Copyright 2019, Jeremy David Isley

An Annotated Bibliography of Duets for Soprano Voice and Marimba and/or Vibraphone

By Jeremy David Isley, BME, MM

A Document

In Percussion Performance

Submitted to the Graduate Faculty of Texas Tech University in

Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for

the Degree of

DOCTOR OF MUSICAL ARTS

Approved

Lisa Rogers Chairperson of the Committee

Alan Shinn

Kevin Wass

Mark Sheridan Dean of the Graduate School

August 2019

Texas Tech University, Jeremy David Isley, August 2019

ii

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

I would like to take a moment to thank everyone who have supported me

along my doctoral journey. First and foremost, I would like to thank God for

giving me the opportunity, abilities, knowledge, skill, and perseverance to

successfully complete this project. I would like to thank my professors, Dr. Lisa

Rogers and Professor Alan Shinn for their guidance and support. Without them,

my acceptance into and completion of two advanced graduate degrees would not

have been possible.

Thanks to Dr. Kevin Wass for agreeing to be on my committee, attending

my recitals, and being willing to review this document. Thanks goes to Dr. Peter

Martens, Emily Gifford, and Linda Gregston for their knowledge and assistance in

my completion of many academic deadlines.

Thank you to the loving congregations at Forrest Heights United Method

Church and Calvary Baptist Church for their support, especially Kristi Edwards

and Dr. Richard Rush. A special thanks goes to our family friend, Arla Jo, for

allowing me to borrow her marimba and vibraphone.

Finally, I wish to thank Jackson, Noah, and Elijah, my children, and most

importantly my wife Rachel Isley, for their understanding, support, and sacrifice

throughout my schooling. A special thanks goes to Rachel for her preparation

and performance on two of my recitals, and ultimately serving as the inspiration

for this document topic.


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TABLE OF CONTENTS

Acknowledgments. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .ii

List of Tables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .v

Abstract . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .vii

I. Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1 Justification for the Study. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2

Limitations of the Study. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3

Review of Relevant Resources. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

Methodology. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

II. Duets for Soprano Voice and Marimba and/or Vibraphone. . . . . . . . . . 6

Duets Categorized by Secular Poetry Texts. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7

Three Subtropical Vistas. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7

Composer Information. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7

Musical and Performance Considerations. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

A Waltzer in the House. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9

Composer Information. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9

Musical and Performance Considerations. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10

The Firefly Hunt. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

Composer Information. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11


Morning Star . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12



Without a Trail to Lace. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14



Lanterns and Candlelight. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16




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Five Songs for Voice and Marimba. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .18



Journey Past the Unicorn. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .20



Four Bashō Haiku. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .21


Musical and Performance Considerations. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .22 Duets Categorized by Sacred Texts. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .23

El Shaddai . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .23 Composer Information. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .23


Song of ‘Almah . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .24



Two Songs for Voice and Marimba. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .26



Come Away. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .27



Missa Brevis. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .29


Musical and Performance Considerations. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .29 Dona Eis Requiem. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .30



Visions of the Glory of God. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .32 Composer Information. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .32


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Three Songs for Voice and Marimba . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .34 Composer Information. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .34

Musical and Performance Considerations. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .34 Duets Categorized by Theoretical Qualities. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .35

Six Italian Arias Arranged for Marimba and Soprano. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .35



Twin Compasses. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .37



III. Conclusion. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .38

Implications for Further Research. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .40

Bibliography. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41

Appendices. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .44

A. List of Published Duets. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .44

B. List of Unpublished and Self-Published Duets. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .46


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LIST OF TABLES

2.1 Adams, Daniel: Three Subtropical Vistas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7

2.2 Babbitt, Milton: A Waltzer in the House. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9

2.3 Becker, Bob: The Firefly Hunt. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11

2.4 Carlsen, Philip: Morning Star. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

2.5 Chan, Alan: Without a Trail to Lace . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14

2.6 Childs, Barney: Lanterns and Candlelight. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16

2.7 Glassock, Lynn: Five Songs for Voice and Marimba . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18

2.8 Stamp, Jack: Journey Past the Unicorn. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20

2.9 Vidales, Jorge: Four Bashō Haiku . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21

2.10 Beall, Andrew: El Shaddai. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .23

2.11 Beall, Andrew: Song of ‘Almah . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .24

2.12 Bolton, Calvin: Two Songs for Voice and Marimba. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .26

2.13 Goodenberger, Mark: Come Away. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .27

2.14 Jones, Brett: Missa Brevis. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29

2.15 Roberts, Bruce: Dona Eis Requiem . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .30

2.16 Saul, Walter: Visions of the Glory of God. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32

2.17 Thomas, Tracy: Three Songs for Voice and Marimba. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34

2.18 Andreatta, Drew: Six Italian Arias Arranged for Marimba and Soprano . . . . . . . .35

2.19 Joest, Kevin: Twin Compasses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .37


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ABSTRACT

Choosing literature for voice and percussion duets can be challenging due

to difficulties in finding readily available works that fit the needs and demands of

the performing duo. Quality literature exists, although, finding these pieces takes

a great deal of research. This document will review and catalog duets for

soprano voice and marimba and/or vibraphone that are published by major

publishing companies within the United States. The author will provide

particular information on each duet in a rubric format, as well as present viable

information about each work including the composer, title, publisher, publishing

date, number of movements, instrumentation, vocal range, marimba and/or

vibraphone instrument ranges, duration, recording links if available, premiere

information, and any other unique or particular information. The goal of this

document is to provide a centralized resource of catalogued duets for soprano

voice and marimba and/or vibraphone and to ultimately assist in the search for

pieces within this genre. The document will conclude with lists of published

duets, as well as unpublished and self-published duets for soprano voice and

marimba and/or vibraphone.


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CHAPTER I

INTRODUCTION

Published duets date back as early as the days of Wolfgang Amadeus

Mozart and Maria Anna Mozart,1 when the two siblings performed together on

one harpsichord in London in 1765.2 Since then, the duet as a genre has grown to

include many combinations of instruments. A duet is defined as “a musical

composition for two voices or instruments”3 and over the current span of more

than two-hundred years, most recently within the last fifty of those years, the

genre has expanded to include duets for voice and percussion.4

During the twentieth century, percussion instruments were used with

greater variety within the classical orchestra,5 which inspired the smaller

ensembles to do the same as well. For example, in 1961, Warren Benson

experimented with expanded instrumentation as well as the use of the human

voice as a soundscape in his composition Streams.6 This expansion of

instruments includes the use of marimba and vibraphone.

