At least, this is how that article by Frederick Hodges seems to explain it. It would be like being transported to the past and hear Mozart play with a harsh, careless tone. Therefore, it would be most disillusioning to realize that Joplin never intended to strive for this kind of expression. This is different from the melodies of Chopin, which I feel are much more obviously melancholic, even in a Major key. This is because I feel his piano music, particularly as played by Rifkin or Loeb, has a kind of rare quality - maybe I haven't listened to enough music, but of all the composers I've heard, it's hard for me to think of another composer who has this same trait, except Mozart, who I hauntingly feel shares this kind of "soul" with his music - that is, an elegant and noble melody which is joyous, but, if you listen carefully, also hides some sadness. I want to touch on this because Joplin has always been one of my favorite composers. His surviving opera, and lost other opera, lost piano concerto, and lost symphony, suggest this, as they are genres that seem far-fetched from the common African-American folk music background. While he didn't seem to be fully successful in this, I like to imagine that he wrote his music with this end in mind - to convey serious expression. I've always been under the impression that Scott Joplin always intended to "elevate" the "lowbrow" folk music of his native region to some kind of art music. They both had the same motivation: to write the best quality music they could so that it would appeal to the widest audience and earn them the most money.(v)ery few rags lend themselves to the melancholy and introspective state of mind. Although the book focuses on chorales, its lessons help build the foundation of good technique necessary to progress to more difficult literature of all types.Neither Scott Joplin nor Irving Berlin sat in an ivory tower composing music as a way to express their inner pain. This book is an excellent pedagogical tool to use with beginning students, but it also works well for seasoned players by offering plenty of good material for warm-ups. Useful appendices at the end of the book list characteristics and published examples of level-two literature, as defined by the Performance Level System, along with a glossary. Performance notes discussing technical and musical considerations follow each solo. The solos are appropriately placed throughout the book, utilizing aspects from each of the preceding lessons. Then carefully chosen combinations of different stroke types and motions are introduced in new lessons to build mastery of movement around the instrument. The lessons start by covering such topics as double vertical rolls, single alternating strokes, and single independent strokes. Parts one and two each have 10 lessons with four solos interspersed. The introduction covers topics like proper beating spots, the piston stroke, correct arm position, and more. The book is split into an introduction and two main parts. This book covers Level Two of the system and focuses on “the heart of the chorale,” which Gaines defines as “the last two strokes of the chord you’re coming from and the first two strokes of the chord you are going to.” This is called the Performance Level System. The series aims to separate broad categories of literature difficulty (e.g., beginner, intermediate, advanced) into 10 levels, each with clearly defined characteristics. This is an incredible follow-up to the first book in Julia Gaines’ Sequential Studies series. This 96-page book has a coil binding for convenient reading, and ships as a hard copy with a beautiful, full-color cover. Each solo is a practical application of the lessons that precede it and provides a musical context for the student to hone their technique.Īny developing marimbist would find the 20 lessons and 8 solos to be hugely beneficial and would find themselves to be a much more musical and technically proficient player! Also included are classical arrangements by Brian Tate who also contributed to the book as an editor. In keeping with the form of Sequential Studies (Book 1), Book 2 features 8 solos of varying musical style with original compositions by Julia Gaines, Tracy Thomas, Larry Lawless, Jamieson Carr, and Rob Green. This book contains 20 individual lessons, with the goal of producing beautiful, lush, and above all, smooth rolls. In this more streamlined and niche volume, Julia focuses on a specific performance style that is idiomatic to the marimba: the chorale. Julia Gaines’ Sequential Studies for Four-Mallet Marimba (Book 2) continues the pedagogical quest to produce well-rounded, musical marimbists.
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