Tales for Vibraphone Vol. 4
Composer: Max Leth (arr.)
Instrument: Vibraphone and Marimba
Level: Intermediate/Advanced
Published: 2016
Price: €27.00
Item details
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Description +
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Arranged by Mex Leth
Duration: 15 min.
Index:
Nola
I can see in your eyes
Deep in the Peaceful Wood
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Instrumentation +
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Vibraphone and Marimba
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Watch+
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Performed by Philipp Möllgaard, marimba & Henrik Cornelius, vibraphone
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About the composer +
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Max Seide Leth was born into a musical family in 1921. In 1938, Max entered The Royal Danish Academy of music as a pianist and consequently earned his Soloist's Diploma.
In the years to follow, he played with numerous well-known artists from Denmark and elsewhere, and he established a name for himself in the jazz world. In addition, he appeared frequently in numerous Radio & TV programs for a period of more than 15 years. Max Seide Leth's life was changed forever one evening at a job where the venue had no piano for him to play. They offered him an old Vibraphone instead. Max was not comfortable with this, but after some deliberation he decided to perform the concert on the Vibraphone – with success!
As time went on, he developed his own special way of learning the instrument, and became so taken with it that he often chose the Vibraphone over the piano for his performances. This led to a position as percussion teacher at the Royal Danish Academy of Music from 1984 to 1993.
Max Seide Leth is also recognised as a composer and as a brilliant arranger. His arrangements have been performed all over the world by some of the best percussionists.
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Reviews +
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Review (Percussive Notes, June 2020)
Tales for Vibraphone Vol. 4 is an excellent addition to the marimba/vibraphone duo repertoire. The collection comes with three pieces for vibraphone and marimba. It should be noted that the entirety of the marimba part can be played on a 4.3-octave instrument aside from one low G2 that can easily be transposed if necessary.
The three pieces or tales—“Nola,” “I can see in your eyes,” and “Deep in the Peaceful Wood”—are a well thought out and contrasting collection. “Nola,” composed by Felix Arndt in 1915, is energetic and sweeping in quality. Long melodic passages and phrases make up the bulk of this beautifully composed work. “I can see in your eyes,” is a slower, harmonically rich piece that highlight’s Leth’s mastery of harmony and phrase construction. “Deep in the Peaceful Wood” is a slow but rhythmically dense work that again showcases the composer’s harmonic language.
These works require performers to have a solid grasp of small chamber-music making and a sense of phrasing over long passages. They should also have a smooth technical approach to their instrument, as each piece is full of sweeping gestures that are indicative of Max Seide Leth’s compositional style and technique.
I highly recommend Tales for Vibraphone Vol. 4. It is a masterclass in harmonic structure and sweeping melodic phrases. It would be perfect for any collegiate or professional duo looking for repertoire that has both depth and audience accessibility.
—Joe Millea
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Credits +
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Front cover graphics and layout: Ronni Kot Wenzell
Editor: Henrik Cornelius Hansen
Translation: James Howard Young
Printed in Copenhagen, Denmark
Copyright © Edition Svitzer
www.editionsvitzer.com
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