1Classic Fm, “Was Mozart’s sister actually the most talented musician in the

family?” (March 6, 2018), http://www.classicfm.com/composers/mozart. 2Howard Ferguson, Mozart’s Duets for One Pianoforte, Proceedings of the

Royal Musical Association 73 (1946), accessed June 12, 2019, http://www.jstor.org/stable/766084.

3Dictionary.com, “duet,” accessed June 13, 2019, https://www.dictionary.com/browse/duet.

4Bob Becker, The Firefly Hunt, Bob Becker Publications, 1967. 5John H. Beck, James A. Strain, “Percussion Music” (July 10, 2012),

accessed June 13, 2019, https://doiorg.libe2.lib.ttu.edu/10.1093/gmo. 6Warren Benson, Streams, Hal Leonard Corporation, 1961.


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The marimba is a pitched keyboard percussion instrument with rosewood

or synthetic bars that are arranged similarly to a piano keyboard. The

instrument is an idiophone, where the vibration of its own body creates the

sound. Over the years, the range of a marimba has grown from four octaves to

four and one-third octaves, then four and a half octaves, and finally a five-octave

marimba. The range from a low C2 up to a C7 allows for versatile four-mallet

compositional writing. The wooden or synthetic bars are typically struck with

yarn mallets, and the sound is enhanced through hung resonators directly below

the bars. A vibraphone is similar to the marimba in that it is a keyboard

percussion instrument, however, there are a few differences. The bars are made

out of an aluminum alloy, which allows for a lengthy sustain when struck by cord

mallets and the utilization of a pedal to control the length of the pitch. The

vibraphone also has resonators below the bars to enhance the resonance of the

sound. Additionally, there are paddles that are controlled by a motor that rotate

them to create an idiomatic tremolo during the sustained pitches. The range of

the vibraphone is traditionally a three-octave range from F3-F6. This document

will demonstrate how the duet has expanded to include the combination of

soprano voice and marimba and/or vibraphone.

Justification for the Study

In the author’s search of works for the instrumentation of soprano voice

with marimba and/or vibraphone, difficulties began to arise as there is no

centralized resource available that catalogs the works available through


3

publishers and/or distributors. The author began a search for this

instrumentation online using YouTube. The results yielded only a few examples

of works. Upon further research into the websites of several publishing

companies based in the United States, including major percussion and/or vocal

music distributors, the author found several pieces fitting the description. It is

the author’s goal to highlight the duets for soprano and marimba and/or

vibraphone as well as to provide an in-depth resource for those interested in

seeking out this performance idiom as well.

Limitations of the Study

This document is limited to the soprano and mezzo-soprano voice ranges

that are written in a duet instrumentation with either marimba and/or

vibraphone. The instrumentation is limited to a duet or duo setting because the

author of this document is a percussionist who performs on a regular basis with

his wife who is a soprano. In addition to personnel, the instrumentation being

limited to only marimba and/or vibraphone allows for a more streamlined

performance experience. There are some duets with voice and percussion that

are geared towards a multiple percussion instrumentation, creating a logistical

concern that can be avoided by playing either marimba and/or vibraphone.

Furthermore, the duets included in this study are published by United

States publishing companies, making them readily available for consumer access.

While researching duets for this project, the author discovered many pieces were

private commissions, or otherwise self-published works that are only available


4

upon special request from the composer. Therefore, these pieces were not

included for review in this annotated bibliography.

Review of Relevant Resources

The process of obtaining the compositions and the information included in

this document began with the research of dissertations and other publications

that were readily available. Searching the Percussive Arts Society Resource

Library led to finding information about existing dissertations. Then, a general

search through an internet search engine was a valuable resource to find similar

dissertation topics on annotated catalogues or annotated bibliographies with

compositions of other instrumentations.

Duets for soprano voice and marimba and/or vibraphone were found by

searching specific percussion publishing company websites such as HoneyRock

Publications, Per-Mus Publications, C. Alan Publications, Bachovich Music

Publications, and Keyboard Percussion Publications. The author then completed

specific searches and identified a large portion of works. The author’s next step

was to double-check available pieces through major distribution company

websites such as Steve Weiss Music and Lonestar Percussion. Finally, the author

completed a search within major vocal and choral publication sites including Carl

Fischer Music, Brixton Publications, and Colla Voce Music.

Methodology

The duets for soprano voice and marimba and/or vibraphone were found

on the specific publishing websites through perusal of duet website pages with


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the intent to find pieces with the instrumentation of soprano voice and any

combination of percussion instruments. When the author searched on the larger

distributor sites, several combinations of keyword searches were used in order

to obtain every composition title possible. Keywords included: soprano, soprano

and percussion, soprano and vibraphone, soprano and vibraphone duets, soprano

and vibraphone duos, soprano and marimba duos. The most successful keyword

was “soprano,” as it pulled up any piece with soprano in the instrumentation.

Once the author obtained each composition title, the specific information

was compiled and organized into a spreadsheet. The author then obtained

original copies through purchasing each piece and then evaluated through a

rubric chart for consistent research. The author developed a rubric that

organized the following items in each work: composer, title, publisher, publishing

date, number of movements, instrumentation, vocal range, marimba and/or

vibraphone instrument ranges, duration, recording links if available, premiere

information if available, and any other unique or particular information.


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CHAPTER II

DUETS FOR SOPRANO VOICE AND MARIMBA AND/OR VIBRAPHONE

Through the research of specific publishing websites and major

distributor websites, the author found over one hundred pieces with the

instrumentation of soprano voice and any combination of percussion. Out of the

one hundred, there were thirty-three published and unpublished pieces, which

are duets for soprano voice and marimba and/or vibraphone. Furthermore,

there were nineteen pieces that fit within the scope of this document, all of which

have been reviewed and arranged within three categories. Within those

categories, pieces were arranged alphabetically by composer.

After researching and focusing on the nineteen duets found, the author

discovered three categories for which each composition fit: secular poetry texts,

sacred texts, and theoretical qualities serving as the primary inspiration for the

composition. These theoretical qualities were based on the analytical form to

which the text was set. Fifteen of the nineteen duets contained texts inspired by

poetry, and of those fifteen, two of them were specifically Japanese Haiku poetry.

Out of the nineteen duets, eight contained sacred texts. Finally, two pieces were

categorized by their theoretical forms: the Italian Aria and a lullaby.


