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Like a Burden Too Heavy (Download)
... like a burden too heavy is a marimba solo by composer/percussionist Brian Blume. It’s written to reflect the struggles and limitations we face in conjunction with the “human condition.” There is a heaviness and sadness in Blume’s harmonic treatments which flow seamlessly to create a lyrical work that stands on its own regardless of the fact that it was written for marimba.
This piece is both musical and heartfelt and it provides a great training ground for developing intermediate players to refine their 4-mallet technique. While it’s written for for a 4.3-octave (low A) marimba, it includes additions or alterations for players using a larger, 4.6-octave (low E) marimba.
…like a burden too heavy also makes a great prelude to Blume’s Unforced Rhythms, for solo marimba with foot shaker.
Audio/Video Performances by Brian Blume.
Use of this product is governed by the license terms outlined here.
For students bridging the gap from intermediate to advanced literature, the octave interval is often a challenge. This composition, approximately three minutes and 30 seconds in duration, would be a suitable choice to introduce that challenge. Using a moderate tempo throughout, this piece does not use any double lateral strokes and has a high volume of intervals of a fifth and smaller. Only executed as right-hand double vertical strokes, Brian Blume limits the octave interval occurrences to seven of the 70 measures in this work.
Portraying a contemplative quality for a majority of the piece, this would be an appropriate selection for a young collegiate marimbist. Tapspace editors suggest that this would serve as a complementary prelude to Blume’s “Unforced Rhythms,” which I had reviewed in the July 2012 issue of Percussive Notes. I agree that this pairing would make an excellent combination to include on a recital.
–Darin Olson
Percussive Notes
Vol. 51, No. 3, May 2013
... like a burden too heavy is a marimba solo by composer/percussionist Brian Blume. It’s written to reflect the struggles and limitations we face in conjunction with the “human condition.” There is a heaviness and sadness in Blume’s harmonic treatments which flow seamlessly to create a lyrical work that stands on its own regardless of the fact that it was written for marimba.
This piece is both musical and heartfelt and it provides a great training ground for developing intermediate players to refine their 4-mallet technique. While it’s written for for a 4.3-octave (low A) marimba, it includes additions or alterations for players using a larger, 4.6-octave (low E) marimba.
…like a burden too heavy also makes a great prelude to Blume’s Unforced Rhythms, for solo marimba with foot shaker.
Audio/Video Performances by Brian Blume.
Use of this product is governed by the license terms outlined here.
For students bridging the gap from intermediate to advanced literature, the octave interval is often a challenge. This composition, approximately three minutes and 30 seconds in duration, would be a suitable choice to introduce that challenge. Using a moderate tempo throughout, this piece does not use any double lateral strokes and has a high volume of intervals of a fifth and smaller. Only executed as right-hand double vertical strokes, Brian Blume limits the octave interval occurrences to seven of the 70 measures in this work.
Portraying a contemplative quality for a majority of the piece, this would be an appropriate selection for a young collegiate marimbist. Tapspace editors suggest that this would serve as a complementary prelude to Blume’s “Unforced Rhythms,” which I had reviewed in the July 2012 issue of Percussive Notes. I agree that this pairing would make an excellent combination to include on a recital.
–Darin Olson
Percussive Notes
Vol. 51, No. 3, May 2013
