by Kylle Strunk
4 players
Instrumentation: 2 marimbas—low C*
*This piece can be performed with one low C marimba for players 2 & 4, and one low F marimba for players 1 & 3, with minimal substitutions.
Oaxacan (”Wah-HA-ken”) Fantasy is a lively and colorful work for marimba quartet inspired by the music of Oaxaca, Mexico. It utilizes simple harmonies, mostly based on the pentatonic scale, in order to capture the essence of Oaxacan musical culture. These simple harmonies are set to complex rhythms and time signatures, making it engaging for the audience and challenging for the performers. It is played by four players on two marimbas with each player using four mallets.
This piece was written for the Portland Percussion Group’s 2015-2016 “Call for Scores.” It took second place in the competition and received it’s premiere on June 22nd, 2016, in Portland, Oregon.
Oaxacan Fantasy comes with a full, bound score and includes a CD-Rom containing an audio recording and all individual parts available for printing..