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Duets Categorized by Secular Poetry Texts Adams, Daniel: Three Subtropical Vistas

Table 2.1 Adams, Daniel: Three Subtropical Vistas

Composer Adams, Daniel

Title Three Subtropical Vistas

Publisher HoneyRock Publications

Date 1991

# of Movements 3 Movements 1. “Key Vaca” 2. “The Matecumbes” 3. “Tavernier”

Instrumentation Mezzo-Soprano Voice, Marimba, and Vibraphone

Vocal Range C4 - E5

Mallet Instrument Range Required

3 Octave Vibraphone; F3 - F6 4 Octave Marimba; C3 - B6

Duration Mvt 1: 6 min, Mvt 2: 3 min, Mvt 3: 2 min

Composer Information

Composer Daniel Adams was born in 1956 in South Florida. His musical

training began in Louisiana State University with a Bachelor of Music degree,

followed by a Master of Music degree from the University of Miami. Adams

culminated his career with a Doctor of Musical Arts degree from the University of

Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. His current position is Professor of Music at the

Texas Southern University where he has composed and published many different

musical compositions and articles over a wide range of topics related to


8

twentieth-century percussion music and percussion pedagogy. Adams has

performed nationally and internationally throughout Spain, Germany, Belgium,

Sweden, Turkey, Costa Rica, Argentina, Finland, Canada, and South Korea. Many

of these performances have been captured on Capstone, Ravello, Summit, Albany,

and Potenza Records.7

Musical and Performance Considerations

Three Subtropical Vistas is a multi-movement work based upon the poetry

of Stephen Cochran Singleton that is compiled in a book called A Song of Years in

Florida. The written words by Singleton capture the beauty, tranquility, and

legacy of the Florida Keys during the early 1900s. Composer Daniel Adams

combines the inspiration from the words and his own anecdotal experiences with

the beauty, mystique, and caprice of these islands during the latter part of the

20th century.8

Three Subtropical Vistas is multi-metered throughout all three movements

and both parts include polyrhythms. The instrumentation specifies “one

percussionist” because the instrumentation calls for vibraphone and marimba,

and the compositional writing blends both marimba and vibraphone melodic

lines into one single line written over three staves simultaneously. The vocalist

carries much of the melodic line while the mallet percussion serves as a

7Daniel Adams, “Biography,” accessed January 17, 2019,

http://www.danieladamscomposer.com/biography.html. 8Daniel Adams, Three Subtropical Vistas for Mezzo Soprano and One

Percussionist, C. Alan Publications, 1991.


9

soundscape throughout. The composer calls for the vibraphone pedal to be held

down for the entirety of the piece. A logistical concern is that the musical score

comes from the publisher as a large spiral-bound work with all four staves

written together on pages printed single-sided.

Babbitt, Milton: A Waltzer in the House

Table 2.2 Babbitt, Milton: A Waltzer in the House Composer Babbitt, Milton

Title A Waltzer in the House

Publisher C. F. Peters Corporation

Date 2003

# of Movements 1 Movement

Instrumentation Soprano Voice and Vibraphone

Vocal Range A3 - Ab5


3 Octaves; F3 - F6

Duration 3 minutes

Particular Information

Poem by Stanley Kunitz


Milton Babbitt was an American composer, pedagogue, and innovator in the

realm of music theory. When Babbitt was studying at New York University under

Marin Bauer and Philip James, he was first introduced to Schoenberg's twelve-

tone method. Milton Babbitt is credited with expanding Schoenberg's method as

a professional while teaching at Princeton and Julliard. Babbitt turned

Schoenberg's twelve-tone method into total serialism by applying the


10

methodology to rhythm, dynamics, timbre, as well as other musical concepts.

Babbitt's result came in the form of combinatoriality, partitioning, arrays, pitch

class, pitch set, and the time-point system. Later in his career, Babbitt turned his

interests to analogue recording technology, and therefore, co-founded the

Columbia-Princeton Recording Studio. A large part of his compositional style was

to incorporate the human voice into his concepts. This can be heard in his piece

Philomel, written in 1964, as well as A Waltzer in the House.9


A Waltzer in the House by Milton Babbitt employs twelve-tone technique

and is based on a poem by Stanley Kunitz. The score consists of an original

handwritten manuscript where both the voice and vibraphone share the same

grand staff. The contrapuntal nature of the two melody lines overlap and

intertwine throughout, creating a complexity of rhythm, sparse syncopations, and

large interval jumps. This piece requires four-mallet technique and specifically

utilizes combination stroke types (i.e. double vertical strokes and single

independent strokes at the intervallic distance of a perfect fourth).

9Rovi Staff, “Milton Babbitt Biography and History,” accessed May 22,

2019, http://www.allmusic.com/artist/milton-babbitt-mn0000764225/biography.

http://www.allmusic.com/artist/milton-babbitt-mn0000764225/biography

http://www.allmusic.com/artist/milton-babbitt-mn0000764225/biography


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Becker, Bob: The Firefly Hunt

Table 2.3 Becker, Bob: The Firefly Hunt Composer Becker, Bob

Title The Firefly Hunt

Publisher Copyright Bob Becker, readily available through Steve Weiss Music

Date 1967


Instrumentation Soprano Voice and Marimba

Vocal Range Eb4 - B5


4 Octaves; C3 - F6

Duration 3 minutes


Bob Becker is a performer and composer from Allentown, Pennsylvania.

He earned two degrees from the Eastman School of Music. He studied

performance under William G. Street and John H. Beck, as well as composition

with Warren Benson and Aldo Provenzano. Becker has performed as a member

of multiple prestigious performing ensembles, as well as a soloist for major

symphonies throughout his career. He co-founded the percussion group NEXUS

in 1971 and has consistently played with the ensemble Steve Reich and Musicians

since 1973. Becker has been a soloist with the New York Philharmonic, Boston

Symphony, Chicago Symphony, Philadelphia Orchestra, Cleveland Orchestra, San

Francisco Symphony, and Los Angeles Philharmonic.


12


The Firefly Hunt is written in multi-meter with much of the marimba part

written in octave melody, aside from the four-note chords written in stacked

perfect fourth intervals. Four-mallet techniques required include single

independent stroke types that are combined with double vertical strokes. Grace

notes are present in the upper soprano vocal range and are followed by an

interval skip. The tonality of the piece avoids the half-step interval and is based

on the pentatonic scale.

Carlsen, Philip: Morning Star

Table 2.4 Carlsen, Philip: Morning Star Composer Carlsen, Philip

Title Morning Star

Publisher C. Alan Publications

Date 1993

# of Movements 5 Movements 1. “The Morning Star” 2. “Shaman Song” 3. “Pine Tree Tops” 4. “Birds” 5. “The Myth”


Vocal Range A3 - G5


3 Octaves; F3 - F6

Duration Mvt 1: 3 min Mvt 2: 3 min Mvt 3: 2-3min, Mvt 4: 2-3min Mvt 5: 2-3min


The composition of Morning Star was supported by a composer/librettist fellowship from the National Endowment for the Arts. Dedicated to Elizabeth Arnold and James Preiss.


13


Philip Carlsen was born in Washington and currently lives in South Portland,

Maine. He is a Professor Emeritus at the University of Maine at Farmington.

