Prologue to Neither Here nor There

Item details

• Description +

  • Preface
    
    Prologue to Neither Here nor There is primarily an exploration of different musical textures possible with only two mallets on the marimba, and a reflection of what is only playable and meaningful with two mallets but not the standard four. Written with the help of Simon Halvarsson.
    
    Supported by the Stellar Composer Competition 2021.

• Instrumentation +

  • Marimba

• Watch+

  • Performed by Simon Halvarsson
    
    

• About the composer +

  • Joshua Wat is a composer from Hong Kong, active in Sweden. He has composed for orchestra, choir, various ensembles and solo instruments, as well as electronics. He has worked with ensembles like Norrköping Symphony Orchestra and Gageego!. He has won the Stellar Composition Competition with his Prologue to Neither Here nor There for solo marimba. His piano quintet Souvenir of Fallen Grace was a finalist entry in the O/Modernt Composition Award in Sweden. His viola quartet Vanity of Repetition was also selected to be performed at a concert by the Dutch Viola Society. Earlier this year he has been accepted into the Swedish Society of Composers (Föreningen svenska tonsättare). Joshua studied music composition at a master’s level at the Academy of Music and Drama, University of Gothenburg in Sweden. He was the recipient of the Stena Stiftelsen scholarship and the Stiftelsen Otto och Charlotte Mannheimer scholarship. He graduated with a bachelor’s degree of Music from Hong Kong Baptist University with a focus on music composition courses. In and out of university, he has studied composition and music theory with composers including Malin Bång, Ole Lützow-Holm, Alain Chiu Long Tin, Mike McFerron and Christopher Keyes.

• Reviews +

  • Review (Percussive Notes, June 2022)
    
    In composing “Prologue to Neither Here nor There,” Joshua Wat has created a fantastic contribution to two-mallet marimba repertoire. The piece was written as “an exploration of different musical textures possible with only two mallets on the marimba, and a reflection of what is only playable and meaningful with two mallets.” Wat has done this beautifully, and created an intriguing and original contribution to the repertoire.
    
    Opening with single-pitch lines that rhythmically accelerate then decelerate, Wat begins to crossfade these lines into one another as the intervals between the lines increase, exploring more of the keyboard. This idea of two separate things coexisting is a main theme of the work, with a later section revolving around a broken 4-against-3 polyrhythm. The use of interesting harmonic and melodic content helps to make fresh what has become standard fare for percussionists.
    
    There are a number of challenging aspects to this work — from the navigation of the separate lines and polyrhythms to the wide intervals that will be challenging from an accuracy standpoint. Those who take up the challenge will find an original work with musical depth and character that is sure to be pleasing for both listener and performer. At almost five minutes in length, “Prologue to Neither Here nor There” would be appropriate for any university-level or professional recital.
    
    —Brian Nozny

• Credits +

  • Front Cover graphics and layout: Nicola Lee
    Photo: Charlie Chan
    Engraving: CPH Engraving
    Printed in Copenhagen, Denmark
    Copyright © Edition SVITZER
    www.editionsvitzer.com

Related publications

Prologue & Essence