The title Iwa Ni comes from a poem by 17th-century Japanese poet Matsuo Bashō, which the flutist whispers in the last section of the piece. By itself, iwa ni means something like “into the rock”. Bashō wrote the poem at the mountain temple of Risshaku-ji, as part of his 1,500-mile journey around northern Japan. Continue reading
Tag Archives: solo
Tuesday Evening Commute
for solo marimba (4½–octave)
This piece begins with the slam of a door as a city-dweller leaves work one Tuesday night. The momentum that propels him along his familiar route is interrupted a few times: by a surprising sight on the street, by a collision with a fellow pedestrian, and by a daydream on the train. As the commuter nears home his mood lightens, his pace quickens, and the last thing we hear is the slam of his own door as he disappears inside.
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