Sequoia

Alex Stopa

2 Players

Advanced Concert Percussion

Instrumentation:

• 2 marimbas—(1) low F, (1) low C

As Aristotle once said, “The whole is greater than the sum of its parts.” Such is the case with Sequoia, a masterfully-crafted marimba duet by Alex Stopa. Musically, the piece explores ambiguities both harmonically (major versus minor, dissonance versus consonance) and rhythmically (through polyrhythm and metric modulation).

Composer, Alex Stopa states, “Some time ago, I took a road trip and visited the breathtaking redwood forests of Northern California. Standing among these majestic trees, some of which are over two and a half thousand years old, was like stepping back in time. It was a deeply spiritual and moving experience. The strength and nobility of these grand, old ambassadors formed the inspiration for this work.”

The grandeur of his composition will not be lost on the audience either. Sequoia will give the duo a means by which they can immerse and transform listeners. A surefire hit for percussion duos!

This piece comes as a professionally printed and bound score and includes individual parts in PDF format for printing or for tablet viewing.