Early in his career, he began studying with Robert Suderburg and Jacob

Druckman and now enjoys composing for groups such as the Portland Symphony

Orchestra, the Bossov Ballet Theatre, the Sebago-Long Lakes Region Chamber

Music Festival, and the Trio Penumbra.10


Morning Star is a five-movement piece based on five poems of Gary

Snyder. The first poem, “Pine Tree Tops,” is from his book, Turtle Island. The

remaining texts are from another Gary Snyder book entitled, Myths and Texts.

This composition was supported by a composer and librettist fellowship from the

National Endowment for the Arts. In movement one, the composer calls for

manual and rhythmic manipulation of the resonator paddles of the vibraphone,

and techniques that include rapid double lateral strokes and fragmented

quintuplets. Movement two includes bowed notes in combination with notes

played with mallets. Movement three includes less fragmented rhythms as seen

in the prior two movements, contains multi-meter time signatures, and includes

occasional four-mallet quartal harmony. Movement four utilizes eighth-note

melodic lines written in the vibraphone part throughout the movement that

10Philip Carlsen, ”Biography,” accessed June 2, 2019,

https://www.composers.com/philip-carlsen.

https://www.composers.com/philip-carlsen


14

require a combination of single independent strokes and single alternating

strokes to achieve the contrary motion between hands. Movement five is

reminiscent of movement one because of the manually manipulated resonator

paddles while playing a melodic line with the opposite hand.

Chan, Alan: Without a Trail to Lace

Table 2.5 Chan, Alan: Without a Trail to Lace Composer Chan, Alan

Title Without a Trail to Lace


Date 2009

# of Movements 2 Movements 1. “Mother’s Lament” 2. “Daughter’s Lullaby”


Vocal Range A3 - B5


3 Octaves; F3 - F6

Duration Circa 8 minutes

Recordings Online Link at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MqPiQfL0t1c

Premiere Faculty Recital - Saturday, September 30, 2006. White Hall, Performing Arts Center, University of Missouri - Kansas City Melanie Snell - Soprano; Jim Snell - Percussion.


Text by Nicky Schildkraut. Cover design by Sam Lee. The second movement calls for spoken speech narration.


Composer Alan Chan has lived in America, East Asia, and Europe. His

experiences in each of these places serve as inspiration and influence for his

music. Stylistically, Chan spans from classical to jazz, where he is the bandleader


15

for the Alan Chan Jazz Orchestra. His eclectic background spills over into his

compositional style and often blurs the lines of tradition. Chan’s music has been

featured at the Percussive Arts Society International Convention, International

Jazz Composer’s Symposium, and the International Jazz Festival Enschede. His

compositions are published through various publishing companies including

HoneyRock, Keyboard Percussion Publications, Meridian, and Navona.11


Without a Trail to Lace is a two-movement work based on the poetry of

Nicky Schildkraut. The two movements have “shades” of jazz harmony with the

extreme contrapuntal melodic lines. Rarely does the vibraphone serve as an

accompaniment. The first movement is about the anguished search of a mother

for her daughter. From a performance perspective, there are exaggerated vibrato

moments in the soprano part that are specifically aimed at the traditional Korean

style singing, p’ansori. There are specific performance notes to this point, and

there is a specific score marking to denote the technique. The second movement

is about a young girl who has been abandoned by both her mother and father,

and the piece is the representation of the emotional conflict within the girl. The

final note at the end is symbolism of the daughter’s coerced independence.12

11Alan Chan, ”Bio,” accessed May 19, 2019,

http://www.alanchanmusic.com/bio.htm. 12Matthew Thomas, Alan Chan, Without A Trail to Lace, HoneyRock

Publications, 2008.

http://www.alanchanmusic.com/bio.htm


16

Childs, Barney: Lanterns and Candlelight

Table 2.6 Childs, Barney: Lanterns and Candlelight Composer Childs, Barney

Title Lanterns and Candlelight

Publisher Smith Publications

Date 1976



Vocal Range Bb3 - C5


4 Octaves: C#3 - Bb6

Duration Circa 8 minutes


Composer and scholar Barney Childs was born in Spokane, Washington in

1926. Childs earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Nevada, as

well as a Bachelor of Arts degree and a Master of Arts degree in the English

language and literature at Oxford University. His education culminated with a

doctoral degree from Stanford University. His teachers included Carlos Chavez,

Aaron Copland, and Elliott Carter.13 His life and career were intertwined

between the English language and music, which makes this piece the perfect fit

for this study.

13Affiliated Composer, ”Barney Childs Biography,” accessed May 9, 2019,

https://www.composers.com/barney-childs.

https://www.composers.com/barney-childs


17


Lanterns and Candlelight is a duet in definition, but in practice the piece is

more of a marimba feature with the soprano voice singing as a textural change.

The marimba part for this piece is written completely in treble clef, and the range

requires multiple ledger lines, making this piece more difficult to read. Also,

much like the title indicates, the marimba part is written to be more important

than the soprano part, and the staves reflect it as well. The marimba part is the

top stave when the two parts appear at the same time in the score. In fact, the

program notes in the beginning clearly state, “Soprano is accompanying

throughout. She sits as shown, behind and stage left of marimba.”14 Also, the

composer is very specific in the mallet selection, more than just listing yarn

mallets at the beginning of the score, he calls for Earl Hatch Green wound mallets

specifically to be played for this piece.15

14Barney Childs, Lanterns and Candlelight, Smith Publications, 1976. 15Barney Childs, Lanterns and Candlelight, Smith Publications, 1976.


18

Glassock, Lynn: Five Songs for Voice and Marimba

Table 2.7 Glassock, Lynn: Five Songs for Voice and Marimba Composer Glassock, Lynn

Title Five Songs for Voice and Marimba


Date 1994

# of Movements 5 Movements 1. ”It sifts from leaden sieves” 2. “A murmur” 3. “The sun kept setting” 4. “Two butterflies” 5. “The summer lapsed away”

Instrumentation Mezzo-Soprano Voice and Marimba

Vocal Range A3 - F5


4.3 Octave; A2 - E6

Duration 12:07

Recordings Online Link at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PTUGUey0ibI https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gEtSDgcu9Ms https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BfQj_IPgHCg https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Az7hwzIvku4 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YJ-pMRq9uIA


1st Place Winner of the 1994 PAS Composition Contest


Lynn Glassock is a composer and performer in North Carolina. He holds a

Bachelor of Music degree and a Master of Music degree from the University of

North Texas. His teachers included Ed Soph, Leigh Howard Stevens, and Ron

Fink. Before teaching at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Glassock


19

performed with the Dallas Symphony Orchestra, Fort Worth Symphony, and the

Fresno Philharmonic. His compositions have won many prestigious awards, such

as First Place in the Percussive Arts Society (PAS) Composition Contest and the

Festival of New American Music in 1987.16


Five Songs for Voice and Marimba is a five-movement work based on the

poetry of Emily Dickinson. Dickinson often wrote about life, death, and nature

with many of these themes appearing throughout the entire duet. The marimba

part is written in a very melodic way, requiring the combination of all four

mallets to collaborate for the overall melodic line. Advanced four-mallet

techniques, such as the one-handed roll, are incorporated throughout the entire

work. The composer includes sticking suggestions in selected sections of musical

phrases. Polyrhythms are used throughout.

