Unseen Visions (Mallet Quartet)

Instrumentation:

• 3 Marimbas
• Player 3 requires 5-octave marimba.
• Player 2 needs at least a 4.5-octave, but a 4.3-octave would work due to only one note being out of range.
• Player 1 fits within a 4 octave marimba.
• Vibraphone (with mallets and bows)
• Kick Drum
• Cymbal (suspended) with triangle beater
• High, Medium, and Low Woodblocks (Jam Blocks are acceptable)

Unseen Visions is a mallet quartet piece composed by Christopher Mesa. This piece draws influence from the minimalist style. Harmonically, this piece is composed almost entirely on a suspended second chord with an added sharp 11th (or sharp 4th), which is transposed throughout to create variety. Rhythmically, syncopation plays a driving role in this piece, featuring 4:3 polyrhythms, offbeat phrasing, interlocking rhythms, and accented rhythmic displacement between performers. Additionally, I incorporated percussion techniques such as paradiddle sticking on mallet instruments, bowed vibraphone, playing with the wooden handles of the sticks, and dead strokes on the marimba. Instead of presenting a conventional melody, the piece is built around short motifs and relies heavily on rhythm to shape the intended musical soundscape.

© 2024 by Christopher Mesa. All Rights Reserved.