tag or hide-and-seek; the quiet moments of solitude and reflection; a mysterious, foggy evening; the sun's rays slicing through the canopy of trees; and making the most of a rainy day." Tonal throughout, it is challenging while still being idiomatic, introspective without being pretentious, and listenable without becoming boring.
Although the piece is scored for two 5.0-octave and two 4.3-octave marimbas, substitutions are indicated to make it playable with only one 5.0-octave instrument. In addition, each performer uses one woodblock, indicated "high to low." These timbres are further elaborated through the indication of hard, medium, and soft mallets. Several passages include the use of the mallet shaft for playing purposes, allowing an additional "wood" connection within the piece. Although a close listen might reveal harmonic and effectual similarities to works by Nigel Westlake and Christopher Deane, "Scenes from the Woods" is unique and will be satisfying to a wide variety of performers and audiences. Despite being premiered by a high school percussion ensemble, this work is worthy of testing the technical and chamber music skills of graduate students as well.
–Jason Baker
Percussive Notes
Vol. 50, No. 4, July 2012
An energetic and masterful work by composer and percussionist Brian Blume, Scenes from the Woods is a quartet written for a circle of marimbas. Additionally, each player is assigned to a differing woodblocks. As Blume states in the program notes, "This piece is a look back at some of the special times I spent in the woods near my parents house: a fast-paced game of tag or hide-and-seek; the quiet moments of solitude and reflection; a mysterious, foggy evening; the suns rays slicing through the canopy of trees; and making the most of a rainy day."
Scenes from the Woods was written for the Center Grove percussion ensemble (Josh Torres, director) to be premiered at the 2011 Percussive Arts Society International Convention.
This piece comes as a professionally printed and bound score and includes individual parts in PDF format for printing or for tablet viewing.
Superbly scored, this quartet integrates the "wood" element in the title from three sources: the marimba, woodblocks, and programmatic inspiration. The composer states, "This piece is a look back at some of the special times I spent in the woods near my parents' house: a fast-paced game of tag or hide-and-seek; the quiet moments of solitude and reflection; a mysterious, foggy evening; the sun's rays slicing through the canopy of trees; and making the most of a rainy day." Tonal throughout, it is challenging while still being idiomatic, introspective without being pretentious, and listenable without becoming boring.
Although the piece is scored for two 5.0-octave and two 4.3-octave marimbas, substitutions are indicated to make it playable with only one 5.0-octave instrument. In addition, each performer uses one woodblock, indicated "high to low." These timbres are further elaborated through the indication of hard, medium, and soft mallets. Several passages include the use of the mallet shaft for playing purposes, allowing an additional "wood" connection within the piece. Although a close listen might reveal harmonic and effectual similarities to works by Nigel Westlake and Christopher Deane, "Scenes from the Woods" is unique and will be satisfying to a wide variety of performers and audiences. Despite being premiered by a high school percussion ensemble, this work is worthy of testing the technical and chamber music skills of graduate students as well.
–Jason Baker
Percussive Notes
Vol. 50, No. 4, July 2012
