Six Marimbas (1973/1986)

A version of Six Pianos for six marimbas. Three percussionists execute different melodic patterns in an eight-beat rhythm. The remaining musicians play the same material in phase shift. The work is comprised of three movements, divided up by clear changes of tonal center – in the piano version, the slow first movement is maintained in the key of D major; the second, in a Greek Doric scale; the third, in the key of B minor. The marimba version has the same structure; the whole piece, however, has been transposed down half a step.