Synopsis

The marimba is a percussion instrument of tuned bars, usually made of wood, arranged like the keys of a piano. These bars are struck with mallets to produce resonate, rounded—and, well, "woody"—musical tones.

The marimba was developed in Mexico and Guatemala, inspired by instruments native to Africa reconstructed in the New World by unfortunate Africans brought over to Central America to work as slaves. By the mid-20th century, the marimba was showing up in jazz ensembles, and classical composers would, on occasion, even write a marimba concerto or two. More recently, massed marimbas make up a sonorous, albeit stationary, component of hyper-kinetic drum and bugle corps spectaculars.

The contemporary American composer Jennifer Higdon loves the sound of the marimba, and so in 2006 wrote a piece for three marimbas, entitled Splendid Wood.

"'Splendid Wood' is a joyous celebration of the sound of wood, one of nature's most basic materials," says Higdon. "Wood is a part of all sorts of things in our world, but is used most thrillingly and gloriously in instruments. This work reflects the evolving patterns inside a piece of wood, always shifting, and yet every part is related and contributes to the magnificent of the whole."

Splendid Wood was commissioned by Bradford and Dorothea Endicott, for Frank Epstein and the New England Conservatory Percussion Ensemble, and had its New York premiere on today's date in 2007, by the Mannes Percussion Ensemble under the direction of James Preiss.

Music Played in Today's Program

Jennifer Higdon (b. 1962) Splendid Wood New England Conservatory Percussion Ensemble Naxos 8.559683