2x2

Item details

• Description +

  • Duration: 7 min.
    
    For more information please contact the Publishing House.

• Instrumentation +

  • Percussion Quartet:
    
    2 Marimbas (shared with four people)

• About the composer +

  • Taiki Nishihara (b.1968) began to play percussion since 1982. He then studied percussion and marimba at the Senzoku Gakuen college of music in Japan with Prof. Tomoyuki Okada from 1988 to 1992. Subsequently he participated as a member of the Percussion Ensemble OKADA of Japan. This resulted in concerts in 1992, 1998 & 2002 T.I.P.C (Taiwan International percussion Convention). He successively holds a teaching at Tokyo metroporitan Izumi high school.

• Reviews +

  • Review (Percussive Notes, July (60) 2012)

    Reminiscent of the energy and excitement of “Hook” by Graham Fitkin, this marimba quartet is filled with interlocking sixteenth notes, block chord punctuations, and a palatable groove. With the exception of the last ten measures of four-note chords from two of the players, most of the piece can be effectively performed with two mallets.

    After a powerful opening of block eighth notes from all performers, the piece begins a conversation of sorts with two players performing a continuous sixteenth-note melodic line that is peppered with occasional accents. The character of this line shifts to a syncopated eighth-note section, which signals the conversational trade-o# to the other two marimbists. After this second section, the remainder of the piece showcases all four players with equal contribution of melody, harmony, and groove.

    While there are scattered moments of repetition that is indicative of dance-like music of this vein, the overall character of this six-minute work is varied enough to hold the interest of even an experienced and informed percussion ensemble enthusiast. The accessible style and mood even lends itself to the addition of rhythm instruments for university groups looking to spice up their concerts with an audience grabbing opening selection.

    —Joshua D. Smith

• Credits +

  • Front cover graphics and layout: Ronni Kot Wenzell
    Performing artists: Percurama
    Copyright © Edition Svitzer 
    Printed in Copenhagen, Denmark

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