Author: Jacob Druckman
Title: Reflections on the Nature of Water
Difficulty: Advanced to Very Advanced
Description: Composed in 1986, this piece for solo marimba has become standard repertoire for recitals, high level auditions, and international contests. It is one of the few successful marimba pieces composed by a non-marimbist. “Reflections” consists of six movements (I. Crystalline, II. Fleet, III. Tranquil, IV. Gently Swelling, V. Profound and VI. Relentless), which can be performed in any combination, or separately. Some of the movements are metered, while others provide only a guideline, leaving the exact rhythms and articulations up to the performer. All of the movements are under 4 minutes in length.
Annotated by Ethan Pani
Program Note by Samuel Solomon
Reflections on the Nature of Water is an exploration of water in the abstract. Its six distinctly different movements (I. Crystalline, II. Fleet, III. Tranquil, IV. Gently Swelling, V. Profound and VI. Relentless) consider the physical (the sound, touch, taste, and look of water, ice, and steam) and the conceptual (the role of water as we know it in nature, in our urban lives, and in ourselves).