Program Notes

Daniel McCarthy's Concerto for Marimba, Percussion and Synthesizers was commissioned by the Louisiana State University School of Music for a performance with the LSU Percussion Ensemble and the American marimbist Michael Burritt at the Percussive Arts Society International Convention in New Orleans in 1992. The work is published by C. Alan Publications and has been recorded by Burritt on two compact discs, McCarthy: Electro-Acoustic and Shadow Chasers. Music Connoisseur Magazine said in a recent review that the concerto "may well be a jazz masterwork for the Nineties." The growing popularity of the concerto is demonstrated by numerous performances since its publication, including Day of Percussion concerts in Alabama, Arizona, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, New York, Ohio and Oklahoma.

In a recent Percussive Notes Journal interview, McCarthy said the following about the concerto: "This is a highly virtuosic composition. The intent of the work is to combine state-of-the-art four-mallet marimba technique with electronics and live performers in a highly synchronized electro-acoustic ensemble. I wanted this piece to be identified as much by harmonic language as rhythmic animation. That is why there are two additional mallet players within the ensemble. The rhythmic accuracy of the computer can excite the performers; it is the metronome that drives the performance. Although the electronic accompaniment occupies an important role in the ensemble, I am more interested in the acoustic sounds.... It was my intention to unify the acoustic and electronic sounds (a process I call 'masking') in such a way that the acoustic element prevails."

Return to Darrell's Web Page