Ghost Music

Ghost Music has many influences: from transcription played on the marimba to historical repertory, to works by some of the best contemporary composers. The vocabulary ranges from atonal to the tonal language, and there is a lot of rhythmic adventure as well as color and dynamic variances. I have also incorporated numerous techniques that have become common to the instrument in the past 40 years. The marimba has both a worldly and other-worldly character, and so the title Ghost Music fueled my imagination to create music that is transparent, flighty and sometimes haunting. The rolled or tremolo sections provide a texture that not only sustain pitch(es) on the instruments but also creates emotional suspense. The versatility of the marimba can provide the option of writing in diverse musical styles too,​ which you will hear throughout this piece. Ghost Music has five movements that provide for an overall balanced form. The first movement (Gliding​ smoothly) is introductory in nature and gives a sample of the music to be explored in other movements of the composition. The second and fourth movements are parallel, each having a distinct two-part construction; the second movement (Phantom winds) starts gently and progresses to “a light breeze;” and the fourth movement (To move unseen) is slow, sustained, and quiet, providing a contrast to the other four movements. Movement three (Sudden apparitions) is erratic and unpredictable, and the fifth and last movement (Echoes and whispers) is a ‘tour de force,’ displaying the full range of the instrument and virtuosity of the performer. Ghost Music was composed especially for marimbist, Matthew Coley. ~ D.C.