16Lynn Glassock, Five Songs for Voice and Marimba, C. Alan Publications,

1994.


20

Stamp, Jack: Journey Past the Unicorn

Table 2.8 Stamp, Jack: Journey Past the Unicorn Composer Stamp, Jack

Title Journey Past the Unicorn

Publisher Per-Mus Publications

Date 1989



Vocal Range Eb4 - G5


3 Octave; F3 - F6

Duration 3 minutes


Jack Stamp recently retired from Indiana University at Pennsylvania,

where he held the position of Professor of Music and Conductor of Bands. He

holds a Bachelor of Music degree from Indiana University of Pennsylvania, a

Master of Music degree from East Carolina University, and finally a Doctor of

Musical Arts degree from Michigan State University. One of his teachers included

Eugene Corporon.17


Journey Past the Unicorn is a short piece based upon the text by Denise

Andrews. Performance concerns for the vibraphonist are the parallel chords that

17Jack Stamp, ”Biography,” accessed May 29, 2019,

https://wwwgiamusic.com/bios/stamp_jack.cfm.


21

require consistent interval control in the hands with accurate wrist and note

placement. Four-mallet technical stroke types employed include single

alternating, double vertical, and single independent strokes.

Vidales, Jorge: Four Bashō Haiku for Soprano and Vibraphone

Table 2.9 Vidales, Jorge: Four Bashō Haiku Composer Vidales, Jorge

Title Four Bashō Haiku for Soprano and Vibraphone


Date 2008

# of Movements 4 Movements 1. ”Winter Garden” 2. “Awake At Night” 3. “Stillness” 4. “Moonlight Slanting”


Vocal Range F4 - A5


3 octaves F3 - F6

Duration 9:09

Recordings Online Link at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fdb71Qka59U

Premiere 2009 as part of the PAS Composition Rules/Regulations


2nd Place Winner of the 2008 PAS Composition Contest


Jorge Vidales was born in Mexico City in 1969 and has received many

prestigious awards such as the Young Creators Grant. His works have been

premiered in Mexico’s most important venues and festivals including the

University Music Composition Festival, the University Arts and Humanities


22

Festival, and Mexico City’s International Festival. Vidales composed and entered

Four Bashō Haiku for Soprano and Vibraphone into the Percussive Arts Society’s

Composition Contest in 2008 and was rewarded as the 2nd Place Winner.


Four Bashō Haiku is a song cycle setting of four haiku of Matsuo Bashō for

soprano and vibraphone. “Haiku’” is an unrhymed verse form of Japanese origin

having three lines containing usually five, seven, and five syllables respectively.

As denoted in the title, bashō, is a fictitious name for the author, Matsuo

Munefusa, who was a Japanese poet and considered to be one of the most

important artistic figures in Japan. Munefusa is thought to be a master of this

style of Japanese poetry, which often portray vivid images and make references

to nature as well as sound objects.

Movement one creates a motive out of the first five vibraphone notes that

is played throughout the movement. Movement two utilizes linear lines in the

vibraphone part and the steady eighth notes are intended as a driving force for

the movement. Movement three uses a combination of bow and mallets, as well

as the only movement that employs the vibraphone motor. Movement four is

written as a theme and variations as the musical ideas are introduced in A-B-A-C-

A-D form.


23

Duets Categorized by Sacred Texts Beall, Andrew: El Shaddai

Table 2.10 Beall, Andrew: El Shaddai Arranger Beall, Andrew (Card, Michael)

Title El Shaddai

Publisher Bachovich Music Publications

Date 2006



Vocal Range E4 - G5


5 Octave; C2 - D6

Duration 4:42

Recordings Online Link at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j4x0DFHhrns


Michael Card, the American Christian singer-songwriter, originally wrote

“El Shaddai” for his album Legacy in 1981.18 Amy Grant is often credited for the

composition of this piece because she recorded it on her album Age to Age in

1982. Andrew Beall adapted the work into a duet for soprano voice and marimba

in 2006.


The term El Shaddai is widely known and translated as “God Almighty,”

serving as one of the names of Yahweh God, “the God of Israel.” The

18Michael Card, “Resources,” accessed May 13, 2019,

https://www.michaelcard.com.

https://www.michaelcard.com/


24

compositional techniques for marimba alternate between rolled quartal harmony

and arpeggiations over the same chord changes. The ternary form of this piece is

A-B-A with a tag ending.

Beall, Andrew: Song of ‘Almah

Table 2.11 Beall, Andrew: Song of ‘Almah Composer Beall, Andrew

Title Song of ‘Almah

Publisher Bachovich Music Publications

Date 2006

# of Movements 3 Movements 1. “Rose of Sharon” 2. “Yearning For” 3. “Cedar of Lebanon”


Vocal Range G3 - C5

Mallet Instrument 5 Octaves; C2 - Ab6 Duration Circa 20 minutes

Recordings BMP Records Andrew Beall - Deliverance www.bachovich.com


Andrew Beall is a composer and percussion performer based in New York.

Beall holds one degree from the Manhattan School of Music and one degree New

York University. Furthermore, he is the owner of Bachovich Music Publications.19

His works have been performed by groups such as the Siberian Symphony

Orchestra. Beall has performed multiple shows on Broadway such as The Lion 19Andrew Beall, “Biography,” accessed April 10, 2019, http://www.andewbeall.com/biography.php.

http://www.andewbeall.com/biography.php


25

King and Les Miserables, played with symphonies such as the Greenwich

Symphony and the Philharmonic Orchestra of the Americas, and is the drummer

for the rock group Cordis.


