Sheet Music
Full of colorful harmonies and beautiful melodic passages, Insomnia is a challenging, yet rewarding addition to any percussion recital.
Genre: Duet for 2 Marimbas | # of Players: 2
Level: Medium Difficult | Duration: 6:30
Instrumentation
Marimba 1 (5-octave)
Marimba 2 (5-octave)
Program Notes
Insomnia is a challenging duet consisting of colorful harmonies meant to portray the free and flowing nature of the human spirit. The challenge in performing the piece lies in lining up fast permutations and phrasing a rubato melody that at times is played in tandem with the fast permutations. When executing these musical ideas at a high level, an enjoyable experience is created for the performers and audience. Insomnia was written in dedication to Cody’s late father, Ben Holmes.
Purchase Sheet Music here:
www.c-alanpublications.com/insomnia
Or:
https://www.steveweissmusic.com/product/holmes-insomnia/mallet-duet
Frédéric Chopin said of his Étude Op. 10, No. 3 that he "had never in his life written another such beautiful melody."
Benjamin Holmes brings Chopin's beautiful melody to the world of solo marimba with this cleverly formidable arrangement, Tristesse. Meaning "sadness" in French, Tristesse is a title that was given to Chopin's piece by his contemporary critics, using it to describe the piece's overall sense of melancholy. This arrangement provides several challenges to the brave marimbist. For instance, the melody throughout the work is stated in the right hand, along with an accompanying voice in the same hand. The marimbist must make sure that the melody is clearly stated and separate from the accompaniment within the same hand, a skill that is not often demanded of marimbists. There are also a host of recurring quadruple stops that are constantly shifting harmonically, leaving the audience with an unsettling feeling.
Tristesse ships in a printed, professionally bound folio with a full color cover.
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Combining asymmetrical rhythms with an octatonic melody, Benjamin Holmes’ percussion duet Palm Reader is a brilliantly tempestuous piece that features split rhythms and melodies, requiring the performers to know their own part as well as their partner’s.
Each performer has a set of four differently pitched crotales and a snare drum. They also share a djembe, which adds depth to the overall sound of the piece. With all of these instruments combined, the sound of the pieces cover a wide range of tones and timbres, giving it a full sound. This piece would be a great addition to any junior or senior recital, especially for advanced players looking to showcase their ability to split fast, intricate rhythms!
Palm Reader ships in a printed, professionally bound folio with a full color cover and includes an online download code to access individual parts for printing.
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