CC'd

A fascinating exercise in counterpoint and mixed-meter, CC'd is a marimba trio that also includes 3 optional percussion parts to further add to the unique textures in the keyboards.

Program Notes

The concept of intertextuality is used to suggest that all composers are directly or indirectly influenced by the music they have studied, performed, and heard. Each is simply creating a conglomerate copy of all the music to which they have been exposed. Since virtually every music student at some point studies the concepts of species counterpoint, and many pieces (elementary to advanced) use the musical device of a canon, it could be argued that those two elements are, to some extent, inherently present in every composition. In this chamber work for three players on one marimba plus optional hand percussion trio, those two compositional devices are used almost exclusively.

The piece opens with a statement of the cantus firmus in one voice over which is layered a first (1:1), then second species (2:1) counterpoint in the the other parts. A mixed-meter groove briefly emerges utilizing these counterpoints as the mode begins to alternate between aeolian and dorian. The strict counterpoint structure is gradually relaxed, two new counter-melodies are introduced in a more stable dance, and the second species counterpoint becomes a new cantus melody upon which the canon portion of this work may be built. After extended interplay of these various ideas, the composition gradually returns to its original counterpoint and concludes as it began, with a final statement of the cantus and counterpoint, before fading away.

Grade Level: 3
Number of Players: 3-6
Duration: 4:50

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Sample PDF

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Instrumentation

Marimba 1 (4-octave)*
Marimba 2 (4-octave)*
Marimba 3 (5-octave)*
*All three Marimba parts may share one 5.0-octave instrument

Optional Percussion 1 (Egg Shaker, Congas)
Optional Percussion 2 (Triangle, Tambourine)
Optional Percussion 3 (Bongos)