Song of ‘Almah is a three-movement work based on the text taken from the

Old Testament book, Song of Solomon and tells of the story of King Solomon and

his search for true love. ‘Almah is a variation on the Hebrew musical term

‘alamoth, which can be translated as “soprano.” The composer purposefully

chose the scriptures and texts that would be sung from the young ‘Almah’s

perspective. This is an intense musical setting of a powerful story set to the duo

instrumentation of soprano voice and marimba and is recorded on the album

Deliverance by BMP Records.20

Arpeggiated sixteenth notes in the marimba part dominate the texture

throughout the first movement. The composer wrote difficult syncopations with

hocketed rhythms between hands in the marimba part at the end of the first

movement. The second movement is a complete texture and style change to 42

BPM with soft marimba rolls and a lower vocal range for the vocalist. There is a

brief rubato section for the marimba to perform in a soloistic manner, followed

by a transitional section that leads directly to the third movement. The final

movement begins with cascading sixteenth notes in the marimba to set forth the

Molto espressivo e rubato style marking. Much like the “back-n-forth" of the love

20Andrew Beall, Song of ’Almah, Bachovich Music Publications, 2006.


26

story being portrayed through the text, the styles change multiple times over the

last few pages of the piece.

Bolton, Calvin: Two Songs for Voice and Marimba

Table 2.12 Bolton, Calvin: Two Songs for Voice and Marimba Composer Bolton, Calvin

Title Two Songs for Voice and Marimba


Date 1989

# of Movements 2 Movements 1. “I Love You” (Ludwig van Beethoven) 2. “The Last Rose of Summer” (Irish Air)


Vocal Range D4 - F5


4.5 Octave; F2 - G6

Duration 4 - 5 minutes


Calvin Bolton is an American composer. In addition to the above listed

work, his marimba transcription of Robert Schumann’s piano work, Album for the

Young is published by C. Alan Publications. One item to note is that the

composer’s name is misspelled “Calvin Boulton” in two places on the publication

by Per-Mus Publications. When searching for Two Songs for Voice and Marimba

by Calvin Bolton, one might consider searching for both spellings as needed.


Two Songs for Voice and Marimba is a two-song set of arrangements. Song

one is entitled “I Love You” and was originally written by Ludwig van Beethoven.


27

This piece was commissioned by and is dedicated to Jackie Henson from Chase

High School in Forest City, North Carolina. The soprano part is light, soft, and

very bouncy while the marimbist plays four-mallet independent passages. The

right-hand marimba part is mainly comprised of sixteenth notes that have rapid

interval changes while playing single alternating strokes in the left hand.

The second song of this set is based off the Old Irish Air, “The Last Rose of

Summer.” The marimba part provides a syncopated accompaniment part that

has rapid chord changes within each measure. This movement is strophic in

nature. In other words, the movement has a total of three verses of different text

that are sung over the same melody.

Goodenberger, Mark: Come Away

Table 2.13 Goodenberger, Mark: Come Away Composer Goodenberger, Mark

Title Come Away


Date 1997



Vocal Range C4 - C6


3 Octaves; F3 - F6



Commissioned by Nancy Olsen-Chatalas


28


Mark Goodenberger earned a Bachelor of Music Education degree from

Lewis and Clark College and a Master of Music degree from the University of

Michigan. He currently serves as the Director of Percussion Studies at Central

Washington University in Ellensburg, Washington. His performance colleagues

include Steve Reich, Libby Larsen, Chen Yi, George Crumb, Elliot Carter, Lou

Harrison, Chinary Ung. His professional associations include Vic Firth, Yamaha,

and Amy Putnam Mallets. Many of his compositions are premiered by the groups

in which he is also a performer.21


Come Away is based on text from the Song of Solomon, in the Hebrew

scripture. This single-movement work is multi-metered and changes keys

multiple times. The vibraphone part has accented notes that help support the

soprano melodic line, and sometimes play against the soprano melody. The

utmost control of each mallet must be obtained and displayed in order to create

the flowingly sections, as well as bring out the melody notes within the

contrapuntal lines on the vibraphone.

21Mark Goodenberger, ”CWU Bio Page,” accessed April 20, 2019,

https://www.cwu.edu/music/mark-goodenberger.

https://www.cwu.edu/music/mark-goodenberger


29

Jones, Brett: Missa Brevis

Table 2.14 Jones, Brett: Missa Brevis Composer Jones, Brett

Title Missa Brevis


Date 2003

# of Movements 2 Movements 1. “Kyrie” 2. “Gloria”

Instrumentation Mezzo-Soprano Voice and Vibraphone

Vocal Range G3 - G5


3 Octaves; F3 - F6



Brett Jones was born in South Dakota and currently serves as Professor of

Percussion and Department Chair at the University of Wisconsin at Superior. He

earned degrees from the University of Colorado as well as Texas Tech University

where he studied with Alan Shinn, Lisa Rogers, Doug Walter, Don N. Parker, John

R. Beck, and Gene Holter. Jones’ publications range from articles in Percussive

Notes to pieces published by C. Alan Publications, HoneyRock Publications, and

HaMaR Percussion Publications.


Missa Brevis is a two-movement work that is based on the formal structure

of a church mass. The melodic material of the “Kyrie” is very similar to


30

plainchant. The “Gloria” is through-composed and encompasses multiple motives

including: “Gloria,” “World,” “Father,” “Son,” and “Holy Spirit.” The last three

motives are interwoven together to form a “Trinity” motive.22 Some performance

notes to include are the use of two bows on the edges of the bars during the

beginning of the first movement, and then four-mallet techniques are employed

for the remainder. The second movement is a contrasting style that requires

four-mallet independence for many of the fast melodic lines written for the

vibraphone.

Roberts, Bruce: Dona Eis Requiem

Table 2.15 Roberts, Bruce: Dona Eis Requiem Composer Roberts, Bruce

Title Dona Eis Requiem

Publisher C. Alan Publications and McClaren Publications

Date 1994


Instrumentation Mezzo-Soprano Voice and Marimba

Vocal Range G3 - Ab5


4.3 Octaves; A2 - G6

Duration 7 minutes


Bruce Roberts is the Director of Academic Programs for University

Outreach at the University of Oklahoma. He holds a Bachelor of Music Education

22Brett Jones, Missa Brevis, HoneyRock Publications, 2003.


31

degree and Master of Music degree from the University of Arkansas as well as a

doctoral degree from the University of Oklahoma.23


Dona Eis Requiem is based on the “Mass of the Requiem” and is the only

piece in this study where the soprano begins the piece. The composer notes are

very thorough and explicit for techniques throughout the work. Topics covered

in the notes include text specifications as well as overall performance practice

considerations as suggested by the composer.

The difficulties of the piece come from the rapid style changes, as well as

Chopin-styled intermotivic lines that take shape in a quintuplet motive that

drives the first main section. The quintuplet is comprised of a combination of

four-mallet lateral strokes, double vertical strokes, and single alternating strokes

for the marimbist. Finally, the two lines of the piece require six-mallet technique

to successfully play the written chords.

23Bruce Roberts, ”Biography,” accessed May 23, 2019, https://www.c-

alanpublications.com/brands/Roberts-Bruce.


