Dedicated with affection and respect to Evelyn Glennie
These four short pieces are closely based on Journey through a Japanese Landscape, a concerto for marimba and wind orchestra.
As
in the Concerto, From Spring to Spring is based on a series of Haikus
which represent an emotional journey through the four seasons. Each
season is announced by a ‘peal’ on wind chimes – bamboo for spring, wood
for summer, metal for autumn and glass for winter.
The Haiku
chosen for each of the seasons provide a setting and an ‘event’. Thus
the gently undulating spring sea is the background for the free
improvisatory character of the skylark. The summer grasses (fast
rhythmic figurations) have buried the glorious dreams of ancient
warriors (a slow dotted march theme played in octaves). An autumnal fog
envelopes a colossal Buddha (hovering tremolo chords) and a high
quivering theme represents the lonely watcher. Finally in the frozen
winter landscape the slow march reappears only to be buried in a big
snow storm ( a rushing passage from lowest to highest register). Out of
the silence that follows, echoes of the first movement suggest the
return of spring and so rebirth.
This work is written for a 5-octave marimba, but ossias have been given so it may be played on a 4.5 octave instrument.
The wind chimes are optional; but if used, four different chimes of different materials are essential.