Anxiety

Item details

Description +
- Duration: 7 min.
  
  Preface
  
  I finished this piece around the beginning of 2020, it is a Marimba solo piece with two movements - Prelude and Encore. This piece is about anxiety, the mood all the people have during their life. Between the two movements Prelude and Encore, I didn’t write any other chapters, because different people have different ways to solve their anxiety, the piece is only talking about the beginning and the end.
Instrumentation +
- Marimba (5-octave)
About the composer +
- Heng LIU is the principal percussion of the China National Centre for the Performing Arts Orchestra, executive director of China Percussion Association, artist of MEINL Percussion, MEINL Cymbals, Innovative Percussion, Marimba One, and Remo.
  
  Liu studied percussion from childhood with his father Yaguang LIU, professor of percussion at Xi 'an Conservatory of Music. In 2005, Liu was admitted to the Central Conservatory of Music. He studied with professor Gang LIU and professor Biao LI successively and obtained bachelor's and master's degrees. By the time he was 18, Liu had won the first prize in the National Youth Percussion Competition. Liu was a percussion jury of the Italian International Percussion Competition, where he also held master classes and special concerts. He also judges the annual International Network Percussion Competition and National Youth Percussion Competition.
  
  Between 2017 to 2019, Liu embarked on his improvisation and interactive percussion concert "Give me one hour" tour. The tour hit many major Chinese cities including Tianqiao Art Center in Beijing, Shanghai Oriental Art Center, Xi 'An concert hall, Shijiazhuang Center for the Performing Arts, etc. Liu performed entirely improvised sets based on interaction with the audience, bringing concertgoers a brand new musical experience. 
  
  So far, Liu has published two albums: Percussion Visionary --Heng LIU Percussion Concert and DRUMS, an original album released by "Hei Chao" Duo with renowned drummer Yanchao LI. He also writes a personal column Heng LIU Said in music weekly.
  
   As a percussionist, Liu has traveled to various music festivals around the world. These include: Italian International Percussion Competition and Festival, Greek International Percussion Competition and Festival, NCPA International Percussion Festival, Beijing International Electronic Music Festival, Beijing Modern Music Festival, Jazz Shanghai Music Festival, Strawberry Music Festival, MIDI Festival and so on.
  
  In the meanwhile, Liu has created more than 30 works, including percussion ensemble piece "The General", "Memory", "Face2Face", percussion and electronic music "Delay", "Percumotion", percussion solo "Rain the Blind Monk", "Wild LEO ", "Poem" and many more. In 2016, his Chinese Traditional Percussion solo piece "Gazing on Mountain TAI" won the 1st prize of China Traditional Music Festival - CCOM ethnic Percussion works collection competition.
  
  In 2019, Heng LIU won "Best Work Awards" and "Best All-round Percussionist" of 2019 Drummmer's Ceremony.
Reviews +
- Review (Percussive Notes, October 2021)
  
  Written to portray the feeling of anxiety, this challenging two-movement work is roughly seven minutes in length. Four-mallet technique is required throughout, and technical demands include one-handed rolls, brisk scalar runs, and fast strings of double-stops that will necessitate a substantial level of endurance.
  
  The first movement, “Prelude,” moves between aggressive phrases of rapid sixteenth-note runs and loud, dense chords, to slower chorale sections. Players will find challenges in the large, quick leaps between chords as well as the sudden changes in character of the work.
  
  The second movement, “Encore,” is marked at a brisk tempo of eighth note equaling 200. Performers will be tasked with navigating several meter changes including 7/16, 9/16, 7/8, and 10/8. This movement is truly meant to be a showcase for the performer, as a majority of “Encore” consists of non-stop activity, particularly the constant sixteenth-note triplets and thirty-second-note runs that permeate a majority of the movement.
  
  Percussionists looking for challenging repertoire might find what they’re looking for in “Anxiety.” This piece would be appropriate for a graduate-level or professional recital.
  
  —Brian Nozny
Credits +
- Front Cover graphics and layout: Ronni Kot Wenzell
  Photo: NCPA Orchestra
  Engraving: Heng LIU
  Printed in Copenhagen, Denmark
  Copyright © Edition SVITZER
  www.editionsvitzer.com

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