32

Saul, Walter: Visions of the Glory of God

Table 2.16 Saul, Walter: Visions of the Glory of God Composer Saul, Walter

Title Visions of the Glory of God


Date 1997

# of Movements 4 Movements 1. ”God’s Grandeur” 2. “The Windhover: To Christ our Lord” 3. “Easter Communion” 4. “Pied Beauty”


Vocal Range B4 - A5


3 Octaves; F3 - F6

Duration Mvt 1: 3 min, Mvt 2: 2 min, Mvt 3: 2 min, Mvt 4: 2 min


This collection is dedicated to Doug Walter.


Walter Saul was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He attended Duke

University, where he won the Henry Schuman Music Prize for composition three

times total, and then proceeded to attend the Eastman School of Music. While

earning his doctoral degree in composition, he was a student of Samuel Adler,

Warren Benson, and Joseph Schwantner.


Visions of the Glory of God is a suite of four word paintings and tone

paintings based on God. The text is drawn from four poems by Gerard Manley

Hopkins. The performance notes suggest that this piece may also be performed


33

by tenor solo, and the last two movements can be accompanied by piano.

Movement 1, “God’s Grandeur,” starts softly with rolled vibraphone notes, and

the soprano melody is tonal in nature. There are a set of septuplet lines that are

based upon the diminished scale. Movement two, entitled “The Windhover,” also

requires four-mallet techniques. The movement begins triumphantly and upon

entering, the soprano and vibraphone rhythms interlock to form the entire

melody. Quick wrist rotations are required for many of the parts of the

vibraphone. In movement 3, entitled “Easter Communion,” the composer

maintained tonal melodies for the vocalist, however, the thickness of texture

comes from the three-note chords that travel up the vibraphone rapidly and

require advanced wrist rotation control. Finally, the fourth movement entitled

“Pied Beauty,” is also joyful and majestic with rapid chord changes for the vibist

to execute. Much of this movement has an independent contrapuntal line on top

of chords that outline the note groupings.


34

Thomas, Tracy: Three Songs for Voice and Marimba Table 2.17 Thomas, Tracy: Three Songs for Voice and Marimba

Composer Thomas, Tracy

Title Three Songs for Voice and Marimba

Publisher Keyboard Percussion Publications

Date 2010

# of Movements 3 Movements 1. ”We Wear the Mask” 2. “A Litany” 3. “Lead, Kindly Light”


Vocal Range C4 - Bb5 (Optional D6)


5 Octave; C2 - C6



Text by Paul Laurence Dunbar, Phineas Fletcher, John H. Newman


Tracy Thomas resides in Troy, Missouri. He serves on the music faculty at

Missouri Western State University, where he is an active music educator in Troy.

In 2010, Thomas received his doctoral degree from the University of Kansas.

Musical and Composer Information

Three Songs for Voice and Marimba is a three-movement work which

requires advanced four-mallet techniques. The first movement text was written

by Paul Laurence Dunbar. The marimba parts include polyrhythms as well as

sticking suggestions from the composer. The carefully placed double vertical

strokes shape the emphasis within the musical lines of the marimba. The second


35

movement is entitled “Litany” and is based on the text by Phineas Fletcher.

Advanced four-mallet roll techniques and combination stroke types are used

throughout the second movement. The third movement is entitled “Lead, Kindly

Light.” The text is written by John H. Newman. Tenuto markings are present

above the notes on the downbeat for the marimbist, and dictate that those notes

are melody and should have more weight. There are flourishing marimba lines

that push to the end to give a finality to the piece.

Duets Categorized by Theoretical Qualities Andreatta, Drew: Six Italian Arias Arranged for Marimba and Soprano

Table 2.18 Andreatta, Drew: Six Italian Arias Arranged for Marimba and Soprano Composer Andreatta, Drew

Title Six Italian Arias Arranged for Marimba and Soprano


Date 2018

# of Movements 6 Movements 1. “Amarilli, mia bella” 2. “Caro mio ben” 3. “Maria, dolce Maria” 4. “Nina” 5. “O del mio dolce ardor” 6. “Come raggio di sol”


Vocal Range C4 - G5


5 Octave; C2 - B5

Duration Mvt 1: 2-3min Mvt 2: 2 min Mvt 3: 3 min Mvt 4: 4 min Mvt 5: 2-3min Mvt 6: 2 min


This collection is dedicated to Gary and Kirsten Cook.


36


Drew Andreatta serves on the adjunct faculty at Baldwin Wallace

University in Northeast Ohio. He graduated with a Doctor of Musical Arts Degree

from the University of Arizona under Professor Gary Cook. He holds a Master of

Music degree from the University of Nevada at Las Vegas, as well as a Bachelor of

Music degree from the University of Kentucky. Andreatta was a featured

marimba soloist at Scotland’s 2016 “Sound Festival of New Music.”24


Six Italian Arias Arranged for Marimba and Soprano is a collection of pieces

where the original piano accompaniment has been adapted to fit the five-octave

marimba. All six of these arias have been chosen from a collection of vocal

literature entitled 24 Italian Art Songs and Arias from the 17th and 18th Centuries.

Each aria serves as a piece within itself. Furthermore, the difficulty level for each

movement is not sequential or progressive in nature. The compositional style

differs between each movement from multi-textural contrapuntal lines between

the top two mallet voicings to blocked and/or arpeggiated quartal harmony.

24Drew, Andreatta, Six Italian Arias Arranged for Marimba and Soprano,

Per-Mus Publications, 2018.


37

Joest, Kevin: Twin Compasses

Table 2.19 Joest, Kevin: Twin Compasses Composer Joest, Kevin

Title Twin Compasses


Date 2010



Vocal Range C4 - A5


3 Octaves: F3-E6

Duration 4:09

Recordings Online Link at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BDAbGpcCiuo


Composer and performer Kevin Joest resides in New York City. He holds a

Bachelor of Music degree in music theory and composition from Middle

Tennessee State University. He studied with Lalo Davila, Julie Davila, Andy Smith,

Jason Tiemann, Michael Linton, and Paul Osterfield.


Twin Compasses is a lullaby setting of a portion of the text of John Donne’s

poem “A Valediction Forbidding Mourning.” The inspiration of this piece was the

lullaby, and the text was set over the top of the music. Vibraphone pedal

markings are available throughout the entire piece, and special considerations

must be made concerning proper stickings. Combination stroke types are

required to play this piece.


