2 Concert Pieces for Solo Vibraphone. I) BRAZILIAN LANDSCAPE in a Brazilian Mood. II) REFLECTIONS ON THE NEW WORLD, with themes from Dvorak’s New World Symphony.
excellent concert pieces for low-C vibraphone, these can also to be played on the standard three octave instrument.
I) BRAZILIAN LANDSCAPE is a fantasy that depicts a musical journey through Brazil. Starting with a very soft lento motive, the work presents a lyrical melody in the rhythm of baiao with a long development and increasing tension. After reaching its climax the theme returns with to the same very soft lento motive from the beginning. This work is essentially a transcribed version of an improvisation that I commonly played on concerts for over ten years.
II) REFLECTIONS ON THE NEW WORLD – This piece consists of three variations of the gospel theme from the second movement of Dvorak’s New World Symphony. The overture from the second movement and the theme from the fourth movement of the same symphony are also used throughout the development of the piece. This piece was written for my fiftieth birthday in 2002 and is based on some of my reflections from living in USA after leaving Brazil in 2000.
