Lukas' Lexicon

This short, intermediate solo is packed with great material for the developing marimbist. Francisco Perez writes that the piece was “inspired by my cat Lukas’ wildly contrasting moods… this work challenges the performer to quickly switch between a wide variety of styles and techniques throughout its three main sections.” This piece is written for 4.3-octave marimba but has optional notes for a 5-octave. It can also be found in The Blue Book – Volume 3, a collection of over 40 solos for snare drum, drum set, keyboard, and timpani written by University of Kentucky alumni.

The first section begins with a few measures of rubato playing. These soft, slow sections tend to work well to draw the audience in. The next phrase then sets up the groove of the A section, but at a slower, more reserved tempo. The rest of the A section is rhythmic and fun with four-note chords at the front of nearly every measure followed by a lot of rhythms interlocking between hands. The B section is a ten-measure chorale, followed by the final section, which is a return to A material. There is a lot of great material and contrasting styles packed into about 3½ minutes of music.

I recommend this piece for an advanced high school student or any college marimbist who is ready to explore the idea of formal structure. “Lukas’ Lexicon” would make a great choice for performance in a student class.

—Justin Bunting
Percussive Notes
Vol. 60, No. 2, April 2022