38

CHAPTER III

CONCLUSION

The performance of duet works is an opportunity to improve

musicianship within a chamber ensemble setting. The careful entrances and

releases, as well as the crafted musical lines are both the challenge and

inspiration to great duet performances. The pieces researched within this

document are of a wide variety and provide multiple opportunities to challenge

the performer within a chamber music setting. Through the research of specific

publishing websites and major distributor websites, the author found over one

hundred pieces with the instrumentation of soprano voice and any combination

of percussion, and out of those, nineteen are duets for soprano voice and

marimba and/or vibraphone. Each of the nineteen pieces have been reviewed,

alphabetized by composer, and all specific information for each piece has been

notated on individual rubrics designed by the author.

After researching and focusing on the nineteen duets found, the author

discovered three categories for which each piece fit: secular poetry texts, sacred

texts, and theoretical qualities. Fifteen of the nineteen duets contained texts

inspired by poetry, and of those fifteen, two of them were specifically Japanese

Haiku poetry. Out of the nineteen, eight of the duets contain sacred text, and

finally, two pieces were categorized by their theoretical forms: the Italian Aria

and a lullaby.


39

Additionally, an unexpected finding while comparing works was the

discovery of a vast spectrum of musical styles within the same genre of duets for

soprano voice and marimba and/or vibraphone. Some pieces were highly

classical with roots in functional harmony that date back to the seventeenth

century. Other pieces were written by late twentieth-century composers, such as

Milton Babbitt, and the musical style was more contemporary and quite different

from Baroque era harmonies. Other compositional techniques resultant of the

author’s research were the roles that each member of the duo played, when

compared from piece to piece. Fifteen of the nineteen duets were of balanced

writing where each member of the duo had substantial parts and these pieces

were considered “true duets.” Four of the nineteen duets feature the soprano

more as a soloist with marimba or vibraphone accompaniment. Finally, Lanterns

and Candlelight by Barney Childs was the only piece to feature the marimbist as a

soloist with soprano voice as accompaniment.

An important factor to note, five of the nineteen duets were the result of

commissions for various reasons, primarily showing a significant interest in the

genre and ultimately adding pieces to a genre that has grown over time. Of the

nineteen duets, one was published in the 1960s, one in the 1970s, two in the

1980s, six in the 1990s, and nine after the year 2000. Finally, of all nineteen

duets, there were nine with soprano and marimba instrumentation, nine with

soprano and vibraphone instrumentation, and one piece that was soprano with

marimba and vibraphone.


40

Implications for Further Research

The author believes this study is a snapshot or small footprint of the larger

instrumentation combination of voice and percussion. Of the one hundred pieces

compiled as a result of the author’s initial research, the largest percentage of

pieces consisted of thirty-three pieces with mixed instrumentation (i.e. strings,

winds, piano, and percussion). The second-largest instrumentation was that of

soprano and non-pitched percussion. The author would like to see a complete

annotated bibliography of these instrumentations from the remaining pieces not

included in this document. Other areas of research could expand from soprano

voice into other voice parts such as alto, tenor, or bass. Additionally, a document

written from a vocalist’s perspective would compliment this document well by

adding performance considerations as they pertain to the vocal part for each

duet. Because this genre seems to be growing, reviews and research could

expand into including pieces that were commissioned for this instrument

combination, yet not published by major United States publishers. The author

believes such research, when paired with this document, will provide a valuable

resource for anyone seeking music that combines voice and percussion.


41

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http://www.classicfm.com/composers/mozart


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APPENDIX A

LIST OF PUBLISHED DUETS Instrumentation Title Composer Publisher Date Soprano and Marimba

Three Subtropical Vistas

Adams, Daniel C. Alan Publications

1991

Soprano and Marimba

Six Italian Arias Arranged for Marimba and Soprano

Andreatta, Drew Per-Mus Publications

2018

Soprano and Vibraphone

A Waltzer in the House

Babbitt, Milton Peters Publishing, New York

2003

Soprano and Marimba

El Shaddai Beall, Andrew Bachovich Music Publications

2006

Soprano and Marimba

Song of ‘Almah Beall, Andrew Bachovich Music Publications

2006

Soprano and Marimba

Firefly Hunt Becker, Bob Found on SteveWeiss

1967

Soprano and Marimba

Two Songs for Voice and Marimba

Bolton, Calvin Per-Mus Publications

1989


Morning Star Carlsen, Philip C. Alan Publications

1993


Without a Trail to Lace

Chan, Alan HoneyRock Publications

2008

Soprano and Marimba

Lanterns and Candlelight

Childs, Barney Smith Publications

1976

Mezzo-Soprano and Marimba

Five Songs for Voice and Marimba

Glassock, Lynn C. Alan Publications

1994


Come Away Goodenberger, Mark

HoneyRock Publications

1997


Twin Compasses

Joest, Kevin

C. Alan Publications

2010

Mezzo-Soprano and Vibraphone

Missa Brevis Jones, Brett HoneyRock Publications

2003

Mezzo-Soprano and Marimba

Dona Eis Requiem

Roberts, Bruce C. Alan Publications

1994


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Visions of the Glory of God

Saul, Walter B. HoneyRock Publications

1997


Journey Past the Unicorn

Stamp, Jack Per-Mus Publications

1989

Soprano and Marimba

Three Songs for Voice and Marimba

Thomas, Tracy Keyboard Percussion Publications

2010


Four Bashō Haiku

Vidales, Jorge HoneyRock Publications

2008


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APPENDIX B

LIST OF UNPUBLISHED AND SELF-PUBLISHED DUETS Soprano and Marimba

Da Boo Adolphe, Bruce Self-published

Soprano and Marimba

Song of the Seashore Albert, Ludwig Self-published

Soprano and Marimba

Penseroso Bauer, Rod Commissioned by Aurora Borealis Duo

Soprano and Marimba

Chove en Santiago Fusco, Raphael Commissioned by Aurora Borealis Duo

Soprano and Marimba

Three Songs for Soprano and Marimba

Gianopoulos, George

Commissioned by Aurora Borealis Duo

Soprano and Marimba

...And the Lillies Revived

Harvey, William Commissioned by Aurora Borealis Duo

Soprano and Marimba

Love After Love Leon, Tania Commissioned by Aurora Borealis Duo

Marimba or Vibraphone and Soprano

Memories Rosauro, Ney Ney Rosauro

Marimba and Soprano

A Song (Cobalt Blue) Rosauro, Ney and Abe, Keiko

Ney Rosauro

Soprano and Marimba

Three Songs of Carl Sandburg

Russell, Richard Commissioned by Aurora Borealis Duo

Soprano and Marimba

Songs of the Wildflower

Smith, Paul Commissioned by Aurora Borealis Duo

Soprano and Marimba

Incantation Solook, Stephen Commissioned by Aurora Borealis Duo


Puppy and I Spivack, Larry Self-Published

Copyright 2019, Jeremy David Isley

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Transcript of Copyright 2019, Jeremy David Isley