This composition written for two marimbas musically depicts three different winter impressions.

“Changing Faces Of The Water: Fluid And Frozen” is the title of the first movement. The passages expressing “fluidity” utilize fast triplets and chords on both instruments. This part is being contrasted by a “frozen” theme in which pauses, interruptions, and the use of dead strokes play an important role. Both themes are subsequently getting shorter and toward the end of the movement they both are being played together.

The second movement depicts “A Landscape With Ice-Trees.” At the beginning, rubati and a rolled theme create the impression of endlessly wide spaces. Later, a second theme and a reinstrumentation of the first theme add the association of a few ice-trees which seem to be a bit lost in the wide spaces of this landscape.

While listening to the third movement, you might experience a “Blizzard.” After a short, introductory passage with tone repetitions, the snowflakes are being hurled around wildly. Player 1 plays the main theme first, followed by Player 2, who plays it in a lower register. After a short middle part with some rubato passages at the end, the theme reoccurs, played on both marimbas simultaneously. A shortened version of the opening passage finishes this movement, and the whole composition.

Instrumentation:

One 4.3 Marimba, One 4.5 Marimba