Hunt, The (percussion ensemble)

Marimba Feature

A Fantasy for Marimba and Percussion Orchestra. The work contains a number of common percussion instruments such as the mallet instruments, drums, and cymbals, but also a number of atypical instruments including: log drum, thunder sheets, octobans, rain stick, and many other metal and wood sounds. Two main themes emphasize the awesomeness of nature and the drama of the hunt.

Program Notes

The Hunt, composed for marimbist Brenton Dunnington, was completed in July 2004. The work is a Fantasy for Marimba and Percussion Orchestra. The ‘percussion orchestra’ consists of a percussion ensemble with 8 performers. The instrumentation of the ensemble is rather large, encapsulating the many sounds of nature. The work contains a number of common percussion instruments such as the mallet instruments, drums, and cymbals, but also a number of atypical instruments including: log drum, thunder sheets, octobans, rain stick, and many other metal and wood sounds.

Taylor captures two main themes throughout the free formed, rhapsodizing work. The Fantasy opens with a chorale in B flat minor played by the solo marimbist and several of the other mallet players. This chorale expresses Taylor’s awe of nature. As the chorale hymn fades away into the distance, an ominous foreshadowing of the hunt ensues.

The second theme is the actual hunt that occurs in the wild. This fast, intense music based around the octatonic scale in many tonalities reflects the danger and carnage that exists, not just among animals, but the elements as well. Throughout this virtuoso section, there are film-like visualization of the ‘hunter’ pursuing the unknowing ‘hunted’. After a vivid interplay and final battle into a dramatic climax, an extensive fortissimo gong hit signals an end to the hunt.

After a brief ensemble and virtuoso marimba cadenza depicting the hunt’s afterthoughts, the opening hymn is brought back, this time in E flat minor, which again restates an emotional response to the hunt. The final coda, while similar in tempo to the hunting music, has no violent tendencies. It is a noble and majestic conclusion with a feeling of hope ending in an exciting flourish in E flat major. This creates a musical rebirth that allows the listener to leave the piece with a similar feeling of respect and admiration of nature that Taylor possesses. It also leaves the actual result of the hunt open-ended. Did the ‘hunter’ triumph or did the ‘hunted’ escape?

Grade Level: 4
Copyright: 2005
Number of Players: 8 + Solo Marimba
Duration: 13:20

Listen to Recordings

Sample PDF

Instrumentation

Solo Marimba (5-octave)

Percussion 1 (marimba 5 octaves, bass drum)
Percussion 2 (marimba 4.3 octaves, congas, suspended cymbal)
Percussion 3 (vibes, thunder sheet, tam-tam, suspended cymbal)
Percussion 4 (bells, crotales, chimes, bass drum, marimba 5 octaves, thunder sheet, rain stick)
Percussion 5 (wind chimes, suspended cymbal, octo-bans (x8), splash cymbal, kick bass, bongos, snare drum)
Percussion 6 (bass drum, tam-tam, suspended cymbal, splash cymbal, snare drum, 4 tom-toms, congas, log drum, thunder sheet, talking drum, China cymbal)
Percussion 7 (tam-tam, suspended cymbal, China cymbal, bass drum, snare drum, 4 tom-toms, rain stick)
Timpani (5 drums)