Celebration II (5 Players on 1 Marimba)

Write A Review

1. Percussive Notes New Literature Review

   For a piece that could run the danger of being gimmicky with five players on a single instrument, Daiki Kato’s “Celebration II” is brilliantly written to make use of all five octaves of the marimba without getting muddy or having the players run into each other. “Celebration III” reduces “Celebration II” into a trio for three players on one instrument. This is accomplished by eliminating the lower octave so that the piece can be performed on a 4-octave rather than a 5-octave instrument and is a brilliant use of compressed space.
   
   The pieces are aptly named, as they sound bright and cheerful and could easily be imagined as the introduction to an awards ceremony or similar event. The tempo is fast, but the parts are easy to read and doable for an early intermediate student. The challenge lies in the ensemble playing skills. The dynamics are well written and need to be observed carefully by the performers so that the various parts are heard clearly. The players need to be mindful not only of playing the right notes and rhythms so that the parts fit together correctly, but that their playing positions allow room for the person next to them to move.
   
   The length of each version is right in the sweet spot at 3.5 minutes. The audience gets the full effect of the piece without the theme being worn out. This is an excellent use of a single instrument and would be a great opening number to a percussion ensemble concert, particularly for programs with limited instrument availability or a performance off-site that requires transportation of instruments.
   
   Marilyn K. Clark Silva
   Percussive Notes
   Vol. 59, No. 2, April 2021 Marilyn K. Clark Silva on Jun 16th 2022