Small Box - Josh Gottry [DIGITAL]

Every harmonic and melodic element in this work was derived from the chorale, Jesu, wahres Brot des Lebens from Bach’s Cantata, Schmuke dich, o liebe Seele (BWV 180) including the initial statement of the chorale in its original form. This work is rhythmically demanding, melodically and harmonically intriguing, and extremely interesting and enjoyable for any audience.

Genre: Marimba Quartet | # of Players: 4
Level: Medium | Duration: 3:15

Instrumentation
Marimba 1 (4-octave)
Marimba 2 (4-octave)
Marimba 3 (4.3-octave)
Marimba 4 (5-octave with an alternate 4.3-octave part)

*Playable on one 4.3-octave Marimba and one 5-octave Marimba. An alternate part is included that makes the piece playable on two 4.3-octave Marimbas.

Program Notes
J.S. Bach is quite possibly the greatest composer in the history of music. His chorales are studied by first year music majors as a model for four-part writing. His works have been frequently transcribed and performed by percussionists looking to extend the history of our literature. Conversely, mimimalism only recently became formalized in the mid-1900s but immediately had a willing foothold in the field of percussion. Its rhythmically driven melodic and harmonic fragments can be sustained without break on percussion instruments, and the syncopated figures and complex time signatures are ideal for study and performance by percussionists. Small Box, quite simply, is a combination of these two historically and musically significant elements into a short, but challenging, marimba quartet. Every harmonic and melodic element was derived from the chorale, Jesu, wahres Brot des Lebens from Bach’s Cantata, Schmuke dich, o liebe Seele (BWV 180) including the initial statement of the chorale in its original form. This work is rhythmically demanding, melodically and harmonically intriguing, and extremely interesting and enjoyable for any audience.