Full Score
Piano Reduction
Solo Vibraphone

Piccolo/Flute III
Flute I-II
Oboe I-II
Oboe III/English Horn
Bassoon I-II
Bassoon III/Contrabassoon
B-flat Clarinet I-II-III
B-flat Bass Clarinet
B-flat Soprano Saxophone
E-flat Alto Saxophone
B-flat Tenor Saxophone
E-flat Baritone Saxophone

B-flat Trumpet I-II-III-IV-V
Horn in F I-II-III-IV
Trombone I-II
Bass Trombone
Euphonium
Tuba

String Bass
Piano

Timpani
Percussion I-II-III-IV, including:

Agogo Bells, Bass Drum, Bodhrán, Brake Drum, Castanets, Chimes, Crotales, Finger Cymbals, Glockenspiel, Hi-Hat, Maracas, Marimba, Matraca, Prayer Bowl, Rainstick, Ratchet, Sandpaper Blocks, Shakers, Snare Drum, Splash Cymbal, Surdo (Primeira and Segunda), Suspended Cymbals (2), Tambourine, Tam-Tam, Timbales, Triangle, Vibraphone, Whip, Wood Block (small and large), Xylophone

I – Distant and Ancient Fanfares
Interlude I - Imaginary Antarctic Bird Songs: Homage to Vaughan Williams
II – Dreamscape Variations
Interlude II - Meditation: Homage to Hovhaness
III – Toccata a la Samba

Concertos for vibraphone are rare. Even educated percussionists are at a loss to name more than three. With this concerto, it was my intent to highlight this underutilized instrument in a soloistic capacity in a substantial piece. Cast in three large movements, separated by two brief percussion interludes, the piece serves as vehicle to showcase the vibraphone’s assets -- symmetric range, pedal, vibrato, pitch bend, bowing, and other timbral effects -- in an accessible, yet challenging, work.

“Distant and Ancient Fanfares” is based on a six-note synthetic scale. This movement vacillates between jarring noises, militaristic rhythms, flurries of sound, and dissonant hymns.

“Imaginary Antarctic Bird Songs” is a tribute to Ralph Vaughan Williams, who, in his Sinfonia antartica [sic], wrote one of the earliest exposed parts for vibraphone in the symphonic repertory. The harmonies in the piano are lifted from Vaughan Williams’ vibraphone part and the other percussionists perform a series of bird-like sounds.

“Dreamscape Variations” is a variation set on the material heard in the first two bars of the movement. A shimmering effect -- at first jokingly referred to as “vibraphony” -- is created through a series of homogeneous timbral polyrhythms. These patterns are found throughout the movement, and they create a synthetic “vibraphone ensemble” with each player having a different motor setting.

“Meditation: Homage to Hovhaness” pays tribute to Alan Hovhaness. In his Symphony No. 4, the second movement is a percussion feature in which the percussionist exchanges extended mixed-meter solos that continue through ensemble passages that are in a different tempo and meter. Hovhaness’ polymetric and polytempi ideas have been retained, as well as the extended mixed-meter solo. In further homage, Hovhaness’ name was treated in a modified soggetto cavato process and Morse code provided the rhythmic groupings.

“Toccata a la Samba” shows off the soloist’s agility. The rhythmic construct is the traditional samba patterns found in the national Brazilian dance and their inversions. Two dark jazz scales, Dorian Be-Bop and Phrygian Dominant, provide the melodic and harmonic material. This movement is dark, monolithic, and aggressive.

2009