Rainbow

Item details

Description +
- Duration: 3 min.
  
  Written for solo marimba, Rainbow is loosely based on the ‘Theme and Variation’ form. Each variation showcases the expansive sound world of the 5-octave marimba: lush, warm and mellow in the low to middle registers, while the high register exhibits brilliance, brightness and translucency. This piece utilises the different sound qualities of the marimba to depict the beauty, transparency and the vivid colours found in a rainbow.
Instrumentation +
- Marimba (5-octave)
Watch+
- Performed by Da Hae Ahn 안다해
About the composer +
- Indonesian-born Australian percussionist and composer Robert Oetomo (b. 1988) studied his Master of Music (Künstlerische Ausbildung) degree in performance at the Staatliche Hochschule für Musik und Darstellende Kunst Mannheim, where he received highest distinction for his final graduation recital in 2014. He completed his Bachelor of Music (Performance) Honours Class I at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music, Australia in 2010. His previous teachers include Professor Dennis Kuhn, Jasmin Kolberg, Claire Edwardes, Daryl Pratt, Richard Miller and Gary Wain. He has accumulated many national and international awards including third prize in the Vibraphone category of the 9th Percussive Arts Society Italy International Percussion Competition in 2011, the ‘Just Percussion Marimba Prize’ at the Australian Percussion Gathering (APG) 2010, first prize in both the Open Marimba and Open Vibraphone categories of the 2010 Australian Percussion Eisteddfod and second prize at the 2008 Melbourne Symphony Orchestra Snare Drum Award. He also won the 2010 Sydney Conservatorium Percussion Concerto Competition, and was finalist in the 2012 Yamaha Music Foundation Europe Scholarship Competition.
  
  A versatile percussionist, Robert has performed with different orchestras and ensembles including the Australian Opera and Ballet Orchestra, the Württembergisches Kammerorchester Heilbronn, the Kurpfälzischen Kammerorchester Mannheim, the Australian Youth Orchestra, Synergy Percussion and Mannheimer Schlagwerk. He presented his paper, ‘The Transcription of J. S. Bach’s Unaccompanied Cello Suites for the Modern Marimba,’ at APG 2010 Symposium ‘Moving Ground – The Changing Face of Percussion’. Robert was invited to perform his work, The Legend of the Golden Snail, at the Gala Concert of APG 2010, performing with highly acclaimed percussionists including Steve Schick, Sylvio Gualda and Kuniko Kato.
  
  As a composer, Robert passionately advocates the development of percussion music. He has composed numerous works for percussion which have been performed all over the world. His first symphonic work, Spirit of The Dreaming with solo didgeridoo, was premiered at the ‘2008 Aurora Music Festival’ in Sydney, Australia. Later that year, it was performed again with renowned didgeridoo soloist, William Barton. Robert was selected for the 2010 Ku-Ring-Gai Philharmonic Orchestra Composers' Workshop program during which he composed his new orchestral work, Reflections on an Island’s Landscape, under the mentorship of composer Nigel Butterley and John Peterson. His works are published by Edition Svitzer and Tapspace Publications. Robert is an Encore Mallets, Inc. endorser.
Reviews +
- Review (Percussive Notes, March 2013)
  
  The best way to describe this fourmallet marimba solo is safe and palatable. Lasting around three minutes, the solo begins with material that is worked through a quasi-theme and variations model. The melody is quite simple, which allows for great flexibility from the harmonic side of the composition. This harmonic material primarily stays within diatonic options—beginning with major tonic, shifting to relative minor, etc.
  
  From a technical standpoint, this piece will work well for a beginning to medium level four-mallet player. The intervals utilized rarely exceed the width of a fifth, there are no wide arm stretches across the marimba, the overall tempo is moderate, and rhythms are never more complex than running sixteenth notes. While not groundbreaking, this marimba solo has merit in cleverly used harmonic choices and sticking patterns required for performance.
  
  —Joshua D. Smith
Credits +
- Front Cover graphics and layout: Evi O.
  Engraving: Robert Oetomo & Johan Svitzer
  Printed in Copenhagen, Denmark
  Copyright © Edition SVITZER
  www.editionsvitzer.com

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