Rivers of Rage: mvt i

The RIVERS OF RAGE CONCERTO began as I sat in an airport in January of 2017 vaguely aware of the news that recounted the recent inauguration and follies of the new US president. I think the title might give you a sense of my general sentiment. The first movement that I completed was Turbulence, which is now the second amongst the three. It is for marimba quartet alone. I was inspired by the music of Hindemith and quartet of voices. As I expanded the work, the turbulent water Viñao and wanted to find ways to create textures that seemed more numerous than a and volatile situations idea took hold and became the foundation for the outer movements. Movement I is called Devil’s Throat and is scored for marimba quartet with marimba orchestra. The title references a subterranean river and cave system in Bulgaria, among other things. The imagery of the jagged cave walls and unpredictable elements, along with an off-kilter, quasi-Bulgarian-style festive dance, inspired this movement. And the final movement is called Caustic Erosion. It is scored for marimba quartet with percussion septet. It brings back material from the other movements, colliding it with the force of the percussion ensemble. Despite the bleakness that can be gleaned from such a politically charged piece, there is hope embedded as well. Caustic Erosion quotes Dvorak’s New World Symphony as it opens with a mysterious and haunting chorale. By the end, we find ourselves still clinging to hope and not completely defeated.